In association with the universities and printing institutions in India, OPA has been organising the Print Olympiad since 2014. During the preliminary rounds, the competition selects the best print students among the four zones (East, West, North and South) and thereafter, during the national finale, the winner is selected from the top four candidates.

The South zone final was held at Chennai’s College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University. K Senthil Vadivu, head of department - Printing and Packaging Technology, CEG, Anna University welcomed the attendees, which comprised students and faculty from College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Institute of Printing technology, Chennai and Salesian Institute of Graphic and Arts, Chennai.

The contest hosted an oral round, where the students were presented with topics selected by the judges. The participants could select one out of five topics as per their choice. Followed by a preparatory period, each student was expected to deliver a five to seven minutes speech on the chosen subject.

Following the presentations, a question-and-answer session ensued, complemented by an audience poll to determine the winner based on predefined criteria. A five-member jury comprised: K Vipinendran, associate professor - Printing, Anna University; K Senthil Vadivu, professor and head printing at Anna University; D Bhuvanesswari, deputy works manager - Printing & Stationery, Government of Tamil Nadu; B Kumar, former professor, Anna University, and GN Visvakumar of Rajams Digital Offset Prints.

Praveen Kumar of Anna University was recognised as the winner and received the award for ‘Top Print Student South Zone’. He will now compete with the three regional winners of North, East and West in the national final to be held in September 2024. In acknowledgement, Praveen said, “The Print Olympiad is helpful to express my views and learn about our printing and packaging technology. Similarly, many more contests such as hackathons should be conducted to improve our thinking and knowledge.”

Brainchild and chairman of Print Olympiad project, Kamal Chopra spoke about how OPA intends to recognise the top print student in India with the Print Olympiad. The project aims to inspire students of printing and packaging technology to broaden their learning beyond the confines of textbooks. This remarkable competition is made possible through collaborative partnerships with leading universities and printing institutions across the nation.

SN Venkataraman, chief executive - ITC Packaging & Printing Business, was invited as the chief guest. He said, “Stay updated with the emerging technologies of the world such as artificial intelligence and data science”, and emphasised how these technologies are shaping the printing and packaging industry, and the need to keep up with the trends. Integrating these technologies into the workplace could streamline workflow processes, minimise routine tasks and empower engineers and designers to prioritise innovation and validation. In accord, the guest of honour, Mohan Kumar, CEO of Prakash Flexibles, underscored the significance of remaining abreast and adaptable in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world.

M Nandakumar, coordinator South zone, pointed out at the preliminary round which saw participation from printing institutions of South India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. The session was held online and selected top five students from the South on the basis of a MCQ exam. The five students were Sreesankar E from Government Polytechnic College, Palakkad, Shoranur, B Madhumitha, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science & Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Janis D and Praveen Kumar MS both from Anna University, Chennai.

In conclusion, Ashwani Gupta, co-chairman of the Print Olympiad project, expressed deep gratitude for the invaluable support of CEG, Anna University, towards this noble endeavour.