Drupa 2024: AIFMP celebrates India Day

BS Mubarak, Consul General of India in Frankfurt, was the chief guest. Other dignitaries included Manoj Mehta, president of FAPGA, Raveendra Joshi, who demitted office as president of WPCF a day before the event and Sabine Geldermann, director of Messe Dusseldorf.

Speaking at the occasion, Mubarak said India and Germany are important trade partners, with a trade transaction of USD 30-billion. Besides Drupa, there are other shows like Anuga, which takes place in Germany, and where a number of Indian visitors participate.

President of AIFMP Raghbendra Dutta Baruah thanked the chief guest for making time out of his busy schedule to attend India Day. Baruah shared a brief history of AIFMP, which was founded in 1953.

“It is the sole representative of over 250,000 printing companies in India, making it the world's largest printers' association. With the support of 78 regional associations nationwide, AIFMP is dedicated to strengthening the printing industry through various initiatives," he said.

The next edition of our flagship event, Pamex, is scheduled from January 27 to 30, 2026, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. This exposition will showcase the latest in printing, graphic machinery, and technology under the theme "Future is Eco-tech." We invite you all to join us for this premier event.

During his speech, Baruah also shared some figures about the Indian printing and packaging market: “India’s commercial printing industry reached a market size of USD 33.2 billion in 2022. This is expected to grow to USD 41.6 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4%.”

He added the key drivers for this growth include innovative printing solutions, products with reduced carbon footprints, and higher energy efficiency. “The rise of e-commerce, coupled with digital technology and print-on-demand services, is significantly boosting our market.”

Briefing the audience about AIFMP’s activities, Baruah said AIFMP maintains two crucial indexes in collaboration with CRISIL: PRIDEX for commercial print and CARDEX for packaging. “These indexes are the only ones of their kind globally, tracking changes in printing costs by considering factors such as paper, consumables, and wages. This invaluable tool helps our members calculate costs and negotiate effectively with customers.”