Digital´s 29% Leap!

Digital printing is poised to capture a bigger share in the Indian market as the industry has started enjoying and reaping benefits of its technological advances. The ITJ Exclusive Report attempts to scan a view of this booming digital printing scenario.
The digital textile printing, which had not many takers in India in the last few years, is showing signs of coming out of its first round of laps, and gaining momentum to enter the big growth phase. Flexibility, versatility and reduced cost are giving new wings to digital printing technologies in India, the market of which today is pegged at US$250 million. Indications reveal that this market is poised to grow at 29 per cent in the years to come – presently a growth rate that can be the envy of many an industrial segment.

Textile industry has started investing heavily in digital printing technology to modernise processing segment and the digital printing market is today driven by technological advancements in inkjet printers such as direct-to-fabric printers. Digital printers can be used for printing innovative and unique designs on saris, dress material, home furnishing fabrics and t-shirts.

Industry sources say digital printing accounts for nearly 1 per cent of the global market for printed textiles and that it is set to expand its share to as much as 10 per cent in the next five years.

According to global report on textile printing production released by a leading US-based Global Industry Analyst Inc, the global production of printed textiles is projected to reach 32 billion sq m by 2015 due to the widespread acceptance of digital printing and technological improvements in ink and consumables, print heads and printing machinery.

According to Suvin Advisors, digital textile printing market is forecasted to grow at an average annual growth rate of 20.1 per cent in value terms between 2014 and 2019. A total of around 650 million sq m of fabric were printed digitally in the year to mid-2014. It is estimated that total digital textile printing output will rise to 1.6 billion sq m annually by 2019.

The industry has undergone a revolutionary change in the last 15 years. In 1990, India initiated a process of reforms aimed at shedding protectionism and embracing liberalization of the economy. Privatization was initiated with the aim of integrating the Indian economy with the world economy. This change opened the doors for the Indian print Industry to modernise, by investing in the latest of technology and machinery.

In recent years, the printing industry in India has seen record levels of growth, owing to liberalized regimes, globalization and progress in automation. The industry has grown leaps and bounds due to the latest technology and machinery, quality standards and production capacities.

Speaking about the latest trends in digital printing space, Dipali Goenka, Managing Director, Welspun Global Brands Limited & Executive Director, Welspun India Limited, said, ´Currently, the trends show that everyone is slowly moving from digital printing on polyester to cotton. The prints earlier were of ancient places and scenery but now it has moved to abstract prints, graffiti and bright fluorescent colours. It is getting more vibrant and is moving with the times considering the scope of growth in India.´

Welspun currently has two types of printing technology ´ rotary print and flat-bed printing. The company also has two digital printing machines ´ one is used for sampling and has eight colour options and the other is used for production, which can produce almost 1,000 m per day and has 12 colour options.

´The way we see it, digital printing has no limitation in printing design. It has a vast scope and allows you to print anything that you require on the fabric. It can depict any th