Packaging effectiveness wins support at CMPL show

The three-day event saw a fair share of packaging stalls that displayed pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, in-mould labels (IML), wraparounds, laminated tubes, flexible packaging, and folding cartons. This alluded to two things: packaging is everywhere, and that many a brand is reaping the benefits of packaging simply because it is more effective.

Nirav Shah, founder of Letra Graphix, said, "The future of labelling is sensory and smart. We’re moving from decoration to communication, from static to responsive." With India’s premium label market projected to reach INR 6,500-crore by 2028, one thing is clear. In the contest for consumer attention, the most powerful pitch might not come from an advert, influencer, or discount, but from a square of adhesive paper — the silent salesman doing the loudest work.

As the team at Trigon Digipack said quite simply, "Packaging works." Trigon's focus at the CMPL Expo was on digital labels and flexible packaging. And the conversation explored the role of digital technology in anti-counterfeiting and variable data printing, questioning whether brands are willing to adopt solutions. The Trigon stall showcased a wide range of substrates, supporting complex applications with brand protection features and data-driven design tools.

Subrata Bose, senior vice president and business head of tubes at UFlex, showcased the group's FlexiTubes - its post consumer recycate (PCR)-based tube solutions. Bose told us, "What sets these tubes apart is that the raw material used in the PCR tubes is sourced internally through UFlex’s integrated recycling and manufacturing infrastructure, ensuring consistent quality, supply reliability, and a reduced environmental footprint." The tubes ensure that tubes retain all core packaging features, including high-definition reverse rotogravure printing and diverse decorative finishes. Once again, this allows brands to maintain strong shelf appeal while adopting more sustainable solutions.

At EPL, what caught the eye was a conversation about NeoSeam, which is a next-generation seamless laminate tube designed for personal care and cosmetic brands seeking a premium, uniform look. With no visible side seam and enhanced 360-degree decoration, it significantly improves shelf appeal. It also uses less material, making it a more sustainable option. The Platina range was also on display with new formats that push the boundaries of recyclable packaging. These include transparent high-density polyehtylene (HDPE) tubes that offer lower haze for better visibility, improved metallised tubes that provide chemical resistance while remaining recyclable, and low ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) tubes that balance product protection with recyclability. The point is, as Anand Kripalu, managing director and global CEO of the company said, these innovations are designed to help brands meet evolving consumer expectations without compromising on performance.

The sweetboxes and rigid boxes displayed at the Chaitry Offset stall

Some say, in a world of zillion choices and fractured attention, the best campaigns start not with media preference, but with audience insight. The display at the Chaitry Offset stall helped pivot to conversations about savoury consumptions. As Pritam Bandopadhyay of Chaitry said at the stall, "We have been in the sweets business for decades and our box-making is based on real behaviour, not assumptions, and that is why we are successful at what we do.”

PR Packaging showed us how packaging can often reach those modern audiences who matter most today. Vishesh Gupta, executive director of PR Packaging (who is an IIT Kharagpur alumnus), said, "98% of Gen Z use smartphones as their primary brand discovery tool. They live in stories, not letterboxes; and so we have to create packaging magic for them." That's what PR Packaging, Art O Print, and Amba Multiprint did at their stalls.

At the Concord Printing stall and the Hora Art stall, print added value and heightened that emotion, plus extended the story, plus embedded the feeling. Kayyum Memon, partner at Concord, shared tech updates about his Vadodara factory. He said, "Print is recognition, print is repetition, and print is reputation."

At the Aim and Dino Label Digital stall, have both installed the Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 400, Ravi Patel, chairman of Aim Corporation, said, “Digital delivers what the brain wants, cognitive ease, relevance, timing, and personalisation. Digital print allows us to create packaging that can re-engage." Vadodariya decided to purchase the AccurioLabel 400 in under ten minutes. He said, "There is a misconception that print is static, it’s one size fits all, or that it’s blind to context. But digital print allows us to respond to behaviour, plus it can be beautiful, and it can be thoughtful." He showcased some of the label work the Surat-based Aim Corporation produces, on a wide variety of media with short volume runs while ensuring consistent quality and reliability. 

As one exited CMPL, all one could say was hurrah to pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, IML, wraparounds, laminated tubes, flexible packaging, and folding cartons.