Spectalpack’s digitally printed flexible pouches

Spectalpack, the digital printing vertical of Bengaluru-based Champion Packaging, a leading flexible packaging converter in southern India, showcased its range of digitally printed stand-up and flat-bottom pouches at Aahar 2025 in New Delhi. The event provided the company with a platform to highlight the advantages of digital printing, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses seeking cost-effective and flexible packaging solutions.

At the event, Spectalpack’s regional sales manager Soham De, emphasized the company’s ability to provide packaging materials for brands requiring low minimum order quantities (MOQs). “The addition of the HP Indigo press has enabled us to deliver packaging solutions with minimal turnaround times and extremely low MOQs. This is ideal for startups and businesses that are hesitant to invest heavily in large packaging volumes,” De said.

Since our last visit to the Bengaluru plant in September 2024, Spectalpack has added a flat-bottom pouching machine, a spouting machine, and an extrusion-coating lamination machine. Aman Bachhawat, co-founder and director of Spectalpack, explained that the company is witnessing a growing preference for flat-bottom pouches over stand-up pouches.

“We are expanding heavily in flat-bottom pouches as products such as coffee and pet food are moving away from stand-up designs. Flat-bottom pouches offer better shelf visibility and stronger branding opportunities,” he added.

Bachhawat highlighted how digital printing is transforming the packaging landscape, particularly for brands offering multiple SKUs. Unlike traditional gravure printing for flexible packaging, which requires significant setup costs and larger print runs, digital printing is more economical for small-batch production.

“Many health food, coffee, and snack brands are choosing digital printing for their initial product launches. One of our clients recently introduced a new SKU using digital printing. After the market response is evaluated over a year or two, the brand plans to transition to gravure printing for mass production,” he explained.

Bachhawat suggested that digital printing offers startups an edge by providing access to premium packaging. “Startups are eager to create eye-catching packaging to differentiate themselves. With digital printing, they can include up to eight colors on their packaging without incurring the high costs associated with gravure printing,” he said.

He noted that in the past, brands often resorted to stickers on their packaging for minor product updates or promotions. Now, digital printing eliminates that need by offering fully customized pouches. “We are the enablers of packaging, helping small companies compete with big brands through high-quality, professional packaging,” Bachhawat said.

He highlighted brand owner, So Coffee, which prints stories of individuals on its packaging. Each pouch features a QR code that directs consumers to the brand’s website, where they can read the complete story. Every month, another individual’s story is featured. “The team at So Coffee is replacing magazines with pouches.”

Connecting with startups at Aahar 2025

For Spectalpack, Aahar 2025 was not only an opportunity to showcase its products but also to connect with new startups exploring packaging solutions. De said the company engaged with several brands looking for innovative ways to enhance their packaging. “We met some of our existing customers planning to launch new SKUs. They were eager to explore our latest packaging solutions,” De said.