Keeping with the theme, the issue also includes two other interviews with publishing stalwarts — Ananth Padmanabhan of HarperCollins India and Yuvraj Malik of NBT India. Padmanabhan, discusses the impact of the pandemic on publishing, the struggles and opportunities, and the road ahead while Malik talks about the publishing mandate of the National Book Trust, and how the organisation is working towards promoting the reading habit in spite of its flagship event being shut for two consecutive years due to the pandemic.

In the profile section, Noel D’Cunha talks to Kayyum and Arshad Memon, partners, Concord Printings, about the importance of the basic business principle – keep enough margins for profit.

In the event section, Sushil Kumar of Indot Photobook tells Aultrin Vijay how the company has been weaving the print magic during troubled times.

The issue also puts a spotlight on the recent trends of paper leak incidents. An incident of paper leak during a government recruitment examination triggered a massive controversy in Gujarat in December 2020. This was the ninth such incident in the state since 2014. But Gujarat is not alone, as such cases have sprung up in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra as well.  

Meanwhile, the question on everyone’s mind is whether 2022 will bring some respite for the industry after two difficult years. So, what issue is most likely to shape the Indian print and packaging industry in 2022? The February issue of PrintWeek asks industry insiders.

The cover story of the February issue of WhatPackaging? highlights Ball, a 140-year-old global company, which specialises in aluminium packaging. In this conversation with WhatPackaging? Amit Lahoti of Ball Beverage Packaging, shares how the company creates cans based on sustainable manufacturing principles.

The profile section features AGI Glaspac. Capturing 20% market share in the Indian glass packaging industry, the company is generating a turnover of around Rs 1,300-crore with a range of glass packaging – from 5-ml to 4,000-ml – and has an average capacity of melting 1,600 tonnes of glass per day.

In the face-to-face section, Chakravarthi AVPS talks to Joanne Howarth, a social entrepreneur based in Sydney, Australia, and the founder and CEO of Planet Protector Packaging (PPP). The company manufactures Woolpack, a disruptive and sustainable alternative to polystyrene. Her mission is to eliminate polystyrene from cold supply chains, particularly those used to transport pharmaceuticals, food, and seafood.  

These and more, including the regular features in the February issue of PrintWeek and WhatPackaging?.