Kao Chimigraf: offering customers a differentiation advantage over their competitors

Kao Chimigraf is a leading manufacturer of paints and varnishes for flexo, gravure and digital printing systems. Here, François Aguilar, Chief Commercial Officer, Kao Chimigraf shares more about their Indian operations.

P&P: How do you think Kao Chimigraf products and solutions can help Indian cardboard and flexible printers in their growth ?

François: Kao Chimigraf, as part of Kao Chemicals Europe, has a good access to different inkjet technologies that can give these companies the perfect solution for their needs.

For cardboard, we have several inks such as UV single pass, low migration or water based inkjet inks and we are already in collaboration with several OEM’s in Europe.

For flexible packaging, we are proudly promoting our LUNAJET technology, thanks to our core-technology coming from Japan, we can encapsulate the pigment in a certain way that allows us to modify the ink properties on the substrate. This gives our water base inks good adhesion and performance in flexible packaging such as PP, PET, and BOPP.

P&P: What about Indian digital printers?

François: We think that the UV market, as it is the one where we have more experience, will be the entrance point to a growing market like India.

At Kao we would like to reach out to the OEMs that would like to give a different product to their customers which isn’t yet available in the market.

Our strength is in high pigment concentrated inks and our possibility to fulfil almost each kind of pigment inkjet inks needed in the market (Signage/Textile/Packaging/Coding & Marking / Labelling / Furniture & Flooring).

Also, we see the market full of standard solutions whereas what we have experienced in other markets with our products for being the new player, the customers who choose to work with us, they do receive a differentiation advantage over their competitors.

P&P: Majority of Japanese inks companies present in India have their manufacturing plants locally to be cost effective, how does Kao Chimigraf plans to target this ?

François: Inkjet business still has a big R&D improvement space where the biggest quality inks are the ones having the biggest presence. We have seen it in other big markets around the world so our focus will be to keep providing high reliable inks throughout the Indian market. We are also committed to offer the best cost vs quality into the Indian Market.

P&P: What kind of customers are already using or are interested in Kao Chimigraf’s products in India ?

François: We would be encouraged and happy to work along with the customers who are searching for long term relationships & a trustable partner like Kao Chimigraf.

P&P: Can you tell us more about your coating and special products that can suit Indian printers to deliver unique solutions to their brand customers.

François: We have recently launched an overprint varnish with non-yellowish effect which has become a revolutionary product in Europe and we think it will surely interest the Indian customers as well. Recently we have also launched the first Inkjet bio-based ink for Coding & marking for porous corrugated boxes. This ink is certified by TUV-Austria and we think this is going to be the next step forward in the market after the Mineral Oil Free inks.

P&P: What kind of marketing & distribution strategy will be adopted in India so that knowledge sharing happens with the printers and availability of the same?

François: In late 2020, Kao Chimigraf’s formed a new Indian structure when we appointed a local person to work along with our existing customers and also identify new business opportunities in India for Kao. One of the important marketing activities we will regularly do is to keep the trade publications updated on the latest developments of our inks so that the industry could choose the right inks from our product range. Unfortunately, due to the current situation there is not much possibility to attend the trade shows however, whenever things normalise for good not only will we attend but surely look into promoting our inks through the important trade shows.

We have recently launched an overprint varnish with non-yellowish effect which has become a revolutionary product in Europe and we think it will surely interest the Indian customers as well. Recently we have also launched the first Inkjet bio-based ink for Coding & marking for porous corrugated boxes.