India’s printing and packaging industry is at a turning point, and Manroland Sheetfed is riding the wave of change with confidence. In a candid conversation with The Packman, Mirko Kern, the global head of Manroland Sheetfed, and Deepak Walia, managing director, Manroland Sheetfed India shared how the company is adapting to evolving customer needs, focusing on automation, service excellence, and sustainable solutions.
India remains one of the most important markets for Manroland Sheetfed, as it continues to see growing investments from print shops across the country. Kern pointed out, “India is really a demanding market. You have a lot of print shops investing in new machines or new buildings with additional machines.” He added that unlike Europe, where investment is mostly limited to replacing machines or automating processes, India and Turkey represent growing markets with significant opportunities. “These are Manroland’s important markets. It’s also a market with high price pressure in India. But it’s a market where you can really gain market share, so we are very focused there.”
Walia added, “We see significant growth potential ahead. While there may be global turbulences, Manroland India remains well-positioned, with ample room to expand across equipment, agency business, and consumables. We have been growing steadily year on year, and over the last three years, our business has doubled.”
Kern emphasized that the growth in India is sustainable. “We are profitable in India. Even if we face a tough market in terms of pricing and new machinery, we have managed to remain profitable every year. That’s a result of a good team effort by the Indian team. India is a market where you can gain market share, and that’s why we are so focused on it.”
Walia added, “In addition to machines, Manroland India also handles agency business, supplying solutions like case makers, label finishing and label screen printing solutions, bundling machines, and creasing machines. The total revenue from these smaller machines is not very high, but in terms of profitability, it is good for us.”
Walia further explained that a share of profit comes from their agency business where Manroland India earns commission from manufacturers for India representation. “We have sold three case makers in the last three years, he said.
Additionally, the service business is growing, particularly with the supply of Kolbus parts. “We are now connected to customers who have Kolbus machines and can provide them with service,” Walia mentioned.
Technical support network
One of Manroland’s biggest strengths in India is its technical support network. Kern pointed out, “We now have 14 engineers based in India and hiring more to fulfil the service needs. The real difference comes from regular training programs at our headquarters in Germany. Over 70% of our engineers have undergone specialized training, which helps them offer strong, confident service.”
Service plays a key role in the company’s strategy. With the Proserv 360 maintenance program, preventive checks are scheduled regularly, helping customers avoid unexpected breakdowns and keep operations running smoothly.
Technological evolution and automation
Indian printers are gradually embracing automation, with features such as inline color pilot and automated make-ready – Auto Print – systems gaining traction. Walia expressed his confidence in the trend: “I could see that in the years to come, more and more people will opt for automation because that is really going to help them in a very, very big way.” He illustrated the efficiency gains by explaining that some companies have produced 1200 sheets of 27 makereadies in eight hours, a clear demonstration of how automation is transforming short-run productivity.
Walia also pointed out the hesitation among many print businesses to adopt automation immediately. He said, “Many people want to opt for that technology, but mentally they are not ready today. Their pocket allows, but they still feel a 6-minute makeready or 15-minute makeready doesn’t make a difference.” However, he emphasized that this mindset would gradually shift: “In time, those saying ‘15 minutes is okay’ will talk about 3 or 4-minute makeready. They will also get into that, but gradually.”
Looking ahead, Walia is optimistic about the market’s direction: “India will buy automation, but maybe another 4–5 years. I’m very optimistic if you ask me that yes, India will buy automation.”
Sustained demand for used Manroland presses in India
Over the last three years, Manroland India has installed 17 used presses across the country. “What’s particularly noteworthy during this period is that some customers have even opted for Roland presses from 1994–95, which have been imported to India and we were approached to install such machines, which in itself speaks volumes about the quality and reliability of these products. During this period, we have successfully installed one such machine in Kolkata and another in Bengaluru.
“When it comes to used machines, their age or size – whether 10, 20 years old, very large, or very small – doesn’t matter. Any machine that comes to India brings business opportunities for us in terms of service, spare parts, and overall organizational engagement. The key point here is that, although there is generally some hesitation around older presses, there remains a definite interest in India among certain customers,” concluded Walia.
