Toyo Ink India, part of the Artience Group, presented its ink technologies at Printpack 2025 in Greater Noida. Science and Innovation were the company’s theme, which launched its mineral oil-free inks in the economical, middle, and premium segments at the show. Cobalt and heavy metal-free the new inks are meant to fulfill sustainability requirements, according to Inderjit Singh Aidhen, business unit head (offset and flexo division) of the company.
Toyo Inks also launched pressroom chemical products. Aidhen said the company has a plant in Malaysia that produces, IPA, washes, and press maintenance products. “We have very good partners in inks, and now we want to support them with pressroom chemistry and pressroom maintenance products,” he added.
The company’s other launches were UV LED inkjet inks, solvent-based inkjet inks, and eco-solvent-based inkjet inks for signage and large-format printing. “UV flexo is a growing market in India. We are very strong in this segment with our head office in Japan and we are studying the UV flexo market,” he said.
Toyo announced a strategic partnership with Weldon Celloplast for UV flexo inks in the label industry. Announced on Day 1 of Printpack, the collaboration aims to deliver advanced solutions for label customers in the Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Under the guidance of Harveer Sahni, a label industry veteran, this partnership combines Weldon Celloplast’s market expertise with Toyo Ink India’s UV Flexo technology. “Toyo Ink is a respected brand. It needs a calibrated push to promote its product (UV flexo inks) in India and we are happy to associate with them. This is the first ink brand we have collaborated with. Our offerings to the Indian label industry will become more elaborate,” Sahni told Packaging South Asia.
“In my 25 years of experience in inks, I have seen that you need to have the right channel partner. As an ink manufacturer, you need to have a strong distributor who has established relationships with printers,” Aidhen said.
Rebranding as Artience
Toyo Ink, founded in 1896, completed 128 years in 2024, Aidhen said, adding the company had a legacy for over 100 years and wanted to take it to the next 100 years. Hence, it came up with a new branding – Artience, which combines the words art and science, implying a creative and scientific culture and way of doing things.
“We wanted to do more research-based products,” he said, adding that few are aware that only 50% of Toyo Ink’s products are printing inks. The remaining 50% has coatings, adhesives, masterbatches, lithium battery dispersions, and mobile flat panel displays, he said, adding the company wants to diversify into many new segments and that is how the concept of Artience came in.
Artience has been well-received in the market and the company wants to empower new talent and the younger generation. That is how Artience is being promoted in India and worldwide, he said.
Production plants
Toyo Ink India has two plants in the country. The first one in Greater Noida started in 2009, manufactures rotogravure inks, sheetfed offset inks, UV offset, UV flexo, water-based flexo, and inkjet inks. The second plant, located in Dahej in Gujarat, manufactures rotogravure inks, offset inks, pressure-sensitive adhesives, and masterbatches.
In the offset inks market, Toyo Ink India has a 25-30% share in the Indian market and is producing and supplying more than 700 tons of inks across India.
Sustainability agenda
Toyo Ink uses 37% renewable energy, including solar and wind, he said. The company’s carbon footprint used to be 900 kg for one metric ton of ink production, which has drastically come down to 230 kg per metric ton of production, mainly because of the recent investments in renewable energy.
Water harvesting has increased over the last five years and water consumption per kg has dropped by 16%, Aidhen said.
“A lot of women work in our quality control department and we are hiring women in the marketing and sales division as well,” he said, adding the company believes in empowering people.
Exports and plans
The Toyo Group has a presence in 47 countries, Aidhen said, adding it has Group companies in Europe, West Asia, Australia, and South Africa. “We are exporting more than 100 tons of offset inks from India to these countries,” he said.
‘UV flexo is our main area of growth. We are doing well in the sheetfed offset segment. We want to grow in the signage industry for inkjet printing. Our key areas of growth are liquid inks, water-based gravure inks, PVC-free inks, and NTNK (non-toluene non-ketone) inks,” he said while speaking about the company’s plans.
