Profile Overview
Digital printing has emerged as an alternative printing method that offers minimal order quantities (MOQs) and faster turnaround times. The So,Coffee? team spoke with Hewlett-Packard’s Indigo & Inkjet team, as well as the Atal Incubation Center team, to explore the business and environmental benefits of choosing digital printing in a constantly evolving market.
Anyone who has been on a road trip in India knows that roadside vendors selling everything from snacks to souvenirs is a common sight. For Appadurai A., Country Business Manager of HP’s Indigo & Inkjet Business Solutions, one such stop along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway turned unexpectedly memorable.
He noticed a shopkeeper selling almonds in plain transparent packets, prices scrawled in marker - ₹45 a pack. Appadurai, carrying samples of custom-printed packaging, offered the vendor 500 festive pouches for free, on the condition that he would consider buying more later. Initially hesitant, the shopkeeper agreed.
Soon, the same almonds—now in bright pouches with a simple “Happy Diwali” message—were selling at ₹90 and flying off the shelves twice as fast.
“That Diwali message probably made people feel it was a fresh, festive batch,” Appadurai said. “But what I loved most, he went around telling other vendors to try custom packaging too. He was trying to upgrade the whole market!”
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and that has become true for the print and packaging industry in India. As the specialty coffee scene in the country grows rapidly, a new wave of coffee entrepreneurs are recognising that packaging is just as important as the coffee inside.
Beyond preserving the freshness of coffee, good packaging is also a powerful form of storytelling, conveying the purpose and value of the people and processes behind every bean.
Digital printing has become the next solution for brands with the least MOQs possible
HP Indigo Division, a part of HP Inc.'s Graphic Solutions Business, is collaborating with the Atal Incubation Center of Coffee Board of India to quietly power a new way of presenting and perceiving coffee in India.
Founded in 1977, Indigo was an Israel-based company later acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2001. Team So,Coffee? caught up with Mr Appadurai and Praveen H J, CEO of Atal Incubation Center of Coffee Board of India, Bangalore, to understand how both HP and Coffee Board of India are giving a facelift to the new coffee brands of India.
For Mr. Appadurai, a good packaging is also a strong medium of storytelling
Mr Praveen believes that a good packaging increases the market competence of products.
Printing Exactly What You Need
The Indian coffee landscape has evolved from bulk commodity exports to a flourishing network of micro-roasters, estate-grown beans, and farm-to-cup experiences. However, scaling is still a critical barrier for many of these emerging brands.
Traditional packaging methods demand large minimum order quantities (MOQS), often thousands of pouches. For boot-strapped companies, the economy of this scale is not viable since it means locking capital into inventory they may not need for months or years. Moreover, it limits their agility in branding and communication. In contrast, digital printing allows them to adopt an approach where they reduce the scale and save more.
Today’s consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, look for personalisation with value for aesthetics, sustainability, and rapid responsiveness to trends.
“Battles of products are fought on supermarket shelves. Packaging was a common issue among a lot of our incubated startups at Atal Incubation Center. They had great products, but due to poor packaging, they couldn’t meet the expectations of the market and had a tough time competing with bigger brands,” said Mr. Praveen.
In a world where product life cycles have shrunk to as little as six months, the need for packaging that can adapt and scale dynamically has never been greater. Realising the potential of digital printing, Mr Praveen’s team reached out to HP Indigo to eliminate these bottlenecks for coffee startups of Atal Incubation Center. With no need for printing plates or cylinders, brands can now print packaging in runs as low as one unit, without compromising on quality.
“The whole process of making a plate, engraving a cylinder, and using the plate to print is now changed to digital. Printing presses that use offset printing often force companies to print more while the world is asking to print less and whatever is necessary for the environment,” Mr. Appadurai said.
“We’re helping companies fight for the same shelf space as the Unilevers of the world.”
Naipal Singh of HP India addressing the first workshop at Coffee Board AIC on packaging challenges and digital packaging solutions.
Sustainable Packaging Strategy with the Coffee Board
Recognising the potential of this technology in India’s coffee sector, HP Indigo forged a partnership with the Coffee Board of India. The goal is to bring digital packaging to small and mid-sized coffee growers and roasters who have high-quality coffee but do not have access to premium packaging.
Coffee brands working through the Coffee Board now have access to short-run, high-quality digital packaging, consulting on design and material choices, and support with distribution.
Digital printing has benefits beyond the commercial ones. Traditional printing methods rely heavily on water, chemicals, and physical plates and end up releasing toxic wastes.
By contrast, HP Indigo’s process is Carbon dioxide neutral, uses minimal water, and produces minimal waste. HP Indigo Electroinks have been assessed per the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and relevant food additive regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The findings indicate that these inks are suitable for printing on the non-contact side of food packaging.
“Moreover, our printing methods do not require huge energy for drying the print, unlike other methods,” Mr Appadurai added.
In an independent life cycle assessment (LCA) study by EarthShift Global, for a run of 3,000 coffee pouches, HP Indigo’s digital printing was found to be approximately 60% more sustainable than conventional printing methods.
Their machines can also print on biodegradable and compostable materials, opening up opportunities for eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Mr Praveen (L) and Mr Appadurai (R) guiding a silent yet powerful revolution in the packaging industry, one coffee startup at a time.
Packaging as a Storytelling Medium
Perhaps the most powerful shift is psychological. With HP Indigo, every package becomes a powerful mode of storytelling.
Coffee brands can rotate designs for seasons, holidays, or even highlight individual farmer stories—putting a face to the product and drawing a direct emotional connection with consumers.
Up-and-coming coffee brands can test different packaging designs simultaneously to see what consumers gravitate toward, helping them better to recognise their market fit.
As Mr Appadurai put it, “Today, your packaging can be your best salesperson.”
