Print Technology accelerates digital growth with Konica Minolta AccurioPress investment

-Pune-based firm enhances production speed and quality as part of its long-term digital print strategy.

India, 28 April,2025: Print Technology, a commercial print firm based in Pune, has strengthened its production capabilities with the addition of a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C7090 to its digital press lineup. The investment reinforces the company’s longstanding relationship with the Japanese print equipment manufacturer and marks a strategic move to increase efficiency and reduce turnaround times.

Founded in 2015, Print Technology operates with a lean team of 8 to 10 professionals and serves a balanced portfolio of supply chain and retail clients. The firm offers a range of commercial print services, including brochures, booklets, and visiting cards. Vash Ram Ahir, who oversees operations and customer engagement, explained that the company has consistently relied on Konica Minolta since its inception. “We began our journey with Konica Minolta and have stuck with them because of the consistency and reliability of their machines,” said Ahir.

The decision to invest in the AccurioPress C7090 followed Print Technology’s experience with earlier models such as the Pro 1100 and the AccurioPress C4080. The company previously ran the C2060, which was phased out as the equipment aged. The C7090 has already begun to show results, with improvements in turnaround time and operational throughput. “The machine has helped us process increased volumes without compromising quality,” Ahir noted.

Installation and setup were handled with support from the Konica Minolta team, though Ahir said the process was largely straightforward due to the firm’s familiarity with the platform. “We’ve used their machines for years, so it was a smooth transition. Still, their support ensured that everything went as planned,” he added.

While Print Technology did not disclose the exact return-on-investment figures, however, Ahir is optimistic about the investment’s impact, noting early signs of improved productivity. “The enhanced productivity and speed will contribute significantly to our growth trajectory.”

How customised packaging propels customer loyalty and revenue growth

-The correct graphics, made with the right colours and the right intentions, develops connections with consumers functioning as a critical revenue driver beyond a protective necessity, Ashok Sethi, chief sales office, Konica Minolta India.

India, 25 April,2024 Product differentiation is the currency of attention that extends far beyond the product itself. Customised packaging is the quickest way to leave a lasting psychological and emotional impact. The correct graphics, made with the right colours and the right intentions, develop connections with consumers functioning as a critical revenue driver beyond a protective necessity. Here is how customized packaging can create exceptional customer experiences through four key mechanisms.

The psychological power of first impressions

First impressions fundamentally shape consumer perceptions, with research confirming that packaging creates critical initial brand judgments. Packaging design directly influences customer attention, better recognition, purchase likelihood, brand choice, and financial performance.

This “halo effect” speaks volumes of product quality before consumers experience the actual product. This is verified by strategic packaging elements, including colour psychology, tactile components, and personalized elements that trigger neurological responses to elevate perceived value. The impact is particularly evident in premium market segments.

Brands implementing personalisation elements report up to 40% increases in customer revenue demonstrating that customization creates a powerful sense of exclusivity and individual recognition. This connection is an underutilized competitive advantage for brands seeking differentiation in saturated markets.

Emotional engagement through unboxing experiences

Today, the unboxing experience is the product, given that packaging carries the motherload of brand storytelling and emotional connection.

Beyond aesthetics, packaging activates sensory appeal via its texture, weight and other elements reinforcing brand perception at a subconscious level. A well-crafted unboxing experience cultivates a sense of exclusivity and personal connection, making customers feel valued and understood.

This emotional response is a monetisation goldmine, that promises increased social media sharing and strengthened retention metrics. Over the course of product launches, emotionally engaged customers demonstrate higher lifetime value via stronger brand advocacy and a greater willingness to pay premium prices.

Here lies a substantial return on packaging investments when properly aligned with brand positioning and customer expectations. The proliferation of unboxing content across digital platforms further amplifies this impact, with increase in unboxing video viewership across video streaming and social media platforms. Each shared experience extends brand reach exponentially, creating organic marketing amplification through customer-centric activation points, all initiated by strategic packaging decisions.

Small business competitive advantage

Historically, enterprise brands led packaging innovation, but digitalisation and manufacturing advancements have levelled the playing field. Now, small and mid-sized businesses can use custom packaging to stand out against larger competitors with bigger marketing budgets.

The financial implications are substantial. When implemented strategically, custom packaging initiatives generate positive ROI through multiple channels including an increase in word-of-mouth referrals, which research identifies as particularly valuable for businesses with constrained marketing budgets.

Additionally, distinctive packaging provides critical visual differentiation in crowded digital and physical retail environments, enabling smaller brands to compete effectively against established market leaders. The strategic advantage extends beyond aesthetics as custom packaging enables protection tailored specifically to product requirements, reducing damage-related returns and associated operational costs.

Sustainability integration as revenue driver

intersection of customised packaging and sustainability initiatives represents a particularly potent opportunity. About 85% of consumers have adopted more sustainable behaviours and 45% expect sustainability as a given. This consumer demand creates both risk and opportunity, with customised approaches enabling brands to integrate recycled materials, biodegradable components, and innovative reusable designs that align with evolving consumer expectations.

Contrary to conventional assumptions, sustainable customised packaging often delivers superior financial performance. Companies implementing eco-friendly packaging solutions report enhanced customer perception, increased willingness to pay premium pricing, and strengthened retention metrics. Sustainability-focused packaging innovations generate particular resonance with environmentally conscious market segments, creating a virtuous cycle where environmental and financial objectives align.

While initial expenses for customized sustainable packaging typically exceed standard options, the investment generates tangible returns through enhanced brand value perception, reduced customer acquisition costs, and increased repeat purchase behaviour. Comprehensive lifecycle assessments and consumer survey data confirm that these sustainability initiatives transform packaging from a commodity expense into a strategic revenue driver

Packaging dictates end-user purchase

Beyond aesthetics, packaging serves as a silent salesperson that ushers the final sway of sell or pass. By creating psychological connections, facilitating emotional engagement, enabling competitive differentiation, and integrating sustainability priorities, brands can transform packaging into a central component of customer experience management and revenue acceleration.

The most successful implementations approach packaging holistically integrating design, materials, functionality, and sustainability to create experiences that extend far beyond product delivery. As markets evolve, companies prioritizing packaging innovation will increasingly capture disproportionate market share through enhanced customer loyalty and accelerated revenue growth.

The Future of Print: Personalized Experiences Drive Engagement

India, 19 April,2025: Over the years the printing industry has witnessed personalization as the key to connect with the customers. Traditional printing has evolved from mass produced generic materials with digital printing technologies bringing in customised experiences that resonates completely with individual consumers and creating new sources of revenue for printers.

The Personalization Revolution

The printing industry has transitioned whereby customers now expect content that is tailored basis their personalized and unique preferences and needs. In the overcrowded media landscape, generic marketing has failed to capture the attention of the target audience. Digital printing technologies, mainly Variable Data Printing (VDP), enables businesses to create highly customized content where each printed piece can feature different text, images, colours, and layouts without impacting the production ability.

Printers using VDP solutions can provide their customers very effective direct mail campaigns, customized catalogues, labels, personalized packaging, and targeted promotional materials that have increased response rates and ROI for end customers.

Web-to-Print: Revolutionizing Order Management

Web-to-Print (W2P) solutions have transformed the way printers engage with customers, making print orders more efficient while increasing personalization features. W2P systems enable print suppliers to create branded web-based storefronts where customers can personalize templates, upload their designs, and order 24/7.

Advanced W2P systems interface with production workflows and automate job ticketing, preflighting, imposition, and other pre-press operations. This automation minimizes touch points, eliminates errors, and quickens turnaround times for customized print jobs.

For printers, W2P offers the possibility of creating several storefronts serving various vertical markets, with targeted product options and pricing levels. The technology also supports print-on-demand functionality, allowing low-cost short runs of personalized content while avoiding inventory obsolescence.

Colour Management in Personalized Production

Maintaining colour consistency over different substrates and print runs is important in personalized printing. Contemporary colour management systems guarantee that brand colours are consistent when printing one item or thousands of different variations.

Printers using strong colour management processes can ensure brand consistency between various print technologies and substrates. This consistency is especially important when customers deploy cross-media campaigns where printed pieces must be identical to digital assets.

Advanced spectrophotometric equipment and colour-profiling software allow print providers to hold close tolerances even where personalization demands blending offset, digital, and wide-format output for overall campaigns.

Automation of Workflow for Customized Production

Automated workflow solutions are now critical to controlling the complexity of personalized print production. Automated workflow solutions route and manage personalized jobs through prepress, production, finishing, and fulfillment while preserving data integrity during the process.

Smart manufacturing workflows can divide up customized jobs automatically by substrate, format, or finishing needs, sending parts out to the correct digital presses while creating tracking barcodes that enable automated finishing and assembly. It is this kind of automation that makes it economically feasible for printers to work with thousands of unique pieces.

The use of management information systems (MIS) integrated into production workflows supports precise job costing and scheduling of customized work so that print service providers can retain profitability while selling highly customized items.

Commercial Applications Across Markets

Personalization will create new opportunities for printers in several different applications:

• Retail packaging with personalised graphics and custom messaging enable augmented reality experiences to come alive via QR codes.
• Corporate communication materials that have variable content according to which role and location the recipient comes from as well as what past interactions they may have had
• Combination of transactional information with tailored promotional content in trans-promotional statements
• Short-run books with customized covers, content, or editions
• Personalized direct mail campaigns with variable images, offers, and personalized URLs
• Event materials containing attendee-specific information, agendas, and personalized follow-up components.
• Personalised Spot UV and personalised Foil using digital process adds the eye catching impactful features to the same document and make it more appealing.

Looking Forward

Konica Minolta provides the workflow automation software’s under the umbrella of Accurio Pro series to support the printers to manage the above challenges. Addition of the workflow automation is a step towards improving efficiency and reducing the errors. The software’s also provide critical metrices for the performance of the processes and the same can be analysed for further improvement.

The future of business print is where personalization, automated processes, and innovative technologies meet. With the development of AI capabilities, we can anticipate even more advanced personalization that foresees customer needs through predictive analytics.

For printers, the investment in these technologies means potential to transition from commodity print suppliers to marketing services providers who produce high-value personalized communications. By designing unique, relevant experiences for end consumers, personalized print doesn’t merely coexist with a digital age—it prospers by providing something that digital cannot: a physical, personal touch that touches more than one sense and creates long-term memories while delivering tangible business outcomes.

Erica Digital bets on Konica Minolta to scale printing ambitions

-Pune’s Erica Digital has ramped up its digital printing prowess with a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000, a strategic investment to boost capacity and quality as it eyes growth in India’s competitive print market.

India, 17 April,2024 Erica Digital has doubled down on its growth strategy with a fresh investment in Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress C12000.

Launched in 2020 amid the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm has carved out a niche serving designers, creative agencies, and retailers with tailored print solutions. This latest move signals its intent to capture a larger slice of a market increasingly driven by demand for high-quality, bespoke printing.

Under Vinod Vaviya’s ownership, Erica Digital has built its reputation on agility and precision. Its five-person team, trained to handle complex pre-press and post-press tasks, produces everything from brochures and visiting cards to stickers and booklets.

The acquisition of the C12000, which joins an existing AccurioPress C6085, enhances the firm’s ability to manage high-volume orders without compromising quality. “We chose Konica Minolta for its reliable, high-speed machines that ensure consistent output,” said Vaviya. “The C12000’s speed and flexibility have made it a cornerstone of our operations.”

The partnership with Konica Minolta, which began at the firm’s inception, has been pivotal. The Japanese manufacturer provided extensive training and ongoing support, enabling Erica Digital to integrate the new equipment seamlessly. “Konica Minolta’s team ensured a smooth process from installation to daily operations, helping us extract maximum value from the machines,” Vaviya noted. “The C12000, installed a year ago, has delivered steady returns, particularly in image quality and operational efficiency, though the C6085 initially outperformed it in the early months.”

With plans to add another Konica Minolta press, the firm is poised to expand its reach.

India’s digital printing sector, valued at roughly INR 271-billion in 2024, is growing as businesses demand personalised marketing materials. Erica Digital’s investment aligns with this trend, positioning it to serve new client segments while maintaining its lean, responsive model. The C12000’s ability to handle diverse print jobs has already bolstered the firm’s output, and Vaviya is optimistic about future gains. “We expect even stronger returns as we scale and tap into new markets,” he said. For now, Erica Digital’s calculated bet on technology and training underscores its resolve to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Ludhiana’s Waka Digital gets AccurioPress C4080

India, 14 April,2025: Situated at Ludhiana’s Dholewal Chowk near Manju Cinema Hall, Waka Digital, a veteran photo album maker, has significantly enhanced its photo album printing capacity by installing a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4080 digital production press.

Established in 1988, the printer offers a variety of products, including photo albums, photo frames, pamphlets, and calendars. It also works extensively for the apparel industry, providing DtF printing on textiles and labels and tags for packaging.

In a conversation with Indian Printer & Publisher, Paramveer Singh said his father Haridayal Singh set up the business as a photo color lab for wedding photography and albums. He explained how photos were earlier printed using films, bromide paper, and chemistry in dark rooms in a highly skill-dependent process that slowly embraced automation. “We are pioneers in photo albums and the first to install a Noritsu QSS 3000 for developing pictures in 2005. However, the photo album-making scenario was revolutionized by digital printing.”

Waka Digital’s AccurioPress C4080 is an all-in-one print production machine, with features that efficiently manage workflow and print output. The digital press offers the flexibility of 2-sided printing of sheets up to 34 inches long with excellent image quality at resolutions up to 3600 X 2400 dpi and on substrates from 62 to 360 gsm.

Although Ludhiana is still developing, Singh says the wedding album market is witnessing a downward trend. “We kept adding value to our wedding album products over the years with technology and premium finishing. However, photographic services, which have been our core, saw more opportunities with sample booklet printing for the garment industry. We have many hosiery manufacturers as our regular customers and they demand printed samples of how the clothing will look when worn. We do the photography and printing, which they distribute to their customers.”

Waka Digital is witnessing growth. In addition to photo printing, it has diversified its products to include photos, frames, calendars, DtF printing, and customized jobs for its customers. “The calendar business is another strong sales point for us.

We get many corporate and customized orders and personalized calendars are growing. Personalization is gaining attention as businesses are focusing on branding and marketing. We are receiving orders from schools for prospectuses and class pictures,” Singh elaborates.

To add to the versatility of its products, the company owns a Canon image PROGRAF Pro-546 large-format inkjet printer. Waka Digital utilizes the large-format printer for glowing signboards, usually for temples, religious events, and local events. Some of the orders are for large framed pictures. It currently outsources digital embellishment, foiling, and spot UV enhancements.

The company plans to add an MGI digital embellishment machine from Konica Minolta to provide customers with all solutions under one roof. Singh feels that being a one-stop provider will benefit the business with enhanced efficiency and bring more growth opportunities.

Konica Minolta India hits hat-trick with Prestigious Brands of Asia recognition

-Patparganj Industrial Area, Delhi-based Unity Ads & Print has recently invested in a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000.

India, 04 April,2025: Konica Minolta Business Solutions India has been recognized as one of the ‘Prestigious Brands of Asia’ for the third consecutive time, completing a remarkable hat-trick of this distinguished honor. The recognition was presented at the Global Business Symposium 2025, at the Amari Bangkok Hotel in Thailand. Additionally, the marketing team of Konica Minolta Business Solutions India received the coveted ‘Marketing Meister Award 2024-25’ at the same event.”

The ‘Prestigious Brands of Asia’ recognition is awarded to super driven brands that have performed consistently and have redefined the benchmarks of their industries, establishing their presence across the Asian markets. This prestigious listing, conceived by Herald Global & ERTC Media, celebrates organizations that demonstrate outstanding performance and innovation in their respective fields.

“We are proud to announce that Konica Minolta Business Solutions India has been recognised as the ‘Prestigious Brands of Asia’ for the third consecutive time, completing our hat-trick. This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the printing solutions industry,” said Katsuhisa Asari, managing director at Konica Minolta Business Solution India. “We are equally delighted that our Marketing Team has received the ‘Marketing Meister Award 2024-25,’ recognizing their exceptional strategies and execution that have strengthened our market presence across India.”

The Marketing Meister Award is a special honor that celebrates and felicitates exemplary marketing personalities of top leading companies across Asia. This recognition highlights the creativity, strategic thinking, and effectiveness of Konica Minolta India’s marketing initiatives in communicating the company’s value propositions to its diverse customer base.

The Global Business Symposium 2025 was a prestigious event that saw top dignitaries from across Thailand and Asia in attendance. The ceremony was inaugurated in the presence of notable Thai dignitaries, setting a high-spirited tone for the recognition of outstanding individuals and brands that have made significant contributions to their respective industries.

Unity Ads & Print invests in AccurioPress

-Patparganj Industrial Area, Delhi-based Unity Ads & Print has recently invested in a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000.

India, 14 March,2025: Azam Fareedi, owner and proprietor of Unity Ads & Print, said, “We have been using Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress 6120 for the past two and a half years, and while it efficiently handled our monochrome printing needs, we found that a significant portion of our colour printing work was being outsourced. This led to reduced control over quality and timelines, and, in some cases, even loss of clients to external print vendors.”

To address this challenge and boost its business profitability, the company decided to invest in Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress C12000. “This strategic upgrade has enabled us to offer high-quality in-house color printing, enhance efficiency, and provide faster turnaround times for our clients,” Fareedi said.

He added, “Regarding training and support, we have maintained a strong connection with Konica Minolta’s engineering team, which has been instrumental in ensuring smooth machine operation and regular updates. Additionally, since our operators were already familiar with the AccurioPress 6120, the transition to the C12000 was seamless, requiring only minor hands-on training provided by Konica Minolta’s team.”

The company has a well-equipped in-house setup that integrates printing, binding, and finishing solutions to ensure high-quality output. The facility includes Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress C12000 for colour digital printing and three AccurioPress 6120 for high-volume monochrome production. To further enhance capacity, the company plans to invest in the C12000/C14000 series.

For finishing, it utilises Stahl’s folding machine for brochures and booklets, German binding machines, Polar and Schneider cutting machines, and a Schneider sewing machine for bookbinding. Its thermal lamination setup (up to 45-inch) ensures premium print finishes.

“With continuous investment in advanced technology, we are committed to delivering precision-driven, large-scale corporate printing solutions,” Fareedi said.

Unity Ads & Print began its journey in 2005 under the name Unity Computers & Advertisers. Over time, it expanded its services and embraced new technologies, and rebranded as Unity Ads & Print to better reflect its growing capabilities.

The company’s clientele spans across retail, corporate, and educational sectors. It primarily caters to corporate clients, including MNCs, Japanese, and Singaporean companies, providing high-quality marketing materials such as brochures for events. In the education sector. It works extensively with schools, JEE, and NEET coaching institutes, supplying printed study materials. “Our expertise in digital printing allows us to serve a wide range of businesses with customised print solutions tailored to their needs,” Fareedi said.

The company has a dedicated team of 20-22 professionals, including designers, machine operators, and marketing personnel. Our workforce comprises four skilled machine operators who ensure seamless production, along with a marketing team that focuses on client engagement and business growth.

Fareedi said, “The AccurioPress C12000 was installed three months ago, and we have already seen a strong ROI. Having been in the business for years, we understand our client demands, and the C12000 has significantly boosted our production efficiency.”

He added, “Within a month, we produce approximately 2.5 lakh prints, demonstrating the machine’s high-volume capabilities and its ability to meet our growing customer requirements. The investment is proving to be highly profitable, allowing us to retain existing clients, attract new business, and scale operations effectively.”

MR Print See Growth in digital embellishment market

-Delhi printer installs AccurioShine 3600 from Konica Minolta.

India, 04 March,2025: Delhi’s MR Print, a commercial printer and packaging provider in the Naraina Industrial Area, which recently made a shift toward digital, is growing with the installation of a Konica Minolta AccurioShine 3600. The printer sees growth in high-quality marketing materials, premium packaging, luxury-finish wedding cards, corporate gifting, and other niche applications.

Proprietor Vishal Sharma said, “Our first step into the digital printing world was marked by the installation of our first Konica Minolta production printer. In April 2024, we decided to venture into the digital embellishment market by installing the Konica Minolta AccurioShine 3600. The growing demand for premium printing solutions, especially for wedding albums, photo books, and marketing materials, motivated us to take this step.”

He says he opted for the AccurioShine 3600 because it perfectly complements his vision of diversifying services. “Its ability to add premium embellishments, such as foil and spot UV finishes allows us to cater to high-value clientele and deliver unmatched quality. We have confidence in Konica Minolta’s technology and the support they provided throughout our journey. Their innovative solutions have empowered us to grow and excel in the digital embellishment segment,” he adds.

On business, he says, “Our expertise lies in high-quality digital printing. With the addition of the AccurioShine 3600, we offer digital embellishment services, enabling us to provide foil and spot UV finishes that enhance the appeal of premium products for our clients. The press has been a game-changer. It opened up new business opportunities in the digital embellishment market and allowed us to meet the demand for premium printing solutions.”

He says MR Print aims to elevate its service portfolio by offering premium embellishment options. “This investment is helping us attract new customers while also increasing the value we deliver to our existing clients. Our aim is to elevate our service portfolio by offering premium embellishment options. This investment is helping us attract new customers while also increasing the value we deliver to our existing clients.”

The Konica Minolta Accuriolabel 230: A Smart Choice for Entry-Level Printers

India, 28 February,2025: At PrintPack India 2025, Konica Minolta showcased the AccurioLabel 230, a state-of-the-art label printing solution designed for customers looking to diversify their offerings in the printing industry. This innovative technology enables businesses to enhance their capabilities and explore new market opportunities in label production, making it an ideal choice for those seeking to expand their services.

The AccurioLabel 230 is a digital label printing system offering enhanced productivity, job flexibility, operability and excellent image quality with an affordable system cost. It is a ‘Perfect Fit’ for business expansion and parallel use with existing analog machines.The unique toner technology gives good light fastness, excellent colour gamut all with a high lustre finish.

Manish Gupta, National Marketing Manager – PP & IP, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. said “Digital printing is experiencing significant growth within the overall segment, attracting interest from a diverse range of customers, including offset printers, traditional converters, and label manufacturers. This trend highlights the importance of diversification as a valuable addition to any business. As digital printing gains acceptance among customers, they are increasingly recognizing the advantages of having in-house capabilities. The variety of options now available, such as embellishments, allows businesses to better meet their needs and enhance their offerings.”

The AccurioLabel 230 is the 3rd re-design of Konica Minolta’s popular label series of toner-based printers. The new design offers speed improvement on tack papers and tack films with a maximum print speed of 76ft/min, shorter warm-up times, and an optional over-print kit enabling additional capabilities of running pre-printed media. The new AL230 also incorporates improvements to it’s GM winder and un-winder that include: air chuck control for trouble-free handling of roll material, pre and post area access lights for improved viewing of web path and updated tension control for automatic tension settings during label runs.

“When considering print quality, both the AccurioLabel 230 and AccurioLabel 400 deliver equivalent results. However, the distinction lies in their production capabilities and available options. The AccurioLabel 400 includes white ink options, making it ideal for customers seeking versatile applications with white or base colors as white. It also boasts enhanced production capacity and higher speeds. At PrintPack, we’ve chosen to exhibit the AccurioLabel 230, catering to commercial printers who are exploring the label segment. This provides them an opportunity to start with the 230 and later transition to the advanced AccurioLabel 400 as their needs grow.” Manish Conculdes.

Konica Minolta makes a strong statement at Printpack 2025

-Print provider unveils AccurioPress C14010S, a CMYK+White digital press.

India, 17 February,2024 Konica Minolta made a strong statement at Printpack 2025, unveiling its latest digital printing innovations and reaffirming its leadership in the market. Katsuhisa Asari and Manish Gupta of Konica Minolta shared insights on the company’s participation and technological advancements at the event.

Asari said Printpack India ranks among the world’s top three print exhibitions, following drupa and Printpack China. Konica Minolta secured its exhibition space as early as May 2024, recognising the importance of the event in showcasing advanced digital printing technology.

The company’s flagship launch at the exhibition was the AccurioPress C14010S, a CMYK+White digital press set to be commercially available in Q2 FY25 (July- September). This early showcase underscores the company’s commitment to staying ahead of industry trends. The C14010S is designed to enhance printing versatility, particularly for labels, high-end gifting, and short-run packaging applications, supporting media sizes up to 13 x 51 inches.

Gupta emphasised that Konica Minolta’s aim is to encourage commercial printers to embrace digital transformation, exploring new avenues such as embellishment, book printing, and labels. He noted that demand for transparent media printing, particularly in cosmetics and pharmaceutical labelling, has been a key driver behind the development of the CMYK+White technology.

Strong industry response and market outlook

The industry response to the new digital press has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 200 visitors-predominantly existing Konica Minolta customers- attending the showcase on the opening day. “Many of our customers are looking to upgrade their machines after five to seven years of usage, and this product provides a strong investment opportunity,” Asari said.

Globally, Konica Minolta has maintained a leading position in digital label printing, with over 1,500 AccurioLabel devices sold. In India, the company sees strong growth potential in digital labels and small-format packaging applications, despite relatively lower sales volumes compared to global markets.

Indian printing industry: growth amid challenges

Assessing the broader Indian printing industry, Asari noted that while growth in 2024 may be slightly slower than in previous years, the market remains on a positive trajectory. He highlighted the accelerated shift from analogue to digital printing, particularly in short-run applications, as a key factor driving industry expansion.

“While other global markets may face stagnation or decline, India remains a growth market with increasing demand for digital print solutions,” Asari concluded.