Several OEMs, ancillary equipment and consumable suppliers were in full attendance. Plus their audience visited the show in large numbers.

It was good to note how the printing packaging landscape has been moving from the traditional offset-dominated technology to flexo over the past few Pamex editions.

Digital print has been making inroads in all segments, right from corrugated post-print to labels to flexible packaging. Having said that, I wish to add, to all doomsday fear-mongers, who predicted the end of conventional printing methods, it was very apparent that offset, flexo, screen (and gravure which was not represented at the Pamex show) will continue to not just survive, but thrive, if the enthusiasm of the attendees, and their investment plans were studied.

All technologies including digital printing, will continue to co-exist, and yes, the conversion rate to flexo is visible (very visible) in several segments. And this augers well for the industry

Some new things that I detected is that some non-ink industry companies have added printing inks to their portfolio. Also Indian printing-machine manufacturers (especially label-converters) have after a long found their place and acceptance in the local market-space. What I loved was the Make in India buzz which is very bullish, and India’s exports too, such as locally produced inks, machines, aniloxes, etc are booming.

The Pamex week from 6 to 9 February has been a good one, and if the organisers need a tagline, it can be: Print-Week India ( pun intended).

Mahesh Kode, vice-president sales and marketing
Creative Graphics Solutions