SGAI Seminar in Mumbai in April 2026
The first parameter to judge the success of an event is the initial response it generates. When the full-day cutting-edge technology seminar titled ‘An Ideal Blueprint for Perfect Prints: Elevate Your Industrial Game Higher’ was announced by the organisers, Screenprinting & Graphics Association of India (SGAI), all available seats were booked well in advance. As the seminar date approached, further registration requests had to be politely declined due to ‘house full’ situation, reflecting overwhelming response. The morning of 17 April 2026, witnessed a wide cross section of the screen printing industry gathered in Mumbai.
The day’s proceedings commenced with Devang N Sheth, Secretary, SGAI, the seminar compere, extending a warm welcome to all honoured guests, speakers, knowledge partners, industry partners, platinum sponsor and attendees from across India and the globe. This was followed by the seminar inauguration and lighting of the ceremonial lamp to get the event off to an auspicious start.
This was followed by a presentation on SGAI, providing those gathered with a glimpse of its origins, objectives and key initiatives. “At SGAI, we decided to focus on this aspect because industrial screen printing is a fast-growing segment, with tremendous potential. Its wide range of applications and the high level of precision required made it an ideal choice. Our objective today is to have the distinguished speakers share their expert insights to increase awareness and empower the screen printing community, thereby facilitating a bright future for the printers specialising in industrial screen printing. Today we have over 100 plus industry colleagues coming from all over India and that includes leading industrial printers, suppliers, distributors and professors from printing institutes, so we are creating an awareness in total value chain of the printing industry,” Devang N Sheth explained.
He then thanked the Knowledge Partners (Speakers), Industry Partners (Table-Top Exhibitors) and the ‘Platinum Sponsor’ Naxnova Technologies, which pioneers innovative solutions across industries, from automotive to healthcare. He also thanked the European Screen Manufacturer’s Association (ESMA) for supporting the seminar as well as the Media Partners – Screen Print India Magazine from India and Specialist Printing Worldwide (SPW) Magazine from UK.
Seminar sessions began with the first speaker of the day, Piotr Rogacki, Head of the Management Board, Nittoku Europe, who spoke on ‘High-Accuracy Printing in Long Production Cycles.’ The next speaker was Dirk Oelschläger, Regional Sales Director, Ulano Inc., Germany who covered ‘High-Precision Stencils: Meeting the Demands of Functional Printing.’
Following this, the Proell GmbH presentation was done by two speakers – Michael Anderle, General Manager, and Dr. Hans-Peter Erfurt, IMD/FIM Manager. They covered ‘IMD/ FIM Technology - Screen Printing Inks, Adhesion Promotors and Protective Lacquers for Film Insert Molding Applications.’
After that, Kunal Gandhi, Joint Managing Director, Kunal Enterprise, Mumbai, highlighted ‘Rising Opportunities in Industrial Printing.’ He provided facts and figures, pointing out that Indian screen printing market is expected to grow by 100% over the next four years. These numbers were considered to be realistic and very encouraging by those gathered including the other speakers.
In the post-lunch session, Shailesh Deshpande, Founder and Managing Director, IDMS Infotech (P) Ltd., Thane, shared insights on ‘Smart ERP for Business Excellence.’
Next speaker, Sandesh Tere, Director, DuraTech Automation (P) Ltd., Vasai, elaborated on theme ‘Smart Automation & Sustainable Printing: Shaping the Future of Industry.’ This was followed by the next speaker, Christian Gächter, SPI and IPI-X Ambassador, ESMA, who presented perspectives on ‘New Horizons for Industrial Printing: European Trends, FTA Opportunities and the Indo-European Partnership.’
Next on the agenda was another eagerly awaited part of the seminar, the 12th ASGA Print Awards presentation.
Markus Kaiser, Managing Director, Kissel + Wolf GmbH, was originally scheduled to attend the seminar and share his experiences from his first India visit. However, he had to return earlier than expected due to flight scheduling issues. The memento and shawl to be presented to him by Anil Brahmbhatt, President, SGAI were accepted by Dirk Oelschläger Regional Sales Director, Ulano Inc., Germany on his behalf.
After this, mementoes were presented to the seminar Knowledge Partners, the Speakers who shared their expert insights. This was followed by a memento being presented to the seminar’s Platinum Sponsor, Naxnova Technologies with gratitude for their support and facilitating the seminar. The Naxnova team received the memento from Vimlesh Arora, Vice President (North), SGAI and Jignesh Ruparelia, Treasurer, SGAI.
Next, mementoes were presented to the Industry Partners who supported the seminar: Skyscreen International (P) Ltd.; Kunal Enterprise, Mumbai; Pröll GmbH, Germany; IDMS Software (P) Ltd., Thane; DuraTech Automation (P) Ltd., Vasai; D. N. Excellence (P) Ltd. (OPC), Mumbai; Hanuman Graphics (P) Ltd., Mumbai and Arrow Digital (P) Ltd., Mumbai. Mementoes were also presented to the seminar Media Partners Screen Print India magazine, India and Chamond Media Ltd., UK.
Feedback and Comments
Ajay Gandhi, Chairman & Managing Director, Kunal Enterprise, Mumbai, opined that the SGAI seminar was very well organised, with a good selection of topics and speakers, well attended by a substantial number of people from across India. “It was a good mix of international and local speakers and the refreshment arrangement was quite nice. The arrangement of awards presentation and felicitation of the speakers and sponsors was also good. We feel SGAI should arrange such events more and more.”
Piotr Rogacki, Head of the Management Board, Nittoku Europe Sp. z o.o. said, “SGAI Industrial Printing Seminar in Mumbai was very well prepared, highly professional, and truly valuable for all participants. I particularly appreciated the strong technical content, the high quality of the presentations, and the opportunity to exchange views with industry colleagues. It was a very good platform to discuss both current industry challenges and future market opportunities. The event brought together experienced professionals and companies with a strong interest in the further development of the industrial printing industry, while also creating very good conditions for direct and meaningful conversations after the presentations. The seminar will remain a memorable experience for me.”
Dirk Oelschläger, Regional Sales Director, Kissel + Wolf GmbH, Germany, shared, “I’m still genuinely impressed by the experience. From the moment I arrived, it was clear how much care and effort had gone into organizing this sold-out event. Being surrounded by around 100 highly qualified industry professionals from across India made it even more special - the energy, curiosity, and shared passion for innovation in industrial screen printing were truly inspiring. I was particularly happy to contribute with my presentation on “High- Precision Stencils – Meeting the Demands of Functional Printing.” What stood out most to me were the discussions afterward – open, insightful, and very practical. For me personally, one of the biggest highlights was the opportunity to connect-having meaningful conversations with partners, experts and participants and gaining fresh perspectives on where our industry is heading. Being honoured with a Certificate of Appreciation and receiving the traditional ceremonial shawl was something I truly appreciated - it meant a lot to me. A big thank you to SGAI and everyone involved for creating such a well-organized and inspiring event.”
Christian Gächter presenting on behalf of ESMA
Christian Gächter, SPI and IPI-X Ambassador, ESMA, described “It was great to get in touch with end users, educators and suppliers, get into discussions and connect on a personal level. Kudos to SGAI for creating an event that is attractive for all participants, looking forward to future events!”
Michael Anderle, General Manager, & Dr. Hans-Peter Erfurt, IMD/FIM Manager, Proell GmbH, shared that it was an exceptionally well-organized event on industrial screen printing. “The auditorium was filled with leading printing specialists focusing on innovative screen printing applications. Screen printing truly shines in the field of film insert moulding, enabling the production of visually striking and optimally protected automotive trim panels. Chemical-resistant, abrasion-resistant and scratch-resistant screen printed protective lacquers are also a key strength of screen printing technology. We at Proell were delighted to present these innovative printing systems to our Indian partners for any kind of screen printing ink solutions required.”
Param Brahmbhatt, Skyscreen International (P) Ltd., Mumbai, opined, “Seminar was very well organized and truly contributed to growth of the industry in a professional manner. The speakers delivered their sessions very well and the overall event was both helpful and informative. We definitely need more such seminars, as they provide great value to the industry. Congratulations to the SGAI team for making the event a great success.”
