In addition to Salasar, a prominent book printer operating in India, book printers in Uganda, Kenya, and Uzbekistan have also signed the Ekam deals.

These deals have been signed at Drupa 2024. Salasar's decision to invest in the new book-binding line follows its prior use of Bindwel's Freedom 5K and Signa gatherers at its Raipur, CG facility.

At Drupa 2024, Bindwel (Hall 6/B04) presented the Bindwel Ekam concept, offering a glimpse into the future of textbook binding. “Specifically designed for popular textbook formats worldwide, the Ekam demonstrates improved efficiency, reduced space requirements, minimised moving parts, lower energy consumption, and a cost-efficient approach to textbook production,” said P Sajith, managing director at Bindwel.

The Ekam is Bindwel's brainchild, featuring a concept developed by Kai Buentemeyer, an industry veteran with three decades of experience and extensive connections within the global publishing, printing, and bookbinding sectors. Buentemeyer, formerly the CEO of Kolbus and now serving as an additional director at Bindwel, contributed significantly to the development of Ekam.