Loupe India presents flex pack opportunities

Andy Thomas-Emans, strategic director at Loupe Global (formerly Labelexpo Global Series), looks at the growth of narrow/mid-web flexible packaging technology at Loupe India 2026 (formerly Labelexpo India) and the opportunities it presents to label converters.
 
Short-run flexible packaging technology has firmly established itself alongside the core labels element of Loupe India 2026. This closely follows the trend seen at Labelexpo shows over the last 12 years and at the recent Loupe Americas 2026 (formerly Labelexpo Americas) show.
 
Loupe India 2026 demonstrates how narrow and mid-web technology developed for label production is being used to convert flexible packaging materials. By flexible packaging, we mean primarily shrink sleeves and pouches, as well as films for form-fill-seal, stickpacks and sachets.
 
The growth of flexible packaging at Labelexpo, now Loupe, follows the development of wider digital and in-line flexo presses. In-line flexo presses configured for flexible packaging are typically in the 26in/670mm width range, while the HP Indigo 200K is 30in/762mm wide. Flexible packaging is still feasible on narrower web presses, but the larger format size of flexible packs compared to labels does favor the wider web width.
 
Flexo presses printing flexible packaging will often be configured with extended drier stations to handle water-based coatings and may also include in-line lamination modules.
 
More commonly, lamination is handled off-line, and at Labelexpo, now Loupe shows, we have seen the development of mid-web width laminators to cover this growing market. In some cases, laminators have been fitted with digital embellishment units to allow tactile finishes to be applied.
 
Label converters can apply their existing skillsets in digital and in-line flexo/offset label printing to flexible packaging. The big knowledge gap that needs to be filled is in materials. Unlike labels, flexible packaging is the direct product container, so the label converter must understand factors including barrier properties, migration regulations, the properties of different multi-lamination layers, sealing properties and web tension.
 
But the effort is worth it. Label converters have been able to create entirely new businesses in short- run, value-added flexible packaging that fully complements, and indeed strengthens, their label business.
 
Using their agile mentality, label converters can offer a niche service where wide-web flexible packaging converters struggle to compete: short-run, multi-SKU, customized, value-added, short lead-time, rapid response.
 
Loupe India 2026 is where this technology can be seen in action.
 
India is one of the fastest-growing global packaging markets, helped by rising consumer spending power, high-paced industrialization and the expansion of e-commerce.
 
India’s annual flexible packaging output is well over 5 million tons, consisting overwhelmingly of commodity film produced at a low unit cost on wide-web gravure and CI flexo presses.
 
But in today’s fast-paced consumer environment, packaging requirements have become more fragmented across food, personal care, healthcare and online retail. Today, the ability to switch quickly and efficiently between formats and specifications can be more important than pure output.
 
This is particularly the case with the rise of ‘challenger’ brands onto the Indian consumer market, where the requirement is for eye-catching designs, innovative formats and short runs matched by short lead times. This is the perfect territory for label converters adopting flexible packaging on mid-web flexo or digital presses.
 
Continuing innovation in coating technologies gives label converters additional opportunities for differentiation. Specialist films now offer, for example, better barrier protection without adding more lamination layers, design for recycling and greater use of post-consumer recycled content.
 
Building technical depth around niche applications presents the opportunity for success in a sector still dominated by commodity films.

Flexible packaging is already strongly embedded at Loupe India 2026.

Suppliers of shrink sleeve and flexible packaging films at the show include Addon Filmtech, Cosmo Films, Chiripal Poly Films and Prakash Shrink Pack.
 
UPM promotes its fiber-based flexible packaging materials alongside its labels portfolio, including the latest developments in barrier coated materials.
 
Siegwerk recently developed a high-barrier mono-layer PP pouch solution with Enplanter. This technology won the Labels & Labeling Sustainability award at the recent Loupe Americas 2026 show.
 
There are also a range of converting machinery suppliers at the show including DCM showcasing its shrink sleeve converting and flexible packaging laminating equipment.
 
Many of the press suppliers at Loupe India 2026 have machines in their production programs specified for flexible packaging, and some will be demonstrating flexible packaging printing on the show floor.
 
Multitec has helped pioneer mid-web printing of flexible packaging both in India and in international markets centered around its S3S 670mm/26in-wide press, which will be exhibited at Loupe India 2026 in an 8-color configuration. Its narrower-web machines are also flexpack-capable, with an 8-color 430mm-wide S2 on the show floor printing both labels and unsupported film materials.

Multitec CEO Amit Ahuja said: 'The flexible packaging market in India is entering an interesting phase. Volumes continue to grow, but at the same time the nature of the job is changing. Brand owners are introducing more SKUs, changing designs more frequently and looking for faster turnaround. This is creating a growing requirement for shorter and medium-length production runs alongside the traditional long-run business.

'Gravure and CI flexo will continue to have an important place in flexible packaging, particularly for long-run production. But there is now a growing space between conventional long-run production and digital, and I believe highly automated mid-web in-line flexo has a very strong role to play in that space.'

Webtech demonstrates its 720mm-wide Aeroflex S5 quad servo sleeve press, specifically engineered for the flexible packaging industry at Loupe India 2026. The company also shows its 520mm-wide Aeroflex S4 full servo sleeve press, printing both labels and flexible packaging applications.
 
Other flexo press manufacturers with flexible packaging capable machines in their programs include Wanjie India, a joint venture between Wanjie and Ahmedabad-based Bipiin Offset. The company has developed a 560mm-wide press, the WJPS Advanced 560, a shaftless intermittent roll-to-roll offset press engineered for both labels and flexible packaging.
 
NBG has a wide-web (over 1 meter) in-line press in its portfolio dedicated to flexible packaging as well as mono cartons and board. The Printers House also manufactures presses specified for flexible packaging.
 
Spande has the well-established AC-series mid-web press in its product portfolio, in widths from 700-900mm.
 
Omet is well known for its flexible packaging capable presses, including the long-established mid-web Varyflex V2 and the 26in XFlex X7.
 
On the digital side, HP Indigo has developed its 200K press specifically for flexible packaging and shrink sleeves, and at Loupe India 2026 will demonstrate a narrow-web HP Indigo 6K+ printing both labels and flexible packaging.
 
Flint Group Digital Xeikon now has the capability to print flexible packaging materials using its TX500 equipped with Titon toner technology on the TX500 press.
 
In addition to these manufacturers, the show floor at Loupe India 2026 is packed with suppliers of a wide range of consumables directly applicable to flexible packaging, such as inks and coatings, plates and anilox and testing equipment.
 
Although labels remain at the core of Loupe India 2026, there is no doubt that mid-web flexible packaging will continue to develop as a fantastic growth opportunity for label converters.