Leading producers of holograms for security, packaging and display from countries such as USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, China, Indonesia, Japan and India attended the conference and the exhibition that ran concurrently. Organised by International Hologram Manufacturers Association with active support from Reconnaissance International and Hologram Manufacturers Association of India, the conference saw attendees from 25 countries.

Ian Lancaster, secretary of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association delivered the opening remarks and highlighted the change of name of the conference from Holopack Holoprint to Holography Conference, which was consistent to the changing applications for holograms as not only just a packaging or security media but also an upcoming media in display and nano technology. He praised the Indian hologram industry for its growth and commitment and how it has turned out to be an ethical and responsible industry.

The hologram market in India currently estimated at Rs 4.5 billion is projected to grow at a 15% CAGR for the next 5 years, driven by the increasing need for enhanced security and protection of consumers from counterfeit products. As per various surveys, about 10% of Soft Drinks and FMCG products, 20% of liquor and pharmaceuticals, 30% of cosmetics and music CDs and Videos, 40% of fans and 45% of automotive spares sold in India are counterfeit which cause not only revenue loss to the genuine manufacturers but also have harmful effects on consumers. As per the its estimates, currently 50% of the hologram market is contributed by liquor excise followed by pharmaceuticals (20%), FMCG (8%) and auto components (3%).

Similarly, HOMAI estimated the holographic market to be worth Rs 2.4 billion in 2011. It further projected the segment to grow at 15% CAGR for the next 5 years as there is a huge demand of holographic features in sectors such as identity documents, tobacco and brand protection. According to the association, the increasing need for enhanced security and protection of consumers from counterfeiting products as well as quality services, reasonable price, increases in export are the reason behind this constantly growth.

Manoj Kochar, president of the Hologram Manufacturers Association of India gave some interesting insights into India. He introduced the Hologram Manufacturers Association of India (HOMAI) and how it has come to be an association all companies in the hologram industry look up to and respect. He also announced that HOMAI is widening its scope and is preparing to broad base its membership to include all authentication technology providers. He also informed the delegates that HOMAI proposes to change its name to Authentication Solution Providers Association (ASPA). Once the necessary approvals are received the association will then induct all authentication solution providers as its member. ASPA would then be a platform where members from different technology backgrounds will converge and collaborate to provide even more effective solutions to brand owners.

Saha in his keynote address gave an introduction to the status of packaging industry in India and how it is emerging as one of the biggest in the world. He stressed that there is a growing need for anti-counterfeiting and authentication solutions in packaging industry. Companies spend huge amount of time effort and money to build brands and the counterfeiters make merry by simply copying the branding and cheating the unsuspecting consumer. He said that the hologram technology not only provides a premium look to the packages but also provides overt security solutions aimed at consumer verification which is the need of the hour. He also welcomed collaborations between Indian and foreign companies to realise the full benefits of the opportunities that India presents. He urged the industry and government to initiate immediate steps to fight against counterfeiting to save the government revenue and also the consumers from the ills of counterfeiting. He also spoke about the need for preparing quality standards for hologram.

There were several interesting presentations at the conference that deliberated on the latest trends and the technology direction. Holograms are increasingly making their presence felt in the packaging industry and today a host of options such as holographic board, holographic films and labelling solutions are available to add value to both rigid and flexible packaging.

Nigel Abraham from 3DCD presented a paper on designing diffractive imagery for packaging and highlighted the usage of nano-fringe writing for usage of Fresnel lenses in holographic packaging. He also highlighted the new trend of using mock up for packaging. Ashwini Kumar from ITC Packaging presented a paper titled beyond holography, urging holographers to think ahead for future of holography with new 3D applications and integration with smart phones and smart materials. Vikas Kapoor from Orient Craft highlighted the importance and continuous uses of holography in fashion and garment industry for its unique appeal. Stephen McDonnell from Optrace presented a paper on serialised photopolymer holograms for protecting medicines. The company briefed how they are working on making each hologram as a unique hologram.

David Tidmarsh from Currency Publications presented a paper highlighting recent trends in the use of DOVID’s (Diffractive Optical Variable Imaging Devices) on banknotes. He noted that globally 150 billion banknotes were produced annually with a growth rate of 4-5%. In total, 350 billion banknotes are in circulation globally. The first DOVID’s used by Austria in 1988 and by 2012 more than 280 denominations are using DOVID’s as key anti-counterfeiting for currency protection. The latest trend is registration and integration of DOVID’s or hologram into banknote design. Kenji Ueda from Dai Nippon Printing presented paper on latest developments in hot-stampable true colour lippman holograms. He briefed that Lippmann hologram requires special materials and manufacturing techniques, making them extremely difficult to counterfeit.

The event held in Gurgaon also highlighted the annual Excellence in Holography Awards organised by International Hologram Manufacturers Association. Commenting on the awards, Kochar said, “Creativity, design excellence and diversity led the way among the entries, reinforcing how holography continues to push forward technical and commercial boundaries to find new applications and markets.”

In addition, Dimes Pastorelli, CEO of Diaures, Diavy and MHT (Machinery Holographic Technology), the man behind some of the most significant developments in hologram production equipment was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the industry. He was awarded the prestigious Brian Monaghan Award for Business Innovation.