Monotech’s PixelJet team said to Indian Printer and Publisher that within 2023, more than 100 of the company’s machines for signage printing have been sold into the Indian market. Of these, 60% are UV-inkjet devices, with solvent and eco-solvent-based printers comprising the remaining 40%. Manoj Kumar Garg, vice president and business head of wide format graphics at Monotech, said many local and regional players using Chinese technology dominate the market.
“UV-inkjet is taking over the market and this technology has huge potential,” he said. “But there are several constraints that are delaying this paradigm shift. First, the production speed is not on a par with solvent and eco-solvent-based inkjet printing – so research and development in that area is most crucial. Second, regional players have a major chunk of the business, which prevents the Indian signage industry from coming under a common umbrella. Lastly, the most crucial hindrance to growth is the lack of a single representative body to take forward our pleas and problems to the government.”
The Indian signage device providers are only capable of entry-level machines, claims Garg. “The regional players have made good use of Chinese machines and equipment, and the Indian providers are not yet on the same level. The complete technological advancement in UV and the diminishing of solvent-based technology will take at least four years from now – and within that timeframe, substantial R&D will have to take place.
“Another problem that needs significant attention is the high cost of the UV inks, which gives reason for the solvent-based technology to persist in the market. While LED curing is also gaining significant penetration, it will remain an exclusive signage segment limited to the big cities, as its maintenance is quite high-cost. In a nutshell, considerable action is required to upscale the Indian signage industry for the better,” Garg said.
