Welcome to the weekly Packaging South Asia newsletter!

From our several visits to drupa previews we have gathered that this event is going to be an important event for both the global and the Indian packaging industry. Fujifilm announced at the preview last month that it will be demonstrating its inkjet carton press at drupa 2012. And both Gallus and Omet who are known for their label presses will be showing narrow web one-pass carton presses at drupa 2012. In fact there is an open house at Pragati Pack on 20 April 2012 in Hyderabad where their new Omet press for printing and converting cartons will be shown. Even Goss which normally talks about its newspaper and commercial presses at drupa, will show an innovative development of their Sunday press for packaging. And one should not forget that Goss owner Shanghai Electric has a strong product line of autoplaten die-cutters and folder-gluers.

The Indian exhibitors at drupa are also more focussed on packaging right from the UV curing specialist APL Machinery, to Proteck, which will show a more developed and complete offering of its Metamation software than it showed in the Innovation Park last time with several add-ons for packaging prepress. Kohli Industries will be promoting its gravure presses and Shilp Gravure will not only be selling its special application engraved cylinders but also further developing its technology partnerships to strengthen the packaging industry in the region.

The drupa organisers have very generously given our research company IppStar a slot on 9 May 2012 to present some of our findings and forecasts about the Indian print, publishing and packaging vertical. We expect a good turnout of CEOs, senior executives, strategists and analysts at this event from companies that are looking for deep domain primary research, insights and forecasts that point to some of the challenges and opportunities for our fast growing industry. At drupa 2012 you can meet us at Hall 9 A39. See you there!

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Thanks and regards
Rashmi Yashwant Bhate
edit3@ippgroup.in