At PrintPack India 2025, Mirko Kern, CEO of Manroland Sheetfed, spoke of India as one of the growing markets for commercial and packaging printing with great potential for development, “Manroland Sheetfed India is still building up to grow in this dynamic market.” Thus far this financial year, Manroland Sheetfed India has installed two high-end machines in Sonepat.
As we have covered in Packaging South Asia’s July issue, Manroland Sheetfed India recently installed a refurbished R707PLTTLV at Manohar Filaments, a specialist packaging company with plants in India and Bangladesh. The 7-color plus double coater press with in-line foiling is running in the Bahri, Sonepat plant.
Roland 708 Evolution at Replika Press
Sonepat-based book printing major Replika Press marked a hat-trick with the arrival of its third Roland 708 Evolution Perfecting 4/4 Elite press, marking a significant milestone in its long-standing partnership with Manroland Sheetfed.
Out of the three Evolution presses, one is already in full production at Replika’s Sonepat facility, the second has just been successfully installed and commissioned, and the third has now arrived at the site. It is awaiting installation, says Deepak Walia, managing director of Manroland Sheetfed India. The 8-color Evolution press is equipped with Simultaneous Plate Loading (SPL) and DirectDrive technology, delivering ultra-fast make-readies and seamless multitasking — ideal for short-run jobs, tight deadlines, and premium substrates.
Manroland Sheetfed at China Print 2025
At the recent China Print 2025, Manroland Sheetfed debuted its Roland 700 Evolution Excellence Edition, said to be a cutting-edge technology incorporating sustainable solutions. The 8-color Evolution Excellence was demonstrated live with advanced LED-UV curing technology. Walia says that Indian visitors to the Manroland Sheetfed stand were impressed by its outstanding quality, operational efficiency, and environmental features that will also save on energy costs.
China Print 2025 proved to be a highly productive event for Manroland Sheetfed, with several machine deals successfully concluded across its portfolio. The Roland 700 Evolution series attracted strong interest, particularly from packaging and commercial print converters.
“Indian buyers too showed enthusiastic interest and confirmed orders for select models during the event, further reinforcing our growing presence in the Indian market. Besides confirmed orders, several promising discussions are expected to be converted into business opportunities in the coming months,” said Walia.
“The live demonstrations of the Roland 700 Evolution Excellence Edition drew significant attention, especially from packaging specialists and premium print converters. The show also enabled us to finalize several deals and initiate valuable business discussions, reaffirming the strong market trust in the Manroland brand and its advanced technology,” he added.
More than two decades ago, Manroland Sheetfed was the first to enter the Indian book printing market with the installation of a couple of VLF machines in North India. It is distinctly foreseeable that with an in-line slitter just before the delivery, The Evolution 900 multicolor VLF presses may become viable choices for a number of book printers who have already invested in 8-color perfectors.
Great to see Indian print companies like Manohar Filaments and Replika Press investing in advanced technology like the Roland 700 Evol. Curious how it’s impacting turnaround times and print quality for high-volume jobs.