Under an agreement signed recently between All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) and Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication (BIGC) to provide training in 3D printing and print electronics, a batch of seven trainees left for China on 20 May 2017. The highly subsidized training schedule has been specially fabricated for the members and other print entrepreneurs of the country.
The first batch of training is being conducted from 22 May to 18 August. Kamal Chopra, president AIFMP graced the send-off ceremony in Delhi. Chopra said it is for the first time ever that the AIFMP has brought such an opportunity for the print professionals in India as adequate training in both 3D printing and printed electronics is not available in the country.
The course studies include lecture, demonstrations and practical workshops on advance printing technologies relating to 3D printing and printed electronics as well as visit to a range of printing companies using these techniques will.
The next batch of the training is scheduled to commence in the month of September 2017 and registration is open for the same. Total tuition fee for the three-month training is 10,000 yuan (US$ 1500), or approximately Rs. 1 lac. Hostel facilities are also available for the students at BIGC. Students will have to pay for visa, air-ticket and a non-refundable pre-deposit of 750 yuan (US$ 230) towards admission fees, health insurance, etc. AIFMP will also charge Rs. 5,000 as non-refundable registration charges. No formal qualification is essential; however, experience at a printing or packaging unit or basic knowledge of printing industry is essential. The course will be delivered in English and so an ability to communicate and understand in English language is required.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
– Naresh Khanna
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