Interviews

Epson drives evolution of printing industry in India towards sustainability

Epson’s EcoTank printers using Heat-Free Technology and refillable ink bottles have helped shift the printing industry towards a cost-effective, sustainable, and energy-efficient printing solution, says Siva Kumar – Senior General Manager, Inkjet Printers, Epson. Edited experts from the interview:

 

Describe the journey of Epson in India. And what does the future hold for Epson? 

Epson is a global leader in digital imaging and printing solutions and just recently celebrated its 80th Anniversary of existence. In India, Epson has had a remarkable journey since its inception in the year 2000. Last year Epson India clocked a turnover of Rs. 2,230 Crore. We started small but have been pioneers and innovators and were the first to introduce several new products to the Indian market including Projectors, Billing printers and Dot Matrix printers in the initial years. We built a market where none existed for some of these products. We also innovated to completely change certain categories. A classic example of this is Inkjet printers where we introduced the concept of Inktank printing to this country (and the world).

Over the years, we have established ourselves as a leading provider of innovative and sustainable technology solutions in India, catering to the diverse needs of individuals, businesses, and institutions. The journey in India has been marked by a strong focus on technology innovation, customer satisfaction, and sustainability, through several cutting-edge products. Epson India today has an enviable reputation for quality and value. Today we market and support Epson Inkjet Printers, Inkjet All-in-Ones, Point of Sale Printers, 3LCD Projectors, Scanners, Large Format Printers, Robots, Textile Printers, Label Printers and Dot-Matrix Printers. In all of these categories, Epson is either the No. 1 or No. 2 brand in India and growing fast. The future looks extremely exciting. We will continue to extend our efforts to every possible facet of product design and production to ensure we combine sustainability with technological innovation.

We are deeply committed to finding sustainable solutions that enrich the planet and our communities. Cutting down emissions, going carbon-negative and underground-resource-free through compact, efficient and precision technologies – is Epson’s plan. It’s also pivotal to our Environment Vision 2050. From inkjet printing that uses energy-efficient Heat-Free Technology to streamlining operations in labour-intensive spaces with advanced robots. From preventing ink and water wastage in the fabric industry with digital printers to creating a paper recycler that turns wastepaper into new paper using a virtually dry process, sustainability is ingrained in everything and will be the driving force of our efforts.

 

How has the printer industry evolved in India? And what role has technology played in this evolution?

The printing industry has evolved significantly in the last decade. Epson has been driving this evolution. One that has been beneficial not only for home and office users but also for the environment. Traditionally, ink cartridge printers were used for home printing, while laser printers were used for office printing. Consumers were fed up with having to pay exorbitant amounts for ink cartridges and consequently for each print. They were also unhappy with the frequency with which ink cartridges needed to be changed.

In 2011 Epson decided to completely change the market dynamic. We launched our EcoTank printers featuring an integrated ink tank system with refillable ink, which guaranteed a radical improvement in cost efficiency with per-page print costs which no other printer could offer. High-yield Ink Bottles helped users avoid the inconvenience of running out of ink in the middle of printing and having to frequently buy ink cartridges. In addition to being economical EcoTank printers also consume less power and are therefore more environmentally friendly.

Epson’s Heat-Free Technology used in these EcoTank printers is designed to eliminate heat from the printing process, which reduces power consumption and extends the life of the printer. The cartridges used in traditional printers also create a lot of e-waste. EcoTank printers, on the other hand, use refillable ink bottles, which means that there is less waste generated. Consequently, over 75% of the inkjet market, today has shifted to Inktank printers. Epson went from being No 3 in this market to No 1 in a few short years. We have held this position for many years, with 39.3% market share (as per IDC in CY2022) currently. Home and commercial users were the first to shift.

Now office and business users who have conventionally used laser printers are shifting to EcoTank printers. Overall, this massive shift towards EcoTank printers is a positive development for consumers as well as the environment. These printers offer a cost-effective, sustainable, and energy-efficient printing solution that is suitable for a wide range of applications.

 

Laser printers have dominated the printer industry for a long time. Recently, the industry adopted Inkjet Printers over Laser Printers. In fact, your company Epson recently moved to end the global sale of Laser Printers. What was the rationale behind this move?

Over the years, Epson has made a significant commitment towards developing sustainable technologies. In 2021, we announced a ¥100 billion investment over ten years towards developing sustainable technologies, and this commitment is reinforced by the decision to end the sale and distribution of laser printer hardware in the remaining Asian and European markets by 2026.

In India and many other countries, Epson stopped the sale of Laser printers over a decade ago. We’ve long been committed to sustainable inkjet technology and have now decided to phase out sales of laser printer hardware worldwide. As a company, we’re committed to sustainable innovation and action, and our Micro-Piezo Inkjet technology simply uses less energy and fewer consumable parts.

While laser printers work by heating and fusing toner to a page, Epson’s Heat-Free inkjet technology consumes less electricity by using mechanical energy to fire ink onto the page. Heat-Free Printing technology is a revolutionary technology that helps consume less power, as compared to Laser printers, thereby saving money and the environment. Therefore, we believe the future of printing will be driven by our revolutionary Heat-Free Micro-Piezo printing technology.

 

How are technology and innovation at the core of Epson’s R&D?

Epson was founded in Japan, a nation blessed with outstanding natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Our commitment to protecting such abundant gifts for future generations has never wavered. We pay close attention to social issues and dedicate ourselves to addressing them, as our timely elimination of chlorofluorocarbons makes clear. Underpinning everything we do is the philosophy of efficient, compact, precise innovation. After all, bigger is not always better. We firmly believe that energy-saving solutions, space-saving innovation, and ultra-high precision help to protect the natural environment and enrich communities. With our philosophy of efficient, compact, precise innovation, we deliver more meaningful value that enriches lives and helps create a better world.

 

Which are the key markets for Epson in India? What is your plan to expand your presence in Tier 1 and 2 cities?

To ensure consistency in our marketing and product positioning, we have adopted a uniform approach across India, as the potential for our products is spread evenly throughout the country. Every market and every consumer is important to us. Our channel expansion strategy currently focuses primarily on upcountry markets to expand our reach. Here we target small IT retail outlets regardless of their monthly sales potential. This approach allows customers to easily obtain the necessary information and products from nearby IT retail outlets, enabling them to make quick purchase decisions. We actively engage in channel activities to establish relationships with T1 and T2 IT retailers. We aim to achieve a more even distribution of our products across India, which is why we encourage our 1st Tier distribution partners to reach out to remote locations and smaller retail outlets.

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