The PrintWeek Awards were held on 23 September at the Westin Mumbai Powai Lake. It was a gala honouring 55 winners. The evening featured 12 Performance Awards, 18 Quality Awards, and five Special Industry Awards, highlighting the exceptional achievements. Parksons Packaging took home the top award of the night, the prestigious PrintWeek Company of the Year Award.  

Read about the Award winners in the October issue of PrintWeek. 

In other features in the issue, five paper specialists spotlighted what they are “doing differently” and how they were adding value. On 28 September, at the Federation of Paper Traders' Association of India's (FPTAI) conference in Goa, they provided tips on how the paper industry can improve access to capital and deploy tech tools which are a must for cross-border and pan-India outreach. 

From 22-24 August, PackPlus 2024 was hosted at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. More than 200 exhibitors showcased key solutions across the packaging value chain.

PrintWeek also reported on a quaint bookstore in Bengaluru, called Atta Galatta. Atta Galatta is a Kannada phrase. The word Atta, means play, that is, children playing, while Galatta is a colloquial word for fun. That’s what the book store aims to do.

Christoph Wachter of Koehler Paper spoke about the developments of paper-based packaging in the flexible packaging segment — and the company’s 300-million euro investment in the space. A report by Anhata Rooprai.

Inflight magazines have begun to take-off after a nosedive during the pandemic. Tucked into the backseat pocket of the person sitting in front of us, inflight magazines prove to be the sole form of analogue entertainment in an aircraft. PrintWeek explores the clout of ink on paper, high up in the stratosphere.

To explore the trends, Bobst presented its latest technological advancements and insights into the future at an open house on 3 and 4 October at its plant in Pirangut, Pune.

Kurz India is all set to present its range of advanced solutions in hot stamping, cold transfer, and digital finishing at Labelexpo.

With the installation of the Nilpeter FB 430 flexo press, Vimal Flexoprint has gained the first-mover advantage in label manufacturing. Jitubhai Kamani, along with his son Prit and nephew Dhaval spotlight the journey as a digital plate supplier.

Starting from a village in Gujarat, Dinesh Khimani’s journey in photo printing is one of persistence and vision. By blending tradition with state-of-the-art technology, Khimani has revived the wedding album, creating timeless keepsakes that resonate with generations. A report by Vimal Parmar.

The cover story of the October issue of WhatPackaging?, the bi-monthly supplement which comes complimentary with PrintWeek is coatings. The issue features interviews with 10 companies, namely, Toy Ink Arets; Texochem; Siegwerk; Michelman; Hubergroup; HB Fuller; Flint Group; DIC-Sun Chemical; Astra Chemtech; and AkzoNobel.  

Chris Bradford, the global marketing director for industrial coatings at AkzoNobel, talks about how coatings provide advantages over lamination.

"Variants in UV coatings have increased, as they are the preferred choice of converters to create special effects that make packaging or print look attractive, and functionally more sustainable," says Prashant Atre, managing director at Toyo Ink Arets (Artience Group).

The Indian packaging coating market is expected to grow to USD 3.98 billion by 2030. Farid Sorathiya, technical director for the technical and commercial graphic division at Astra Chemtech helps sort fact from fiction. 

DIC-Sun Chemical have been at the forefront of innovative coatings solutions across the globe. The global behemoth is supplying coatings for trials and validation. Utsab Choudhuri, chief technology officer and Dr Kamakshi Christopher, GM, flexible technology share the highlights.

The Flint Group manufactures and sells coatings for applications – including matt, gloss, barrier, and more. Noel D’cunha talks to Upal Roy, managing director of India and Middle East group for the Flint Group about the latest in coatings.

Ashwini Sonar, the strategic marketing specialist at HB Fuller shares how the company’s Earthic water-based barrier coating is helping the brands to transition to fibre-based solutions.

Hubergroup has invested in production facilities for coatings. Andre Garber, head of business development for water-based systems and UV coatings, says “We are particular when selecting raw materials for our coatings, whether barrier or food packaging coatings, and ensure compliance with all necessary regulations.”

“In terms of performance, the sealing abilities of PE is unmatchable. But water-based coatings provide customisation benefits, including enhanced functionality, and are also environmentally friendly,” Shailesh Nema, vice-president for sales in Asia and managing director for India, Michelman, tells Ramu Ramanathan.

Siegwerk produces functional coatings for packaging. It is committed to the Indian market. Oliver Waddington from Siegwerk’s CE Coatings Unit shares inputs about barrier coatings.

“We’re excited to deepen our commitment by introducing 100% plant- and bio-based products. This will enable us and our customers to take another major step toward fully eco-friendly packaging solutions,” says Anuj Agarwal of Texochem.

In other features, there are highlights of the 11th Specialty Films & Flexible Packaging Global summit, it was clear that raw material suppliers and machine manufacturers have the tech-solutions. And yet, plastic proves to be a tough target for circularity. 

The 11th edition of IndiaCorr Expo and India Folding Carton transpired from 25–27 September 2024 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. More than 250 exhibitors displayed solutions for corrugated packaging, folding cartons and paper. Anushka Chourasia and Anhata Rooprai report on the highlights.

Disha Chakraborty of WhatPackaging? trudges to a Starbucks in Nashik and tries to understand what are the ingredients that brew-up its success.

Packmate, a startup founded by the husband-and-wife duo Shradha and Nayanesh Pasari, is creating eco-friendly stationery products made entirely from paper without the use of trees, possibly the first venture of its kind in India.

The CII-Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) transpired on 24 September. The CII team brought Indian and UK companies to collaborate on sustainable plastics. The event highlighted global efforts aimed at ending plastic pollution by 2024, which is in line with the UN’s 2022 resolution.

These and more in the October issue of PrintWeek and WhatPackaging?. Click here to subscribe.