PRINT PACK INDIA 2009 For a few wide-formats in a big way

PRINT PACK INDIA 2009
For a few wide-formats in a big way

 What is the quality of a product when it comes to attracting every beholder at first sight? Wide-format majors like HP, Mehta Cad Cam System Pvt Ltd, Ess Dee Nutek Infinities Pvt Ltd, Negi Sign Systems & Supplies Co, Apsom Infotex Ltd, Monotech System Limited, Angel India Cad Cam Pvt Ltd, Infinity Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd and India Signs Corporation at Print Pack India 2009 certainly approved an answer to this question when potential visitors from different clusters of the industry poured in huge beyond expectation to their exhibits. In her keynote inaugural address, Dr Sheela Bhide, chairman and managing director, ITPO said the country’s printing industry should upgrade to catch up with overseas demand and in the same breath she stressed on the idea of ITPO organising separate Sign Show in future.

Companies showcasing arrays of products for wide-format printing segment at the show delivered a peculiar attraction. “A collective line of our products ranging for offset and commercial printers as well as wide-format machines for outdoor applications comprise our display at Print Pack India 2009,” said Ashan Dhunna, regional manager, HP India. Other leading exhibitors shared the same perception as Shailesh Mehta of Mehta Cad Cam System Pvt Ltd said, “Obviously, our display is largely of digital solvent printers. But it is not the final list because other highly demanded products at our stall include laser engraving and cutting machines, router machines and flatbed printers.”

Wider business

Negi Sign Systems & Supplies Co 
Of course, one can assert that people in the printing industry began to peep into the new trends developing alongside the traditional parameters like offset, screen printing and scanning. In this respect, wide-format is considered to be one of the newest and most potential segments leading players in the industry are looking forward to add in their existing portfolios. Many companies in offset business would like to spread wings covering wide-format domain in addition to their existing activities. That is the reason wide-format leaders at the show received tremendous enquiries from various new customers who are aiming to grab this segment.

Ess Dee Nutek Infinities Pvt Ltd marked a hallmark of excellent presence at the fair with its wide range of highly demanded wide-format portfolio ranging from the entry-level printer Nutek Prime-3208 to Nutek Multijet III-3212. “Nutek Prime 3208 has been indeed a hotcake during the fair. We have sold seven machines and received nearly 1,200 enquiries,” said Tarun Dev Sharma, vice president, Ess Dee Nutek Infinities Pvt Ltd. He also mentioned the presence of visitors who have been into offset and screen-printing business more than twenty years eventually switching their new exploration to wide-format segment, which provides more margins and fewer headaches.

Launch pad

Rather than being a confluence of all printing and packaging businesses, Print Pack India 2009 positioned as a unique dais where exhibitors could launch their new products.“Apart from our existing customers, we have got the privilege to get in touch with many newcomers who are thrilled to know about our products on display at the fair. And most of all, feedback to our newly introduced HP Scitex 2300 has been really great,” said Ashan from HP.

Displaying the company’s existing machine range, Apsom Infotex Ltd introduced Roland’s Versa UV LEC-300 in an impressive way this year at Print Pack India 2009. “We have received good enquiries regarding this new UV machine. Our aim is to convert all these verbal interactions into practice in the post event period,” said Ravi Agarwal of Apsom Infotex Ltd.

“Particularly our new Spectra Skywalker machine is what we wanted to highlight in this fair. Over the last few years, it is quite visible that printing technologies have been shifted from Europe and America to the growing Asian markets. In fact, these Asian machines give the same outputs at reasonable and affordable costs. This is indeed a great revolution on move and people visiting Print Pack India 2009 realise this fact. And we received unbelievably positive feedbacks from the visitors for our Laser Engravers,” said Shailesh.

In addition to an extensive range of incredible displays covering inkjet printers, vinyl cutting and laser engraving machines, Negi Sign System did a great presentation with the introduction of its Viper TX at the fair. “We are introducing this new textile printing machine for the first time in this fair and India as well,” mentioned Vijay Kandari, marketing head, Negi Sign System & Supplies Co. Displaying its range of Spectra Nova head machines, Infinity Digital Solution present a new product portfolio with an additional and new Eco-solvent 1.8 mtr machine at the fair. “People positively reacted to our new launch at the fair and we believe this machine would carve a good future,” said Bharat Wadhwa, director, Infinity Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Potential crowd

Considered to be a burgeoning hotbed of business in the country, both visitors and exhibitors in the Print Pack India 2009 appreciated New Delhi for its strategic location accessible from all possible directions. Many participants who have been participating in other Sign shows over the last 15 years expressed that they found quite identical crowd turning up at the exhibitions. But in Print Pack India, the scene is totally different with brand new crowd thronging from very interior parts of the country.

In response to the impressive feedback from the right kind of visitors in the fair, Sumit Dev, director, India Sign Corporation said, “We are satisfied with the crowd and particularly the positive feedbacks from them are really great. People are impressed by our presentation of Spectra machine and we got orders for five Spectra machines and four Xaar printhead machine Brite Print Series.” Expressing his impression of the fair, Sumit added, “We are participating Print Pack India for the first time and it comes out as an eye opener to us. Wherever it goes we would follow forever in future.” In this concern Deepak Wadhwa of Infinity Digital Solution agreed with the fact that Print Pack India 2009 boosts business to a new height.

Recession effect

Print Pack India 2009 did not miss the tense of the current economic recession severely affecting the western markets. Though the global financial breakdown does not hit directly on the head of Indian printing industry, it somehow pulls back the pace that could have made a right move. “Recession affects the sentiments of people in India as they are now unable to decide their investments immediately. They however don’t cancel but postpone their plans. But those who are in urgent need and couldn’t postpone their investment plans have come to the fair. And very unfortunately thousands of people I had expected are missing in the fair, may be due to the recession,” said Tarun from Ess Dee Nutek Infinities Pvt. Ltd.

However, the perspective of the situation in India is quite different from what is blowing around in the US and European markets. It is quite true that the growing market like India is a relief camp for those western players who are adversely affected in the current economic slowdown. In this concern, people who have already reached to a level of saturation in business in the industry are affected by the current global economic slowdown. But exhibitors from the Indian signage segment feel they are comparatively new in this context and have not been swept by such ill-fated economic crisis.