The Master and the Apprentice · Naresh Khanna & Wayne Beckett · PrintPack India 2025

At Printpack India 2025, Wayne Beckett from Inkish wraps up the final day of an incredible exhibition by speaking with Naresh Khanna, owner of Indian Printer & Publisher (IPP). Reflecting on a week filled with industry insights, cutting-edge technology, and promising business developments, both discuss the evolving role of Printpack India within the global print and packaging industry.

Naresh Khanna highlights India's robust and resilient printing and packaging sectors, attributing the event’s success to the country’s strong economy and industrial growth. He notes that while Printpack India remains a premier event, the market is becoming more fragmented. Specialized regional shows, such as dedicated events for labels, plastics, and specific printing technologies, are emerging across different states.

The conversation shifts to the rapid development of the Noida region, particularly Uttar Pradesh. With its massive population and rising industrialization, Uttar Pradesh drives significant demand for printed materials. As infrastructure expands—including a new airport being built by Swiss developers—the potential for growth in printing and packaging remains vast.

Projections for Printpack India 2027 aim for an additional 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, and visitor numbers could reach 180,000-190,000, but Naresh Khanna remains skeptical. While new permanent halls are planned, challenges remain, including infrastructure limitations, shifting industry specialization, and changing business dynamics, where companies increasingly invite customers directly to their factories instead of showcasing at exhibitions.

Despite this, both agree on the irreplaceable value of exhibitions—not just for major brands like Heidelberg, Komori, and Canon but also for small innovators who provide unique solutions that can significantly impact businesses. Printpack India continues to serve as a vital marketplace for discovering new technologies, fostering partnerships, and exploring the future of print in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

As the event concludes, Wayne Beckett thanks Naresh Khanna and his team for their collaboration throughout the week. He looks forward to continuing to engage in this dynamic and evolving industry.

Amitabh Luthra · Managing Director · Printers Supply · PrintPack India 2025

On the final day of Printpack India, Wayne Beckett from Inkish catches up with Amitabh, Managing Director of Print and Supply, to discuss the show’s success and the state of the Indian print market. Despite a slightly lower footfall than expected, Amitab emphasizes the quality of visitors, noting that the attendees were highly relevant industry professionals seeking valuable insights and business opportunities.

A key topic of discussion is Print and Supply’s role as the Indian representative for Edale, the renowned British manufacturer of flexographic and digital hybrid printing presses. While importing UK-made equipment presents cost challenges due to high exchange rates, Amitabh highlights Edale’s reputation for top-tier engineering, often called the "Rolls-Royce of the printing industry." The company focuses in India on sales, after-sales support, and marketing, ensuring strong local representation for the brand.

Wayne and Amitabh also delve into the rapid growth of India’s label and packaging sector, which has surged in recent years. Amitabh attributes this expansion to the country’s strong economic performance and consistent year-on-year growth despite global challenges.

Another major development is Print and Supply’s partnership with Xeikon, which was formalized at Drupa last year. Amitab explains that there is no conflict of interest between Edale and Xeikon. Canon-owned Edale specializes in flexographic technology, while Xeikon focuses purely on digital presses. This allows Print and Supply to offer a complementary portfolio, addressing India's increasing demand for digital printing solutions.

With a bright future ahead and the increasing adoption of advanced print technologies, Amitabh is optimistic about the Indian market’s trajectory. As the show wraps up, he returns to finalize deals, reinforcing the strong momentum built during Printpack India.

Pawandeep Sahni · Managing Director · OMET India · PrintPack India 2025

On the final day of Printpack India, Wayne Beckett from Inkish meets with Pawandeep, the Managing Director of OMET India, to discuss the company’s growing presence in the Indian market. Pawandeep reflects on a highly successful exhibition that exceeded expectations with the quality of visitors and strong engagement throughout the event.

OMET, an Italian manufacturer of high-end printing presses, has expanded its footprint in India since 2019. Despite the challenges of selling European presses in a highly competitive market, Pawandeep explains that the growing base of label printers has fueled demand for more sophisticated machines. OMET’s unique selling point lies in its ability to provide fully customized printing solutions, offering a combination of flexo, offset, gravure, and digital printing in a single press. With six different platforms, 13 variants, and hundreds of customization options, OMET ensures that no two solutions are alike, tailoring each system to the customer’s needs.

Beyond the technology, OMET India is actively addressing the industry’s skills gap with its "OMET Throughput" program, which focuses on machine maintenance, training, and new product development. This initiative helps printers maximize their investment by ensuring operators are well-trained and equipped to handle advanced printing techniques.

Looking ahead, OMET will exhibit at Label Expo Barcelona, continuing its momentum in the global print industry. With India’s massive market potential and focus on high-value, complex printing applications, OMET is well-positioned for further growth.

Ioannis Makridakis · Service · Kohlhammer Druck

One of the many people who made the Kohlhammer event possible was Ionnis Makridakis, and we HAD to stop him for an interview to learn about what he does when he is not preparing events. With a big smile, he explains that he fixes everything, from machines to the maintenance of the building—and as he explains in this interview, he likes the many different jobs he has. Great! Language: German Subtitled: English

Philipp Osman · Senior Account Specialist Inkjet Printing · Ricoh Germany

We, of course, start our interview with Osman and why he is attending the Kohlhammer event. Ricoh is one of more suppliers of digital printing equipment, but he is also very much aware that Kohlhammer may be a significant potential customer for Ricoh. It was super interesting talking to Philipp Osman, which also, off-camera was interesting, but that you, of course, can’t know :-) Language: German Subtitled: English

Pete Dolfis · Walkthrough 4 · Vice President of Sales · Tecnau · PRINTING United Expo 2024

Pete Dolfis, sales VP (Americas) for Tecnau, walks INKISH through the Stack 1212 cutsheet stacking solution for B2+ format, digital-print output. The streamlined machine reduces manual handling and requires no guillotine cutting. It's ideal for applications such as letters, books, brochures, postcards and posters! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-dolfis-1a07a825/

Walkthrough AGFA SpeedSet 1060 with Matt Brooks · AGFA

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Rita Torfs · AGFA

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Matt Brooks · AGFA

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Arnaud Calleja · AGFA

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Mike Horsten · Sr. Press & PR manager · AGFA

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Roy Oomen · Highcon

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Michael Prosser · AGFA

Building a machine like the AGFA SpeedSet 1060 requires a lot of people - and here we got a chance to talk to Michael Prosser. In the interview, he explains his role and how the team works together.

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Barry Joyce · Simpson Group

Barry Joyce from Simpson Group decided to join the Unboxing event in Cambridge because the SpeedSet 1060 might be interesting for Simpson Group. However, the company currently works mostly in the Large Format segment - SpeedSet 1060 runs up to 2 mm thick material, but also down to very thin substrates, potentially enabling customers to produce a very broad range of applications. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjoyce23/

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Francesco Sorrentino · iPrint

Francesco Sorrentino sells AGFA solutions in the southern part of Italy with success. As we speak with him at the Unboxing event in Cambridge, he proudly shows two installations taking place as we speak. He is a strong believer in AGFA and expresses that the SpeedSet 1060 will be a super product to sell - also in Italy. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-sorrentino-b4b75152/

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Sean Smyth · Pira International

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Jeff Wettersten · Keypoint Intelligence

Unboxing of the AGFA SpeedSet 1060

INKISH is part of the unboxing event in Cambridge - the first time we heard about the SpeedSet 1060 was at ICE in Munich, then a new update at FEFCO in Lyon - and finally, we see the 'beast' in Cambridge. The SpeedSet 1060 is a B1 water-based single-pass inkjet machine made for the folding carton/packaging segment - and excels with high quality at speeds up to 11,000 sheets per hour. The Unboxing event was visited by a number of selected customers from Europe and the US, and here captured by INKISH filmer Jack Fisher. Enjoy - and check also all the interviews we have done.