As the Indian printing industry resumes its new normal growth trajectory, the new realities are well – new! Book production both for domestic textbooks and general consumption is thriving, with smaller quality publishers unlocking the value and resonance of their content to audiences in other Indian languages. As in other economies, the prices of general paperback books have become nearly trivial – often less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks. In addition, there is a healthy demand for more expensive children’s and coffee table books.
And though there is a transition to short runs and digital books, the larger book printers, particularly those who are thriving on exports, are not only investing in 4-color presses but also 8-color perfectors. In addition, they are adding web-fed ink presses from Indian, Japanese, and Chinese manufacturers.
Regarding commercial offset multicolor presses, the Indian market size of installations will perhaps touch as many as 50 machines in the current financial year. Komori is expected to again dominate the commercial market with its 4-color Enthrone presses and possibly an entry into the 8-color sheetfed perfecting segment. In addition, Komori continues to make strong inroads in the 6 and 7-color plus coater UV press packaging market with its GL40 presses.
RMGT will possibly double its overall multicolor offset installation numbers from last year, including a pair of 8-color perfectors. The packaging presses that it booked at drupa will only arrive after April 2025 in the next financial year. However, for both Japanese offset press manufacturers, the rising value of the Yen may deliver some challenges in the coming year.
Heidelberg – back with a bang
Interestingly, Heidelberg will stage a comeback in the Indian market with its very successful drupa bookings both in the commercial segment and in the paperboard packaging segment. It has resumed its steam in the label press market this year with several upcoming Gallus installations.
In the commercial market, Heidelberg can be expected to install at least a couple of CX-02 4-color presses and a pair of new 8-color perfectors. On the packaging side, it is likely to install around half a dozen CX104 7-color UV plus coater presses and at least one XL75 7-color plus coater press.
The efficiency pull from the book printing market towards 8-color perfecting presses is likely to be met by an additional 8 to 10 used or ‘pre-owned’ good-condition press installations. In this segment, Manroland Sheetfed will also contribute a pair of ‘pre-owned’ 700 perfectors. Deepak Walia of Manroland Sheetfed India comments on the need for automation in the book segment, when competing with the increasing number of digital presses entering the market. “It is essential to look at full automation of the 8-color perfectors that can change all eight plates and produce the entire registration and color makeready within two minutes if a printer has to compete with the digital presses,” he says.
He also suggests that LED curing on multicolor presses can be very helpful especially when printing on matt papers. “The through drying is much faster and reduces or eliminates the waiting time for the finishing and binding processes.”
Two dozen or more Asian-manufactured web-fed inkjet book presses
Another feature of the current investments in book printing is the large number of Asian-manufactured webfed digital inkjet presses that are likely to be installed this year as we have written in another article. While local manufacturer Monotech System will dominate this segment of monochrome and color inkjet presses, presses from Japanese manufacturer Miyakoshi are likely to take a good share as are Chinese manufacturers Atexco, Founder, and Spande.
