At Labelexpo India 2024, industry veteran Harveer Sahni unveiled his much-anticipated book, Untold Stories of Indian Label Industry. The book, launched at the HP stand, is the culmination of over two decades of Sahni’s meticulous documentation, representing a comprehensive history of the Indian label industry and showcasing insights from his 46-year career.
Reflecting on his early inspirations, Sahni shared that his journey as an author began in his school days when he wrote a story he never shared. Though he remained uncertain about the potential impact of his writing, he felt a persistent drive to create work that would inform and inspire generations. This curiosity eventually led him, in 1986, to pen ‘The Story of Ink’, a piece that explored the development of paper and ink across different eras, despite the challenges of limited resources in a pre-internet era. In the late 1990s, Sahni found his voice in the label industry and crafted an article on labels, which was enthusiastically published by Andy Thomas in Label and Labeling magazine in the UK. This marked the beginning of a journey that saw Sahni’s words reach audiences worldwide.
In the early 2000s, Packaging South Asia’s editor, Naresh Khanna, invited Sahni to contribute regularly. Around the same time, Tarsus Group’s Roger Pellow encouraged him to present the ‘History of Labels in India’ at the Label Summit in Mumbai. Motivated by the event’s reception and with the support of his son Pawandeep, Sahni launched a blog dedicated to the self-adhesive labels industry. This blog soon became a significant platform, attracting readers globally and amassing over 580,000 page views by November 2024. Combined with his website, labelsandpackaging.com, Sahni’s content has surpassed 700,000 views.
Driven by a desire to create a lasting legacy, Sahni set out to write a book that could stand as a historical record for future generations. Untold Stories of Indian Label Industry is a 320-page, A4-sized coffee table book priced at Rs. 3,750. It offers readers a comprehensive view into the lives and journeys of label printers, landmark moments in the industry, and profiles of rising leaders and women who bring flair to this vibrant field.
Sahni’s book is available at the Weldon Celloplast stand (E-8, Hall-10) at Labelexpo India 2024. Show attendees can also book their copies for later delivery, while Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI) members are eligible to receive a complimentary copy at the LMAI stand by presenting their IDs.