Total 24 Awards were presented in two categories — 17 in quality and six in performance. ITC's Packaging & Printing Business took home the highest honours — PrintWeek Printing Company of the Year 2019. ITC Packaging was also named Green Company of the Year in the performance category while the company won the Prism in Packaging Converter of the Year (Flexible) in quality category.

This year, the Awards received 891 samples in 222 entries from 87 companies across the countries. A panel of 22 Jury members comprising leading print buyers, creative and print-packaging exporters evaluated the samples to select the best of the best.

As Awards host Denzil Smith regaled the guests throughout the event, the evening was kicked off by Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar, who hailed all of this year’s shortlisted companies as the embodiment of this year’s theme. “The Awards are in its 11th year. It’s hard work, but we are happy to do it. It’s our way of saying thank you to the Indian print fraternity for the wonderful work it has been doing.”

Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar

Noel D’Cunha, managing editor, PrintWeek and WhatPackaging?, said, “Starting a new decade in our commitment to the Indian print and packaging industry, we decided to host the Award show this year in open air to spread the green message. However, the weather proved to be a little sultry despite this being the middle of winter. This goes to prove that 2019 has been one of the warmest years in the last decade, thus making the need for eco-friendly and sustainable solutions all the more urgent.”

Keeping this in mind, ahead of the Award show, WhatPackaging? organised a half-day event titled ‘Circular Economy Forum’, where experts discussed circular economy in the context of sustainability and print production.

Ahead of this, PrintWeek hosted the inaugural edition of Show & Tell, a unique gathering of print buyers, brand managers and converters, where representatives from print and packaging companies showcased their innovative products.

The chief guest of the PrintWeek Awards 2019 was Zac Hollis, director, sales, service, and marketing, Škoda Auto India. Highlighting the importance of print, he said that print and digital media can live harmonious together. “In business, you are the competitor of your brand. Your brand stands for your reputation. Your brand is important,” he said to the gathering.

Zac Hollis, director, sales, service, and marketing, Škoda Auto India

While the industry leaders dominated the Awards, the 2019 edition also saw new entrants to the Awards making their mark. The winner in the Innovative Printer of the Year category, Letra Graphix, and Eemerge, which won the Jury Award in the same category, were both first time entrants. Noida-based Uflex, also a first time entrant, was named Packaging Company of the Year.

Among the big winners, both Lustra and Pragati took home two Prisms each. Lustra own the Awards in Book Printer of the Year (Speciality) and Social Stationery Printer of the Year categories. Meanwhile Pragati Offset was named Brochure & Catalogue Printer of the Year and Pragati Pack won in Packaging Converter of the Year (Luxury) categories.

PrintWeek Winners 2019

There were also several joint winners. Lustra shared the Book Printer of the Year (Speciality) category with Silverpoint Press. Pragati Pack shared the Packaging Converter of the Year (Luxury) category with Bell Printers. Brandmark Solutions and Spectrum Scan were named joint winners in the Industrial Product Printer of the Year category. The Label Printer of the Year category also had joint winners in Any Graphics and Kumar Labels. Last year’s winner in the category Printmann Group shared the Packaging Company of the Year this year with Uflex.