UK-based Sandon Global Engraving Technology is strengthening its presence in India’s growing flexible packaging market, focusing on product consistency, process control and technical support, managing director Richard Millington said at the Elite Plus flexible packaging summit 2026 in Mumbai in August.
Founded about 22 years ago, Sandon Global has built its business around high-quality engraving technology and a strong service offering, according to Millington. “We always try to bring in people who are knowledgeable about flexo.”
Millington said the company’s approach goes beyond investing in advanced engraving equipment. Quality control at each stage of the manufacturing process plays a central role.
“A lot of anilox manufacturers get a little lost in ‘I have the best laser’,” he said. “The most important thing is control and understanding what makes a high-quality product.”
He said coating technology was particularly important to achieving consistent product performance. Sandon Global has strengthened its technical capabilities in this area through its specialist team, which included Siddhartha, a metallurgy expert from Chennai who has been with the company for about three years and works extensively on coating development.
The company sees India as an important growth market as the country’s flexible packaging and flexographic printing industries expand.
“The Indian market is enormous for us,” Millington said. “You only have to drive from the hotel to the exhibition centre to see how alive and bustling India is. The market and the economy are growing, and so it is very, very important to a business like us that we are here.”
He said flexographic printing remained a growing segment in India and that Sandon Global was focused on establishing the right foundations for long-term growth.
“It is very important for us that we are laying the correct foundations for a business in the Indian market,” Millington said. “Again, I come back to high quality and service and support.”
He highlighted the role of Tinku Sharma, sales manager – India, Middle East and Africa at Sandon Global, in developing the company’s regional business. Millington said Sharma’s knowledge of printing and the company’s products, along with his established relationships within the industry, made him an important part of Sandon Global’s strategy in India and Asia.
Sharma said the Elite Plus summit provided the company with an opportunity to meet key industry decision-makers and assess market trends.
“This is a wonderful show for us as we can meet all the leaders and businesses in the flexible packaging industry,” Sharma said. “It gives us a direction for what we can anticipate for next year.”
Sandon Global’s participation comes as Indian flexible packaging converters and printers increasingly focus on improving print quality, process consistency and production efficiency.
Millington said the company intended to differentiate itself through a combination of technology, manufacturing controls and after-sales support rather than focusing solely on individual equipment capabilities.
“The most important thing is control and understanding what makes a high-quality product,” he said.
The company is looking to build on its growing engagement with the Indian market through technical expertise and local support as flexographic printing continues to expand across the country’s flexible packaging sector.
