At Pamex 2026, Muller Martini marked its first-ever participation with an exhibition stand, using the platform to reinforce its presence in the Indian market and connect with customers from across the country, P R Lakshminarayanan, director of Muller Martini India, said.
“This was the first time we participated with a stand at Pamex. Traditionally, we have primarily participated in exhibitions in Delhi and a few in South India. This time, the idea was to demonstrate our presence in the market and create a meeting point for customers from across India,” he said.
Highlighting its developments over the past year, Lakshminarayanan noted that the company, with a global presence spanning nearly eight decades, has been increasingly focusing on automation, connectivity and solutions aligned with shorter print runs and digital production workflows.
“Our conventional segment continues to be our bread and butter, but digital solutions are growing much faster,” he said, adding that although digital currently represents a smaller share of operations, it is expanding rapidly compared with traditional segments.
Discussing market trends, he pointed to the strong momentum in India’s book printing sector, particularly in hardcover production. Global capacity shortages have opened export opportunities, prompting Indian printers to invest heavily in hardcover production capabilities over the past four to five years.
Book printing continues to form a significant portion of the company’s customer base in India. However, Muller Martini primarily serves large-volume producers catering to quality-conscious export markets, particularly in Europe and the United States, rather than smaller manual or cottage industry operations.
On its recent performance, Lakshminarayanan described its India operations as consistently strong apart from pandemic-related disruptions in 2020 and part of 2021.
Looking ahead, he expects steady long-term growth, though global uncertainties have temporarily slowed investment decisions. “There is hesitation right now due to global uncertainties and tariff concerns, but this is temporary. Once clarity returns, investments will pick up again,” he said.
