03/10/2026
HEIDELBERG India hosted HEIDELBERG Connect, its flagship industry conference, on 29 January at the iconic Taj Santacruz in Mumbai. The event brought together global leadership, brand owners, converters, printers, packaging professionals, and representatives from leading academic institutions. The conference provided a platform to explore growth opportunities, discuss current market realities, and deliberate on the future of India’s print and packaging industry. The presence of the top brass of HEIDELBERG at the show envisages the company’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.
The conference was attended by HEIDELBERG’s global and Asia-Pacific leadership, including Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG; Mr. Thomas Frank, Managing Director of HEIDELBERG Asia Pacific; and Mr. Samir Patkar, President of HEIDELBERG India amongst others from the printing & packaging industry.
Prior to the event, Dr. David Schmmeding, along with a five-member German delegation, visited many key packaging houses in Mumbai, including Noble Printing Press Pvt Ltd., Temple Packaging Pvt Ltd, EPL Limited, Parksons Graphics Pvt Ltd and Printografik Packaging along with other key packaging and commercial printing houses.
Addressing over 250 delegates, Dr. David Schmedding addressed the audience with an insightful overview of the global print and packaging landscape. He said, “The global print and packaging industry is entering a rapid growth phase, driven by packaging, labels, and value added print”. He also observed that India is becoming a growth engine for the world, combining scale, innovation, and entrepreneurial strength and HEIDELBERG remains committed to enabling this growth through automation, intelligent workflows, and connected technology ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Mr. Thomas Frank speaking on the current industry scenario said “Printers today operate in a challenging environment marked by cost pressures, shorter runs, sustainability requirements, and faster turnaround times. In this scenario, success depends on how seamlessly workflow, equipment, service, and data come together to deliver productivity, consistency, and reliability”.
Sharing his outlook on the future, Mr. Samir Patkar said “The future of print and packaging in India is extremely promising. As brand expectations continue to rise, printers must evolve from being suppliers to becoming solution partners. Skill development, digital integration, and advanced finishing will define the next phase of growth and global competitiveness for Indian printers.” He also had within his presentation slide an interesting artificial intelligence (AI) video of Alois Gutenberg with HEIDELBERG customers in India, a funny yet clever thought, well incorporated.
Expert presentations were also delivered by HEIDELBERG Product specialists Mr. Indukalpa Saikia on Prinect (Prepress), Mr. Justin Tye (Sheetfed), Mr. Prabaharan (Postpress), Mr. Narendra Kulkarni (Gallus – Labels), Mr. Robert Joseph (Consumables), Mr. Upendra Rajadnya (Territory Manager, Lifecycle Operations) and Mr. Martin Ernst (Regional Service – Asia Pacific).
A keynote address by Mr. Muthusubramanian, CEO of Packfora, set a strategic tone for the conference, offering insights into India 2047, sustainability imperatives, and the evolving dynamics of print and packaging in a rapidly changing consumer and brand landscape.
The First Panel discussion, “Brand Packaging – The Silent Power of Print,” was moderated by Mr. Jitesh Mehta, Senior Director – Marketing, Avery Dennison South Asia. The discussion explored how packaging played a critical role in brand trust, shelf impact, and consumer engagement across FMCG, beauty, home care, and e-commerce sectors. The panelist included Mr. Sridhar J (Head of Packaging Development – Plum), Mr. Naveen Stuart (Head of Packaging, Marico Industries), Mrs. Parul Goel, (Lead Packaging Procurement – Reckitt). Mr. Sandeep Sangwan, (Associate Director – Packaging – Flipkart) and Mr. Nirav Shah (Founder & Managing Director – Letra Graphix Pvt Ltd ).
The second panel, “INK & IMPACT: The Branding Role of Print Packaging”, moderated by Mr. Noel D’Cunha, Managing Editor, PrintWeek India, focused on the pharma and alcoholic beverage sectors. The discussion highlighted how print quality, special effects, innovation, and compliance-driven precision influence brand perception, consumer confidence, and on-shelf differentiation. Mr. Sharad Chandak, General Manager & Head – Packaging Development, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Chinmaya Dandekar, General Manager, Godrej Consumer Products, Mr. Heemanshu Ashar, Head – Product Design & Packaging Innovation, John Distilleries Ltd, Mr. Sandeep Bhargava, Managing Director, Kumar Printers Pvt. Ltd, Mr. Vivek Kapoor, Managing Director, Creative Labels Pvt. Ltd.
The “Next Gen Print Power: Build to Lead” panel, moderated by Mr. Naresh Khanna, Editor – Indian Printer & Publisher, spotlighted young leaders shaping the future-ready print industry. The panel featured six dynamic young leaders: Mr. Ramit Goyal, Director, Goyal Offset Works, Delhi; Mr. Anoop Venugopalan, Managing Director, Anaswara Offset, Kochi; Mr. Sahil Shah, Director, Letra Graphix, Ahmedabad; Mr. Bhrigav Jain, Director – R&D, Monarch Graphics, Noida; Mr. Siddanth Chamaria, Partner, Nobel Printing & Packaging, Mumbai; and Mr. Sanjeet Joshi, Managing Director, Temple Packaging, Mumbai. Each of them brought energy, tech-forward thinking, and hands-on business expertise.
It was indeed a pleasure to note HEIDELBERG’s strong commitment to skill development and industry–academia collaboration. Distinguished academic leaders—including Prof. Madhura Mahajan, Head of Printing & Packaging Technology, PVG College of Engineering & Technology, Pune; Mr. Rajesh Kumar Gera, Advisor and Chief Strategist, SIES School of Packaging, Mumbai; and Prof. Vipinendran, HOD, Printing and Packaging Technology Department, Anna University, Chennai - were felicitated by Mr. Thomas Frank, Managing Director, HEIDELBERG Asia Pacific, and Mr. Samir Patkar, President, HEIDELBERG India. With Skill India being promoted by the Government of India, HEIDELBERG’s recognition highlighted the importance of nurturing future ready talent and strengthening the ecosystem for the next generation of printing and packaging professionals.
HEIDELBERG India strengthened its industry partnerships by recognizing key collaborators advancing training and technology in the printing and packaging sector. Mr. Jitesh Mehta, Senior Director – Marketing, Label & Packaging Materials, South Asia, Avery Dennison, and Mr. Naveen Serrao, a lead technical–marketing and head of the Avery Dennison India Knowledge Centre, Pune, was felicitated for enhancing the center’s capabilities with the Gallus Labelmaster 440.
Mr. AP Selvarajan, Director – Sri Kaliswari Fireworks, was acknowledged for partnering with HEIDELBERG India and Masterwork Machinery to establish an industry first live demo and training centre in Sivakasi, featuring advanced post press solutions such as the MK Ecocut 106 CS and Bestfold FB II 1000. Mr. BR Satya Kumar from the Printech Park Cluster, Bengaluru, was also recognized for operating a fully integrated HEIDELBERG ecosystem featuring the Speedmaster CS 92 4+L, Suprasetter A106 with Prinect workflow, Polar 115 cutter, and Stahlfolder CH 66, strengthening regional access to production technology.
The event also focused on key milestones, 25 years of HEIDELBERG India and 175 years of HEIDELBERG globally. Global perspectives were further enriched by international speakers, including Mr. Dario Urbinati, CEO – Gallus Group; Mr. Klaus Sauer, Managing Director – SAXOPRINT Germany; and Mr. Matthias Bauer, Managing Director – Druckerei Bauer Germany, who shared insights on smart printing, labels, and advanced packaging solutions.
The conference concluded with the message: HEIDELBERG Connect is about building meaningful connections - between technology and people, brands and printers, innovation and skills to shape a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready print and packaging industry. A well-conceived and executed event in general for our industry!
03/10/2026
HEIDELBERG India hosted HEIDELBERG Connect, its flagship industry conference, on 29 January at the iconic Taj Santacruz in Mumbai. The event brought together global leadership, brand owners, converters, printers, packaging professionals, and representatives from leading academic institutions. The conference provided a platform to explore growth opportunities, discuss current market realities, and deliberate on the future of India’s print and packaging industry. The presence of the top brass of HEIDELBERG at the show envisages the company’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.
The conference was attended by HEIDELBERG’s global and Asia-Pacific leadership, including Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG; Mr. Thomas Frank, Managing Director of HEIDELBERG Asia Pacific; and Mr. Samir Patkar, President of HEIDELBERG India amongst others from the printing & packaging industry.
Prior to the event, Dr. David Schmmeding, along with a five-member German delegation, visited many key packaging houses in Mumbai, including Noble Printing Press Pvt Ltd., Temple Packaging Pvt Ltd, EPL Limited, Parksons Graphics Pvt Ltd and Printografik Packaging along with other key packaging and commercial printing houses.
Addressing over 250 delegates, Dr. David Schmedding addressed the audience with an insightful overview of the global print and packaging landscape. He said, “The global print and packaging industry is entering a rapid growth phase, driven by packaging, labels, and value added print”. He also observed that India is becoming a growth engine for the world, combining scale, innovation, and entrepreneurial strength and HEIDELBERG remains committed to enabling this growth through automation, intelligent workflows, and connected technology ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Mr. Thomas Frank speaking on the current industry scenario said “Printers today operate in a challenging environment marked by cost pressures, shorter runs, sustainability requirements, and faster turnaround times. In this scenario, success depends on how seamlessly workflow, equipment, service, and data come together to deliver productivity, consistency, and reliability”.
Sharing his outlook on the future, Mr. Samir Patkar said “The future of print and packaging in India is extremely promising. As brand expectations continue to rise, printers must evolve from being suppliers to becoming solution partners. Skill development, digital integration, and advanced finishing will define the next phase of growth and global competitiveness for Indian printers.” He also had within his presentation slide an interesting artificial intelligence (AI) video of Alois Gutenberg with HEIDELBERG customers in India, a funny yet clever thought, well incorporated.
Expert presentations were also delivered by HEIDELBERG Product specialists Mr. Indukalpa Saikia on Prinect (Prepress), Mr. Justin Tye (Sheetfed), Mr. Prabaharan (Postpress), Mr. Narendra Kulkarni (Gallus – Labels), Mr. Robert Joseph (Consumables), Mr. Upendra Rajadnya (Territory Manager, Lifecycle Operations) and Mr. Martin Ernst (Regional Service – Asia Pacific).
A keynote address by Mr. Muthusubramanian, CEO of Packfora, set a strategic tone for the conference, offering insights into India 2047, sustainability imperatives, and the evolving dynamics of print and packaging in a rapidly changing consumer and brand landscape.
The First Panel discussion, “Brand Packaging – The Silent Power of Print,” was moderated by Mr. Jitesh Mehta, Senior Director – Marketing, Avery Dennison South Asia. The discussion explored how packaging played a critical role in brand trust, shelf impact, and consumer engagement across FMCG, beauty, home care, and e-commerce sectors. The panelist included Mr. Sridhar J (Head of Packaging Development – Plum), Mr. Naveen Stuart (Head of Packaging, Marico Industries), Mrs. Parul Goel, (Lead Packaging Procurement – Reckitt). Mr. Sandeep Sangwan, (Associate Director – Packaging – Flipkart) and Mr. Nirav Shah (Founder & Managing Director – Letra Graphix Pvt Ltd ).
The second panel, “INK & IMPACT: The Branding Role of Print Packaging”, moderated by Mr. Noel D’Cunha, Managing Editor, PrintWeek India, focused on the pharma and alcoholic beverage sectors. The discussion highlighted how print quality, special effects, innovation, and compliance-driven precision influence brand perception, consumer confidence, and on-shelf differentiation. Mr. Sharad Chandak, General Manager & Head – Packaging Development, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Chinmaya Dandekar, General Manager, Godrej Consumer Products, Mr. Heemanshu Ashar, Head – Product Design & Packaging Innovation, John Distilleries Ltd, Mr. Sandeep Bhargava, Managing Director, Kumar Printers Pvt. Ltd, Mr. Vivek Kapoor, Managing Director, Creative Labels Pvt. Ltd.
The “Next Gen Print Power: Build to Lead” panel, moderated by Mr. Naresh Khanna, Editor – Indian Printer & Publisher, spotlighted young leaders shaping the future-ready print industry. The panel featured six dynamic young leaders: Mr. Ramit Goyal, Director, Goyal Offset Works, Delhi; Mr. Anoop Venugopalan, Managing Director, Anaswara Offset, Kochi; Mr. Sahil Shah, Director, Letra Graphix, Ahmedabad; Mr. Bhrigav Jain, Director – R&D, Monarch Graphics, Noida; Mr. Siddanth Chamaria, Partner, Nobel Printing & Packaging, Mumbai; and Mr. Sanjeet Joshi, Managing Director, Temple Packaging, Mumbai. Each of them brought energy, tech-forward thinking, and hands-on business expertise.
It was indeed a pleasure to note HEIDELBERG’s strong commitment to skill development and industry–academia collaboration. Distinguished academic leaders—including Prof. Madhura Mahajan, Head of Printing & Packaging Technology, PVG College of Engineering & Technology, Pune; Mr. Rajesh Kumar Gera, Advisor and Chief Strategist, SIES School of Packaging, Mumbai; and Prof. Vipinendran, HOD, Printing and Packaging Technology Department, Anna University, Chennai - were felicitated by Mr. Thomas Frank, Managing Director, HEIDELBERG Asia Pacific, and Mr. Samir Patkar, President, HEIDELBERG India. With Skill India being promoted by the Government of India, HEIDELBERG’s recognition highlighted the importance of nurturing future ready talent and strengthening the ecosystem for the next generation of printing and packaging professionals.
HEIDELBERG India strengthened its industry partnerships by recognizing key collaborators advancing training and technology in the printing and packaging sector. Mr. Jitesh Mehta, Senior Director – Marketing, Label & Packaging Materials, South Asia, Avery Dennison, and Mr. Naveen Serrao, a lead technical–marketing and head of the Avery Dennison India Knowledge Centre, Pune, was felicitated for enhancing the center’s capabilities with the Gallus Labelmaster 440.
Mr. AP Selvarajan, Director – Sri Kaliswari Fireworks, was acknowledged for partnering with HEIDELBERG India and Masterwork Machinery to establish an industry first live demo and training centre in Sivakasi, featuring advanced post press solutions such as the MK Ecocut 106 CS and Bestfold FB II 1000. Mr. BR Satya Kumar from the Printech Park Cluster, Bengaluru, was also recognized for operating a fully integrated HEIDELBERG ecosystem featuring the Speedmaster CS 92 4+L, Suprasetter A106 with Prinect workflow, Polar 115 cutter, and Stahlfolder CH 66, strengthening regional access to production technology.
The event also focused on key milestones, 25 years of HEIDELBERG India and 175 years of HEIDELBERG globally. Global perspectives were further enriched by international speakers, including Mr. Dario Urbinati, CEO – Gallus Group; Mr. Klaus Sauer, Managing Director – SAXOPRINT Germany; and Mr. Matthias Bauer, Managing Director – Druckerei Bauer Germany, who shared insights on smart printing, labels, and advanced packaging solutions.
The conference concluded with the message: HEIDELBERG Connect is about building meaningful connections - between technology and people, brands and printers, innovation and skills to shape a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready print and packaging industry. A well-conceived and executed event in general for our industry!
