19^th January, 2009.

Press Release 

Much awaited Printpack India 2009 was inaugurated on January 18, 2009 by         Dr. Sheela Bhide Chairman and Managing Director of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

To start with Mr. Sanjay Gupta, President of Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA) welcomed the distinguish audience comprising of the 377 participants from India and abroad. Mr. Gupta stressed on the point that IPAMA’s endeavour has always been to create one single platform for the manufacturers of graphic arts machinery and equipments to showcase their new innovations which are cost effective and economic on the production time with international standards. Mr. Sanjay Gupta said that India is the leading country in the world in the production of 4-page single width, single circumference web presses which has led to the massive growth of the print-media besides huge export of pre-press, newspaper-presses, post-press, packaging, and converting machines. He hoped that number of technical collaborations and joint-ventures will formulate during this mega show. Dr. Sheela Bhide in her keynote address mentioned that inspite of economic meltdown we have tremendous response of participation in the 9^th edition of Printpack India 2009 – she said world is looking over to India and are out-sourcing print work from India as it is cost-effective and of world-class quality. Dr. Sheela Bhide said that there are more than 150,000 printing presses in India out of which around 330 are big presses which are involved in exports as well – but we have to upgrade more printing presses to catch-up with overseas demand. In the same breath she came up with a brilliant idea of reaching to rural areaS where young people could be trained in the printing skills and encourage them to be small entrepreneurs with the help of local cooperative or rural banks with a scheme of hire and purchase. This group of people can play a massive role in self-employment generation. Mr. Rajiv Yadav, Executive Director of ITPO was impressed with the kind of quality printing done in India these days and wished that ITPO can take Graphic Arts Machinery shows abroad and in other regional states as well. The inauguration concluded with a tour of stalls which were showcasing their innovations with live demos. Dr. Sheela Bhide showed keen interest in all the steps of process of printing including post-press and finishing steps.