At LOUPE India 2026, Pawan Chauhan, country sales manager for HP Industrial Print for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, discussed changing production requirements, the role of digital printing in medium- and long-run applications, and opportunities in India’s growing label market.
The growing demand for shorter production runs, diverse product portfolios and improved productivity is reshaping the label printing industry. At LOUPE India 2026, HP showcased its Indigo 6K Plus digital press alongside its V12 digital press, virtual printing solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
For Chauhan, the transformation extends beyond printing technology. Consumer expectations, brand requirements, working capital considerations and market geography are all influencing how converters approach production. “We strongly believe that this market is under transformation now. It is not only the technology that is transforming; everyone is transforming here,” he said.
Changing demands from brands and converters
The emergence of younger consumers and increasingly diverse product portfolios is creating new requirements for label production. Brands are introducing more stock-keeping units (SKUs), producing products in multiple languages and catering to different regional markets. These developments are increasing demand for shorter runs and more varied production requirements. At the same time, brands are looking to reduce inventory levels and working capital requirements, making it more difficult to maintain the stock levels associated with traditional production models.
Digital printing is becoming increasingly relevant in this environment. However, Chauhan noted that converters are no longer looking at digital technology exclusively for short-run applications. They are also seeking the productivity required to handle medium- and long-run production.
HP’s participation at LOUPE India was intended to address these evolving requirements through an integrated portfolio of printing technologies and software.
Extending digital printing beyond short runs
The Indigo 6K Plus, launched in 2025, is designed for ultra-short and short-run label production. According to Chauhan, the platform enables converters to handle a broad range of applications. Since its launch at LOUPE Barcelona 2025, HP has sold nearly 200 units globally, he said.
The press is also being developed further through improvements in its engine and the integration of AI-based solutions. Chauhan said, “We are trying to bundle it up with AI solutions so that it doesn’t replace the human into it, rather augments them and even helps them to make the operations much more efficient,” he said.
HP is positioning the Indigo V12 to address the productivity requirements of converters moving beyond short-run production. While the 6K Plus is intended for shorter runs, the V12 is designed to combine application flexibility with higher productivity for medium- and long-run jobs.
Chauhan said the V12 could address a wider range of production requirements, including multiple applications, variable data, security printing and productivity. “The customer wanted to have a similar flexibility even on the mid and the long run also. And that is where V12 came into the picture,” he said.
Although commercial sales of the V12 opened in 2025, the press is still relatively new to the Indian market. HP is seeing growing interest in the technology, Chauhan added.
Opportunities in the growing label market
The expanding range of applications is creating opportunities for digital printing in the Indian label market. Chauhan said converters increasingly want to use digital presses for applications beyond conventional labels, including pouches and other packaging formats.
He added that the growth of the label market was also attracting smaller businesses and new entrants. These companies are looking at digital printing as an in-house solution for their own applications, creating another potential market for the Indigo 6K Plus.
HP is also seeing opportunities beyond the established label printing centres, with increasing activity in tier-two and tier-three markets. Chauhan said the geographical diversification of the industry was becoming an important consideration for equipment manufacturers.
Digital printing growth outpaces the market
Looking ahead, Chauhan expects the Indian label market to continue expanding over the next three to five years, with digital printing growing at a faster rate than the overall market.
According to Smithers, India’s printed-label market was valued at approximately USD 1.4 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach approximately USD 2.24 billion by 2031. From 2026 to 2031, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6%.
Digital package and label printing in India is growing substantially faster, with Smithers forecasting value growth of 15.2% CAGR and volume growth of 17.5% CAGR over 2026–2031.”
