At Paperex 2025, Siegwerk – long associated with its strong inks portfolio – placed a spotlight on a rapidly growing pillar of its business: coatings. This is the first time the company has exhibited at Paperex, and the objective was clear. “We are known as an ink provider in the packaging industry,” said Gilles Le Moigne, business unit head – CE coatings EMEA at Siegwerk. “But since 2024, we have a coatings business unit. One of the reasons we are here is to create awareness around the fact that we are now providing coatings, especially for paper packaging.”

Building recognition beyond traditional customers

While converters and printers who already purchase Siegwerk inks have responded positively to the CIRKIT range, the paper industry remains a relatively new audience for the company. “We are not necessarily well known by paper mills because we don’t supply inks to that segment,” Le Moigne explained. “So it takes a bit more time to create awareness, but overall, people are curious to understand how we can support them.”

Water-based chemistry is another area where India is progressing steadily. “Converters are used for solvent-based inks, but for food-safe and direct food-contact solutions, water-based is the best,” he explained. All CIRKIT coatings for paper are water-based. While the primary technical hurdle is drying performance, Siegwerk is actively working on high-solid-content dispersions to help converters reduce drying load and energy consumption.

Siegwerk’s CIRKIT portfolio is designed with India’s fast-evolving paper and fiber packaging ecosystem in mind. “What we do specifically for the Indian market is produce locally,” he said. By manufacturing in India, the company is able to improve cost efficiency and meet price expectations. The quick service restaurant (QSR) and food service segments, in particular, are expanding rapidly. “These markets need competitive solutions. Our products are tailor-made to be compliant with Indian regulations but also competitive against local suppliers.”

“People want to use water-based – it’s safer, and you avoid risks like fires,” he added. India, he believes, is not far behind Europe in adoption trends.

Ensuring barrier performance and circularity

With India moving steadily into fiber-based packaging, the challenge lies in retaining barrier functionality without compromising recyclability. Siegwerk has built this requirement into the foundation of its coatings development. “We develop our coating solutions only if they are compatible with the recycling regulations,” Le Moigne said. Every coating is tested and approved for conventional paper recycling.

He added that application practicality is equally important. “You can develop the best chemistry in the world, but if it’s not easy to apply, it won’t be successful. So we always combine chemistry with application know-how.”

R&D rooted in local needs

The coatings business unit, established globally in 2023, was supported by local investment soon after. Since June 2024, Siegwerk has had a dedicated coatings lab at its manufacturing plant in Bhiwadi. “We have a full lab in India only for coatings, with R&D resources and equipment specifically designed for coatings data,” he said. This structure ensures that global formulations can be adapted quickly for India’s climate, substrates, line conditions, and cost sensitivities.

Supporting converters through the transition

For many converters, existing equipment remains a major barrier to shifting from plastics to fiber. “Take paper cups – today they are laminated with polyethylene. The machines run at high speed with no issues,” he pointed out. Switching to coated paper requires new equipment and often slower speeds during early adoption. As a result, alternative solutions are currently more common in high-end applications where the cost premium can be justified. Over time, as the industry gains experience and scale, Le Moigne expects costs to come down.

A strong outlook for fiber packaging in india

Driven by both regulatory pressure and consumer preference for paper over plastic, India’s demand for fiber packaging is expanding rapidly. The food service sector, with countless street vendors and QSR chains, remains one of the strongest growth drivers. “We really see this as a growing segment,” he concluded.