Let’s be optimistic in these unprecedented times!

Weekend curfews are back and so is the uncertainty surrounding the economy of the country. Things had started looking up earlier this year but with the rise in the number of Covid-19 patients, the government has been forced to put curbs on movement of people to control this situation.

The printing industry has still not recovered from the impact of lockdown in 2020 and the fears are back again! How will the industry recover from this uncertain situation? When will things be normal?

The printing industry is one of the most affected industries due to Covid-19. Printing shows have been cancelled, which is not only a huge loss for the organisers but also for the participating companies who look forward to sealing new business tie-ups and sales during such shows, not to forget the huge loss of printing business of POP materials, signages, handouts, brochures, et al.

The printing business had shrunk tremendously in last one year as most of the businesses and industries were reeling under pressure. Luxury items, travel industry, entertainment, hospitality, book publishing…industries which heavily rely on printed products were themselves struggling to sustain themselves. Since these industries had started opening up, printing industry started looking up too.

Another major deterrent is rise in material and paper costs. Major consumable players like Flint Group, Siegwerk, etc have already announced rise in prices of inks and pigments due to rise in costs of raw materials and disruptions in supply chains. Paper manufacturers like Emami Paper Mills, Khanna Paper and Shree Rama Newsprint have also increased their paper costs significantly.

More recently, on the call of All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP), 250,000 printers of India observed BLACK DAY today to protest against the unprecedented hike of paper and other raw materials.

Amidst all this chaos, there is a silver lining too for the printers. There has been an increased demand for printed products in UP & West Bengal because of elections. This is the time when political parties heavily rely on printed material for their promotions. Local printers can heave a sigh of relief and look forward to such seasonal businesses.

Print is and will always remain an indispensable part of our lives. Let us all come together to face this unprecedented time and hope things to get better soon.

Happy printing!

Sonal Khurana
sonal@smediagroup.in