Interview with Katsuhisa Asari, Managing Director Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta participated in the 15th PrintPack India 2022 and displayed the whole range of products offered to the printing and packaging converters.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Private Limited is a Gurgaon, Haryana-based company and a subsidiary of the Konica Minolta Inc., Japan At the show, Labels Flexibles and More spoke to Katsuhisa Asari, Managing Director Konica Minolta, and Manish Gupta, PP & IP at Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt Ltd.
Speaking on the Label industry and business opportunities in India, Katsuhisa said, “Label market is one of the fastest-growing markets for last many years. In general, whether it is a cut-sheet or roll-form Label, there is a tremendous opportunity, and it will continue to grow for many more years. Emerging markets have more demands for Labels, and in countries like India, where the labour cost is lower as compared to other developed countries, we see a growing demand for Labels due to an increase in consumption.”
“Every year we have decent installation, besides digital device, we have also introduced a solution that makes the label more secure i.e., we have a software application to add security features on Labels that can be provided on demand of the customer.”
Manish added, “Customers can opt for this software solution in line with the machine. In India, some products have a very high piracy rate. For example, sensitive markets like Pharma industry’s piracy rate is high, so if the customer wants to authenticate their product, they can use this solution.”
Konica Minolta is the world leader in the print technology industry; the company is acknowledged in the market for pioneering several technologies and for the environment-friendly approach that it implies in its works. As a leader in the industry, the company also offers solutions for advanced imaging and networking technologies.
Talking about the Consumer Perception in the Indian price-sensitive market, Katsuhisa adds, “India is a price-sensitive market, but the customer is ready to pay for the valued product. Customers are ready to invest in a product where they see a good return. If two different products have identical features, then the only thing you can end your conversation with is
a price discount. But if we talk about different applications, the conversation will be different, not just from a price perspective. Services are also adding to the value of the product.”
Elaborating about their Konica Minolta offering to the Indian customers, Katsuhisa said, “What I would like to emphasize here is, in this market, we have witnessed that printing whether it’s a label printing or digital printing or any other package printing we can see good future growth. As the economy grows, the businesses will continue to grow, though some technology may get absolute due to the arrival of new technology. But the label and packaging industry will continue to grow.”
“We believe in continuous innovation, and therefore we invest in the research and development of the technology. We aim to provide the best technology to the Indian market and hope to see growth in our customers’ business. And we are confident that our product substantially contributes to customers’ business. We will continue to expand our brand in India.”
“We have introduced MGI Jet Varnish for Labels under Konica Minolta brand, And shortly, to cater to one more additional segment of customers, we will be launching a technically-advanced high-end label printing machine by the end of this year.”
“We are present in all the major cities in India directly and with our partners TechNova Imaging Systems & KMI Business Technologies . The customer can rest assured of the best after-sales service for Konica Minolta products for business continuation. Timely support service is essential, and we are focused on giving timely support to the customer.” Concludes Manish.
