Ashok Sethi of Konica Minolta Business Solutions India at Pamex 2020
Konica Minolta India had an exciting Pamex 2020, where it showcased a wide gamut of solutions from its portfolio. The company gave a live demonstration of its AccurioPress C6100/6085, the AccurioPress C3070/3070p/3080 and the AccurioPress 6120/6136. Konica Minolta India also promoted the IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Optimiser as well as the MGI Jet Varnish 3DS, which produced embellishments with spot UV and digital foiling capabilities. The company also showcased samples printed on its B2 press.
“We tried to showcase a wide variety of solutions meant for low to upper segments of the print industry. We also demonstrated the IQ-501 system, which is meant for customers who put great value on consistency and quality as this system helps in managing color density and registration. The IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Optimiser is primarily meant for photo and packing segments,” said Ashok Sethi, executive general manager – Sales Production & Industrial Print Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India.
Talking about the overall scenario in the print industry, Sethi said that the weakness in the underlying economy has definitely impacted the industry, especially when it comes to demand for high-end solutions like MGI.
“The economic slowdown has impacted the print industry and our company as well. We have estimated a 15% growth in 2019 but, unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve that. But, on a positive note, the last 30-45 days of 2019 saw uptick in the activity in the industry. The footfall at Pamex 2020 has also been very good. So, we hope that the next financial year should see a turnaround,” he said.
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.
