Heidelberg Strengthens Presence in the Indian market

To share in market growth, Heidelberg is strengthening its presence in India. By expanding its sales and service capacities, investing in demonstration installations, and extending its partner network, the company is aiming to ensure solutions are tailored perfectly to the needs of Indian customers.

Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), visited the key market of India on a trip lasting several days. 

His meetings with numerous customers and partners during this visit provided impressive proof of India’s strategic importance for Heidelberg – especially in the areas of packaging and printing.

India has one of the most rapidly expanding national economies in the world. The growing population, a predicted annual rise in GDP of around 6.5%, and increasing prosperity are continuously driving the demand for printed packaging. 

The market volume is set to climb from the current figure of around $12 billion to $20 billion by 2030. Growth rates are particularly high in the pharmaceutical, food, beverage, and e-commerce sectors. This dynamic development is being driven by urbanization, a growing middle class, and rising demand for branded products. Heidelberg sees significant potential in packaging and label printing and is keen to further develop its role as a systems integrator.

“India is one of the world’s most dynamic markets and is therefore of huge strategic relevance to Heidelberg,” said Schmedding. “Our goal is clear. As a systems integrator, we want to offer our Indian customers holistic, end-to-end solutions from a single source and be the first port of call for all their printing and packaging requirements.”

“India plays a key role in our strategy for the Asia-Pacific region. We are expecting it to make a growing contribution to our sales and profitability. Furthermore, Heidelberg already has the world’s largest sales and service network in the industry – a vital competitive advantage that we are now building on further in India to strengthen our leading position on a long-term basis,” explained Jürgen Otto, CEO of Heidelberg.

As a systems integrator, Heidelberg offers a comprehensive ecosystem – from offset, flexo, and digital printing to post-press, software, and consumables, and all the way through to service and training. 

The Speedmaster CX 104 printing press platform is in high demand at Indian print shops. Its attractive price-performance ratio and flexible configuration options are particularly popular with packaging and commercial printing customers. 

The Boardmaster flexographic web printing system, which enables efficient and cost-effective production of high volumes, is also becoming more important in the food and beverage sector. Heidelberg sees significant market potential for the hybrid label printing systems of its Swiss subsidiary, Gallus, as well.

The new trade deal between India and the EU, which envisages lower tariff barriers over the long term, will give an additional boost to the company’s growth strategy.