📘 The Quiet Rise of Indian bookbinding market
The global print industry is buzzing—but not always in the right places. While flashy expos and pressroom gimmicks grab attention, the real story is quietly unfolding elsewhere. At the 2024 Bindwel Book Roundtable, Kai Buentemeyer revealed what many in the West may have overlooked: India is driving the future of book production. With smart automation, increased capacity, and focused innovation, the India bookbinding market is becoming a global force. And at the center of this transformation? Bindwel’s purpose-built post-press solutions.
“It’s probably a couple of dozen crore books… the past 12 months would have been 500–600 million books more.”
— Kai Buentemeyer
💡 Drupa 2024: Hype vs. Help?
Reflecting on Drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf, Kai offered a sharp observation. While the energy was high, the substance felt thin—especially in traditional print.
“As far as classical printing is concerned, I’m afraid that was quite underwhelming.”
With overly choreographed demos and gimmicky presentations, many exhibitors appeared out of touch with the evolving needs of real-world publishers.
“They’re either out of ideas or solving problems we don’t have.”
— Kai Buentemeyer
In contrast, India is solving challenges that actually matter.
📦 Packaging Shines, But Books Show Long-Term Potential
At Drupa, packaging may have taken center stage—but the deeper potential was in books. The India bookbinding market trends discussed at the roundtable showed a clear shift:
“In a couple of years’ time, this might also become interesting in the United States.”
The market may be early-stage in global eyes, but the growth in scale and infrastructure is impossible to ignore.
📊 500 Million Books & Counting
India has added hundreds of millions of books in print capacity over the last year—quietly, efficiently, and with precision.
“If we were to try together to get the figure right… we’d be throwing figures at one another in the hundreds of millions.”
The India bookbinding market is not only growing—it’s outperforming many developed regions.
“In all other countries I traveled to in the past 12 months, it is going nowhere.”
🎯 Just 4% for Non-Edu? Room to Innovate
Even with such scale, only 4% of India’s book production today is outside the education segment. A tiny 0.25% caters to children’s books.
That leaves an enormous opportunity for storytelling, self-publishing, and illustrated books—all demanding flexible, high-quality binding.
This untapped space represents the next wave in the India bookbinding market trends—and the innovators who seize it will shape the future.
🛠 Bindwel: Engineering the Next Chapter In Indian Bookbinding Market
While others focus on spectacle, Bindwel focuses on what matters:
- Precise binding.
- Purposeful innovation.
- Long-term publisher success.
Whether it’s perfect binding, PUR solutions, or short-run digital print workflows, Bindwel machines deliver:
- Energy-efficient operation
- Fast changeovers
- Export-quality finish
- Automation-ready design
As the India bookbinding market matures, Bindwel is equipping publishers with tools that are robust, scalable, and globally competitive.
🙏 Wrapping Up the Roundtable
The Bindwel Book Roundtable 2024 brought clarity, context, and conviction. Our thanks to the speakers, panelists, and partners who contributed their wisdom and foresight.
“It was really very interesting, and it will take me quite a while.”
— Kai Buentemeyer
The industry is moving. And it’s moving toward India.
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