AIFMP Steps Up Campaign for Printing Industry Status
04 August 2026: The All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) met Union Minister Harsh Malhotra on May 28, 2026, to raise concerns affecting printing and packaging businesses. The meeting took place as the federation continued its wider campaign for formal printing industry status. The delegation was led by AIFMP President C. Ravinder Reddy and included immediate past president Satish Malhotra and other federation representatives.
Harsh Malhotra is Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Corporate Affairs. He said the discussions covered issues concerning the printing and packaging sector, particularly the inverted duty structure on paper and packaging materials and its effect on growth, competitiveness and ease of doing business.
A wider campaign for industry status
The meeting came amid AIFMP’s wider campaign for formal industry status for printing and packaging. Speaking at PrintWeek’s Leaders & Legends 2026 event, Reddy said such recognition would give the sector greater visibility and credibility, improve access to finance, support technology upgrades and help policymakers understand its place in Indian manufacturing. AIFMP represents businesses across commercial printing, packaging conversion, labels, publishing, books and security printing. AIFMP brings together more than 80 associations and over 250,000 printing and packaging units, many of them MSMEs.
Why recognition matters
The federation argues that treating printing businesses mainly as separate MSMEs leaves the sector without a clear collective identity in policy discussions. It is also pressing for better industry data covering employment, exports, manufacturing and tax contributions.
AIFMP says formal recognition could help the sector ….
– Secure better access to finance;
– Invest in newer machinery and technology;
– Address tax and duty-structure concerns;
– Improve its visibility in industrial policy; and
– Build a stronger case for government support.
The May 28 meeting confirmed that these concerns had reached the Union minister. AIFMP will continue discussions with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and other policymakers.
