The 32nd edition of the Indian Printers Summit, held at HICC in Hyderabad, India, shed light on strategies for transforming the print media and securing its future. The summit brought together more than 280 media leaders from over 50 organizations for the two-day event, Wan-Ifra reported.
The Summit kicked-off with an inspiring opening keynote, ‘Printing Tomorrow: Transforming Print Media for a Sustainable Future,’ delivered by Gundula Ullah, chief procurement and sustainability officer of Funke Mediengruppe, Germany. In her address, Ullah emphasized the importance of integrating sustainable practices into the core of the printing industry.
Following the opening keynote, a panel featured GenNext leaders from Indian news media conglomerates discussing the role of news media in a GenAI world. Sowbhagyalakshmi Tilak, director of The Printers Mysore, Brihathi Cherukuri, director of ETV Bharat, Janhavi Pawar, director of Sakal Media, and Gaurav Sanghi, executive director of AGA Publications participated in the discussion. They stated that print media will endure if publishers stay relevant to their audiences and adapt.
The Summit featured two parallel tracks: Printing Summit and Advertising Summit.
Printing Summit: This track included discussions on the ecological impacts of newspaper manufacturing, focusing on topics such as automation in production and strategies for achieving carbon neutrality. Notable sessions included a panel on the sustainability of newspaper manufacturing, chaired by Snehasis C Roy, technical director at Bennett Coleman and chairman, World Printers Forum India Chapter.
Advertising Summit: The advertising track explored innovative strategies and the power of print media in a digital world. Engaging panels discussed the role of storytelling in advertising and how brands can connect with readers to create impactful campaigns. The session on AI’s role in enhancing audience engagement was particularly well-received.
During the Summit, Wan-Ifra’s International Color Quality Club (ICQC) announced 39 new members for 2024-2026, recognizing their exceptional and consistent colour printing quality. This membership highlighted the achievements of publications that have adhered to international printing standards over an extended period.
In his closing address, Rabe Iyer, chief media officer of Omnicom Media Group India, shared insights on the future of the media industry and the path forward for sustainable print business practices.
“Turning readers into subscribers and increasing advertiser reach will increase print ad spend. Disruptions in legacy systems and technology are inevitable. We must find ways to understand consumer behaviour and adapt,” Iyer said.
During the Summit’s closing, Magdoom Mohamed, managing director of Wan-Ifra South Asia, said, “This has been one of our finest programs in recent years. Print accounts for over 70% of revenue for traditional news publishers, and they are passionate about keeping it going. The event explored how to sustain this and prepare for an integrated media landscape.”
The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) co-sponsored the Summit, attended by 14 supplier companies, with an info-table expo.
