IPAMA President Jaiveer Singh predicts more than 100,000 m2 in 2027 and maybe even reaching 200,000 visitors - which shows how emerging markets are changing the narrative entirely. INKISH has covered IPAMA PrintPack India 2025, and though there are still a couple of days left, the expectations are between 150-170,000 visitors - of which 15,000 are currently from abroad.

INKISH Editor Wayne Beckett has interviewed many players in the Indian industry, and listening to the number of signed contracts must make some marketing departments wonder if they (again) were wrong in their assessments.

As the Western markets are decreasing, the Indian market keeps growing in almost all segments despite more than 250,000 printing companies. Western companies must look at emerging markets as a real sales opportunity and not think that the old markets like Germany, the UK, and the US will continue to be the drivers. That, of course, raises the question of what to sell. 

Emerging markets often have a large part of the machines being second-hand. Still, with the introductions of the Heidelberg CX92, it seems that OEMs also need to develop machines aimed at these markets - and though labor used to be easily accessible, brand owners demand higher quality, faster turnaround, and more sustainable products, which all leads to the conclusion that new machines matching the specific market need it not about selling older generation of machines, but to align technology, performance and price - and that it’s not a labor question, but also qualifications. 

IPAMA confidently looks to the future, and President Jaiveer Singh told Wayne Beckett from INKISH that IPAMA intends to be the number-one international show. Still, rather than trying to attract Western companies, the focus is naturally on the direction of the African market—which Western companies also highly ignore. 

Western companies must invest in these markets soon if they don’t want to deliver everything on a silver plate to Indian and Chinese manufacturers. Indian manufacturers are also very confident in their products and technology. 

At the show, INKISH, in collaboration with Indian Printers & Publishers and South Asia Packaging, has made many interesting interviews that give you insight into the Indian market and its development.