Flexo & Gravure Flexible Packaging Presses — India Guide
Every major flexible packaging press brand in India — Windmöller & Hölscher, Comexi, PCMC, Bobst, Uteco. Wide-web CI flexo and rotogravure presses for food pouches, snack film, detergent sachets, laminated packaging, and pharmaceutical blister foil.
India's flexible packaging market is one of the fastest-growing in the world — driven by the shift from rigid glass and metal containers to lightweight plastic pouches and films across food, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and household products. Every packet of chips, biscuit, noodle, detergent sachet, shampoo pouch, and medical blister pack is produced on a wide-web flexo or gravure press. Key India flexible packaging clusters: Daman & Silvassa (largest concentration of flexible packaging plants in India), Ahmedabad (pharma and food packaging), Mumbai (FMCG and personal care), Delhi NCR (food, snacks, household), Hyderabad (pharma), Noida/Greater Noida (food and personal care). The two dominant printing technologies are CI (central impression) flexo and rotogravure — each with distinct advantages explained below.
- All print stations wrap around a single central drum
- Perfect register on thin, stretchy films
- Faster makeready than gravure — fewer impressions for setup
- Lower plate cost than gravure cylinders
- Better for medium runs (50,000–500,000m)
- Growing rapidly in India, especially for FMCG and food
- Key brands: W&H, Comexi, PCMC, Uteco, Mark Andy
- Ink transferred from engraved copper cylinder cells
- Outstanding print quality — fine tones, metallics, gradients
- Higher cylinder cost (₹20,000–60,000 per colour per job)
- Best for very long runs (500,000m+) where quality is paramount
- Standard for India's FMCG packaging (HUL, Nestlé, ITC)
- Dominant technology in India's established flexible packaging industry
- Key brands: W&H, Bobst, Uteco, Indian gravure press makers
Windmöller & Hölscher (always abbreviated W&H) was founded in 1869 in Lengerich, Germany and is today one of the world's leading manufacturers of machinery for the production and processing of flexible packaging. W&H makes CI flexo presses, gravure presses, extrusion lines, and bag-making machines. In India, W&H is the most aspirational flexible packaging press brand — their MIRAFLEX CI flexo and HELIOSTAR gravure presses are installed at India's most quality-focused flexible packaging converters. W&H India has been active since the 1990s with a strong direct sales and service presence. W&H India ↗
| Model | Technology | Web width | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W&H MIRAFLEX II / MIRAFLEX AM ★★★ India CI flexo premium | CI flexo (8–10 colours) | 820–1650mm | The benchmark CI flexo press in India. MIRAFLEX II is found at India's top-tier flexible packaging converters producing premium food, personal care, and pharmaceutical packaging. The MIRAFLEX AM (automated makeready) reduces changeover time significantly — critical for India's growing medium-run flexible packaging market. New: ₹8–18 crore. Official ↗ | Current |
| W&H HELIOSTAR gravure ★★ India premium gravure | Rotogravure (8–10 colours) | 820–1650mm | Premium gravure press for India's FMCG flexible packaging sector — HUL, Nestlé, ITC packaging suppliers. Outstanding print quality for complex gradients and fine details. Official ↗ | Current |
| W&H ASTRAFLEX (entry CI flexo) | CI flexo (6–8 colours) | 820–1350mm | Entry W&H CI flexo — more accessible price point for mid-size Indian flexible packaging converters upgrading from domestic machinery. Official ↗ | Current |
W&H India: Windmöller & Hölscher India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai. wuh-group.com/india ↗
Comexi Group was founded in 1954 in Girona, Spain and is one of Europe's most established flexible packaging machinery manufacturers. Their CI flexo presses (Comexi F2, F4), laminators, slitters, and rewinders are found at India's leading flexible packaging converters. Comexi competes directly with W&H in India at a slightly lower price point — making them attractive to Indian converters who want European quality without the W&H premium. Their India installed base has grown significantly through the 2010s. Comexi India contact ↗
| Model | Technology | Web width | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comexi F2 / F4 MC CI flexo ★★★ India CI flexo growing | CI flexo (6–10 colours) | 820–1650mm | The primary Comexi press in India. F2 and F4 MC (Maximum Control) are found at India's progressive flexible packaging converters switching from gravure to CI flexo for medium runs. Good quality, competitive pricing versus W&H. New: ₹6–14 crore. Official ↗ | Current |
| Comexi S2 laminator | Solvent-based / solventless laminator | 820–1650mm | Comexi laminators are also widely installed in India's flexible packaging sector for laminating printed films into multi-layer structures. Official ↗ | Current |
Comexi India: Represented through authorised agents. comexi.com/contact ↗
PCMC (Paper Converting Machine Company) has been manufacturing web converting machinery in Green Bay, Wisconsin since 1919. Their CI flexo presses (Fusion, Fusion C, Vector) are known for their engineering robustness and are installed at India's flexible packaging converters — particularly in the food and household products sectors. PCMC India has grown through strategic partnerships with Indian flexible packaging groups. Their Fusion series CI flexo press competes with W&H MIRAFLEX and Comexi F4 in India's mid-to-premium segment.
| Model | Technology | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCMC Fusion / Fusion C CI flexo ★★ India CI flexo | CI flexo (8–10 colour) | Found at India's packaging converters serving food and consumer goods sectors. PCMC's reputation for operator-friendly design and robust construction appeals to India's manufacturing environment. Official ↗ | Current |
Bobst — already well-known in India for folding carton die-cutters and folder-gluers — also has a significant flexible packaging press range. Their MASTER CI flexo press and EXPERT gravure press compete directly with W&H and Comexi in India's premium flexible packaging sector. Bobst flexible packaging equipment is found at India's integrated packaging groups that standardise on Bobst across multiple packaging formats.
| Model | Technology | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobst MASTER CI flexo ★★ India premium CI flexo | CI flexo (up to 10 colours) | Premium CI flexo press. Found at India's top-tier flexible packaging converters who already have Bobst folding carton equipment and want Bobst-standard quality in their flexible packaging line too. Official ↗ | Current |
| Bobst EXPERT gravure | Rotogravure (up to 10 colours) | Premium gravure for flexible packaging. Used at India's premium packaging plants for highest-quality FMCG and food packaging. Official ↗ | Current |
Bobst India flexible: Bobst India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai. bobst.com/contact ↗
India has a significant domestic gravure press manufacturing industry centred around Delhi NCR (Faridabad, Noida) and Gujarat. Indian-made gravure presses cost 4–8× less than European equivalents and dominate the SME flexible packaging sector — the thousands of small and medium flexible packaging converters that produce generic and private-label flexible packaging for India's food, household, and agricultural sectors. Quality and speed are lower than European presses, but they serve the Indian market effectively at accessible price points.
| Manufacturer | Location | Product | India market position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kohli Industries ★★★ Largest India gravure maker | Faridabad, Haryana | Rotogravure presses (4–10 colour), laminators, slitters | The largest Indian gravure press manufacturer. Kohli gravure presses are installed in hundreds of Indian flexible packaging plants. Strong service network across India. Price: ₹50 lakh–3 crore depending on configuration. Good for India's SME flexible packaging sector. |
| Pelican Rotoflex ★★ Western India | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Rotogravure presses, CI flexo, laminators | Strong in Gujarat and western India. Used by pharma and food flexible packaging converters in Ahmedabad, Baroda, and Surat. Both gravure and CI flexo ranges available. |
| Expert Peripherals / Expert Flexo | Delhi NCR / Noida | Gravure presses, CI flexo, converting equipment | North India market. Used by Delhi NCR flexible packaging SMEs. Growing quality and capability. |
| Uflex Machinery (subsidiary) | Noida, UP | Gravure presses for captive use + external sale | Uflex is India's largest flexible packaging company and manufactures some of its own machinery. Their equipment division also sells externally. |
- Uteco (Italy): ONYX CI flexo and Gemini gravure presses. Growing India presence at premium flexible packaging converters. uteco.com ↗
- Cerutti (Italy, now part of Bobst): High-quality gravure presses. Some India installations at premium FMCG packaging plants.
- Mark Andy (USA): Narrow-web CI flexo for labels and flexible packaging — covered in the Label Presses section.
- Nordmeccanica (Italy): The leading laminator brand in India — solvent-based, solventless, and water-based laminating. Found in virtually every flexible packaging plant. nordmeccanica.com ↗
- Karlville (Switzerland): Shrink sleeve converting lines — seaming, printing, and shrink tunnel systems for shrink sleeve labels. Growing India market as FMCG brands switch to shrink sleeve packaging.
| Feature | W&H MIRAFLEX II | W&H ASTRAFLEX | Comexi F4 MC | PCMC Fusion | Bobst MASTER CI | Kohli (Indian made) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | CI flexo | CI flexo (entry) | CI flexo | CI flexo | CI flexo | Gravure |
| Origin | Germany | Germany | Spain | USA | Switzerland | India |
| Max web width | 1650mm | 1350mm | 1650mm | 1400mm | 1300mm | 1000–1300mm |
| Max print colours | 10 colour | 8 colour | 10 colour | 10 colour | 10 colour | 8 colour |
| Max speed | 400m/min | 300m/min | 400m/min | 350m/min | 400m/min | 150–250m/min |
| Inline lamination | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | No |
| Automation level | Very high | High | Very high | High | Very high | Manual / semi |
| India investment | ₹8–18 crore | ₹4–9 crore | ₹6–14 crore | ₹5–12 crore | ₹8–16 crore | ₹50L–3 crore |
| Best for | Premium FMCG food packaging | Mid-size converters upgrading | Premium flexible packaging | Food / household packaging | Premium integrated converters | SME flexible packaging India |