But more importantly, the number of exhibitors at PrintPack and the footfalls, up 30%, and sales figures expected to exceed Rs 250-crore, prove that brand PrintPack ensured the industry took a solid first step on the road to good health.

A look at the top newsmakers at PrintPack India 2015.

All the digital players at the show, from Canon to Konica Minolta; and from HP to Xerox did good business with an average of Rs 4.5-crore each. Canon sold all the eight machines on display at the show. Puneet Datta of canon says, "We expect a business of Rs 30million in the next month from the show." Xerox bagged multiple orders for Versant 2100 as well as the C60/C70, while Konica Minolta registered a "good response" for the Jet Varnish 3D.

Monotech did a business of Rs 11+ crore. This included. orders for 10 Konica Minolta kit; three BasysPrint, two Amsky flexo and one HDGE UV CTP systems; and two Pixeljet wide-format printers. There were rumours that the Scodix on display was also sold to a printer in Indore, but Monotech denied having made the sale.

Fujifilm, Kodak and TechNova were buoyed by good sales too.

The two press manufacturers, Komori and Ryobi, through their representatives in India, Insight Communications and Provin Technos respectively, did between Rs 25-crore to Rs 30-crore each. Both firms notched up double digit orders for offset presses. Goes to show there is no decline of traditional print.

APL Machinery did Rs 10-crore while Indian manufacturers like Sahil Graphics and Associated Engineering (Sujata)secured a lifeline with to growth Rs 2-crore to Rs 3-crore each.

Pune-based. Pratham Technologies sold machines worth Rs 1.4-crore. This included its newly launched Supersort carton inspection system and flagship leaflet folders.

Daya, Joy D-zign, Megabound and Malhotra Graphics have reportedly done a sale of Rs 3-crore each; in their march towards print prosperity.

Anuj Mehta's PaperBind sold eight units of PUR binders, 26 digital creasers, eight laminators and 14 other products. This included a prestigious sale to a publisher. Total sales, according to  Mehta is, Rs 3.5-crore. Other post-press Indian manufacturers from Kerala, Coimbatore and Bengaluru had triumphs too.

Excel Machinery sold its new semi automatic die-cutting machine for corrugated sheets to Rajkot-based Karachi Box, while Vijaya Grafiks sold both the folder-gluer and the window patching machine on display.  

Hi-Tech Systems sold all its finishing machines that were on display and "bagged loads of orders", Parag Shah of the company, claims. Veteran exhibition stalls like Kapoor Imaging and Reprographics added to their credibility quotient with good business, as well.

Esko added two more names to its clientele for its marquee product: the Kongsberg XE 10 plus its upgraded pre-press software workflow while Zund sold three cutting tables, approximately Rs 1-crore worth. The dark horse was the entry level cutting table at the AGS stall.

The stalls of Bobst, Line O Matic, Muller Martini, Redlands and Welbound Worldwide closed at record high business. The top management at these firms are busy crunching the inked deals at the show; and I should have some news on that front.

Amit Pal Singh of Guru Nanak Machinery has confirmed eight to 10 orders for its heavy duty platen die punching, creasing and embossing machine and rotary sticker half cutting, creasing cum perforating machine (3-in-1), plus he is 'expecting many more'.

U V Graphic Technologies has bagged orders worth Rs seven crore. The break up is: four orders for the Ultracoat double UV coater, nine orders for Inter Deck UV Systems and two orders for UV LED. 

My verdict:  After a host of disorderly trade shows in 2014, PrintPack 2015, along with PlastIndia and the World Book Fair has resolved the impasse over print. Some pundits said all three shows have been a timely bailout for print in 2015. I think that is a bit alarmist.

But the general consensus is, the deals struck and orders booked at PrintPack 2015, to the tune of Rs 250-crore between manufacturers / dealers and printers should help ease concerns that print was heading for the exit door.

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Click here to view the PrintPack special picture gallery - PrintPack's 50 trailblazers

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