Picture Gallery: The best of PrintWeek India Awards

It was the evening of 7 October. They came, they saw, they conquered. 28 companies took home 31 prisms across 26 categories. Of these, nine companies made their debut at the PrintWeek India Awards. It all sums up right!

Moment of honour: The SIES Awards commandos (six) received their certificate of appreciation from industry gurus, Ramesh Kejriwal of Parksons Packaging and Narendra Paruchuri of Pragati Offset. The students were recognised by PrintWeek India for their work of coding and documenting the 1200+ print entries that came in for Awards 2015

Noel D'Cunha and Suresh Ramakrishnan bring to fore the many highlights of the students' six months at PWI and their contribution to the new website, www.theprintweekstudio.in

A full house: 333 was the last count that we heard. The gathering of print CEOs, manufacturers and association members from 20 cities of the country came together to celebrate the power of print, and to commend their peers for their well-deserved success

Print for print: Conversations in the pre-function area of the Grand Hyatt, the PrintWeek India Awards Gallery, swinged from one print to another to the next one. The samples on display were a selection from the shortlisted entries of 2015

One of the strong contenders in the Performance category of Post-Press Company and PrintWeek India Printing Company - Edelmann Packaging India

...Because there is always an opportunity for a selfie!

The big daddy table: Team Edelmann Packaging India and Manipal Technologies and Sumantra Barooah, associate editor of Autocar Professional

The Awards presentation ceremony, hosted by the film and theatre actor Denzil Smith, started off with the Quality Awards. The first in the row being Welbound-sponsored Book Printer (Academic & Trade) category. This was bagged by Sivakasi's SFA Print; a maiden PWI award for SFA

The second book category award, Book Printer (Specialty) saw Jak Printers pick up the trophy for its books – Changing Skylines, 50 Influences, Royal Recipes from the Taj Grand Palaces, and 4th Dimension Architecture. The presentation had an interlude - P Sajith sang a series of swaras beautifully composed in Shankara-bharanam form of Carnatic music

The first tie of the evening was in the Brochure & Catalogue Printer category. The first winner - Pragati Offset. Category Sponsor: Advanced Graphic Systems

At par with Pragati's entries were that of Vishwakala Printers, who picked up the Catalogue category in 2013. Category Sponsor: Advanced Graphic Systems

Another first-time PrintWeek Award winner was DMA Yellow Works, an arm of DY works, in the Creative Repro Company category. kudos team DMA!

The second-time winner since the category was introduced last year, Silverpoint Press, with its package, which included print and digital in the form of augmented reality, video and mobile apps, produced samples that put the spotlight on the synergy between print and digital

Photo Album Printer was one category where everyone was a winner, said one of the judges. The best among the equals in the category were two firms, Mazda Imaging and last year’s winner Sri Sivarama Digital Press. The single-run Nadie weds Raj wedding album, printed on HP Indigo 10000, was finished with textured cover, and window picture with pearl finish, plus had a seamless flat binding. Category Sponsor: Canon India

The second deserving winner in the Phot Album category was was last year’s winner Sri Sivarama Digital Press based out of Rajhamundry, Andhra Pradesh. Category Sponsor: Canon India

In the four samples that New Delhi’s digital print specialist Chanakya Mudrak sent for evaluation, the Bombay Blue Menu for Bombay Blue in that sense was unique. Category Sponsor: Canon India

To win the Direct Mail Printer Award, Synthesis Communication submitted a bunch of compelling samples, which the judges said connected with the need of personalised correspondence.

Marvel Graphic Studio has been on the winning side of the Fine Art Printer category for the last four times, and by making it a fifth time, it has created a record of sorts. Category sponsor: Sona Commercial

From king-size prints to POP, POS units to signs and advertisements, submissions in this category this year raised the bar in the Industrial Product Printer category. It was a tie - the first winner being Brandmark Solutions

Neat Graphics, the second winner produced stunning posters of Drishyam in different sizes, Elevation in 3D for an architect firm, and Mahindra Gusto scooter with a car-like feature as entries in the Industrial Product Printer category

Any Graphics has made winning the Label Award a habit since bagging the Prism in 2012. Category sponsor: Epson

The Mumbai-based corrugation specialist returns with Corrugated Kids Furniture to pick up the Innovative Awards three years after it floored the judges with its Rocking Chair in 2011. Category sponsor: Advanced Graphic Systems

The Magazine Printer Award is the second PrintWeek India Award for Silverpoint Press, along with its win in the Cross Media category.

Jagran Prakashan bags the Newspaper Award for its national edition Dainik Jagran. The last time Jagran won the Award was in 2012

The samples sent by Parksons for the Packaging Converter (General) category had a kind of finesse to them. Parksons wins the Award for all-round excellence in packaging printing and finishing. Category sponsor: Pidilite

Pragati Pack’s Joy – Celebration Sweet Box for Bikanervala, Teacher’s Origin Whiskey for Beam Global, Tigre Blanc Vodka for Tigre Vodkar, and Grants Whiskey – The Family Reserve for William Grant and Sons encompass high-value luxury and with it the Award for Packaging Converter (Luxury). Category Sponsor: Heidelberg India

Two winners of PrintWeek India Awards 2014 share the PrintWeek India Screen Printer of the Year Award. The first winner is Lustra Print Process. All Lustra samples used polycarbonate sheets and positive film making through Imagesetter. All the entries were printed on a Svecia

A winner in the same category last year, Spectrum Scan used a semi-automatic screen printing machine to achieve striking displays for its clients. Spectrum shares the title with Lustra Print Process

For Pragati, this is the fourth consecutive PUR Book Maker Award, since the Award was instituted in 2012

Two Mumbai-based print companies, First Impressions and Prodon Enterprises ran neck-to-neck, emerging as joint winners for Social Stationery Printer Awards

The samples from Prodon Enterprises for the Social Staionery Printer wowed the judges with a truly standout sample kit and swatch book with absolutely beautiful prints

Last year’s winner in the Wide-Format Printer category, Liberty Graphics, comes up trumps this year as well with its versatile samples, merging art with technology. Category sponsor: Canon India

Mehul Desai, honorary secretary of BMPA and Tushar Dhote, the president of MMS presented the Student of the Year award to PVG's Harsha A. Among the applicants, Harsha A’s outstanding academic record, along with his projects and extra-curricular activities during the course

For this book giant, environment and sustainability is a top priority. In what is its second win in the Green Printing Company category, Repro India has outperformed its two contenders with a 31% reduction in its specific energy consumption in three years. Category sponsor: ITC - Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division

Five years, five Awards in a row. That’s Replika Press. The Kundli-based book factory started manufacturing books in 1994 and they haven’t taken a step back since. Category sponsor: Welbound Technical Services

Pre=Press Company 2015, Shilp Gravures, is India’s pioneering and undisputed leader in electro-mechanical engraving, with a substantial market share in the flexible packaging industry. Category sponsor: TechNova India

SME Printer 2015, Print Plus, located in Bhiwandi, was founded in 1995. Print Plus’ financial results are truly eye-popping as its profit before taxes surged by 235.25% and simultaneously its expenditure on staff decreased by 107.36%

The 26th category and the ultimate accolade: the PWI Printing Company of the Year 2015. The winner: Manipal Technologies. This is the third time Manipal has won the award, this time beating off a stiff competition from seven deserving companies, all of whom have the clout to win the Award at any given night

And then, the Manipal team along with the chief guest, Kevin Flynn, president and managing director for India Operations of Fiat Chrysler and Suresh Ramakrishnan, publishing director, Haymarket Media (India), unveiled the Book of the Night. A special compilation of all the award-winning jobs