East Zone Talents Shine in Print Olympiad 2026: First Round Successfully Concludes on Virtual Platform

The East Zone First Round of the highly anticipated 7th Edition of Print Olympiad 2026 – India’s premier national talent hunt in printing and packaging technology – was conducted with great enthusiasm and precision on 28 February 2026 at 3:00 p.m. (IST) via a virtual platform. Organized by the Offset Printers Association (OPA), this flagship initiative continues to bridge academia and industry by identifying and nurturing exceptional young talent. The event drew spirited participation from eligible students across reputed institutions in the East Zone, underscoring the rising interest in skill-based competitions within printing and packaging education.
The programme began with an inspiring introduction to the Print Olympiad vision by Prof. Madhura Mahajan, Chief Coordinator, who emphasized its role in fostering excellence and professional readiness. Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra, Project Chairman, delivered the welcome address, reaffirming OPA’s unwavering commitment to advancing printing education, skill enhancement, and global competitiveness. East Zone Coordinators Shankhya Debnath (Regional Institute of Printing Technology, Kolkata) and Beer Bahadur Singh (Government Polytechnic, Patna-7) extended their appreciation for the strong mobilization by institutions and faculty.
The event was graced by distinguished Guests of Honour Dr. Ram Nath Choudhary and Dr. Tanweer Alam, who motivated participants to treat the competition as a profound learning journey. They highlighted the inseparable link between printing and packaging, noting, “Printing is an integral part of packaging, and packaging cannot be possible without print.” They also invited students and faculty to the 6th International Summit for Packaging at IIP Delhi.
A panel of eminent judges –A K Sinha, Prof. Diptendu Chowdhury, Hemanta Kumar Mishra, Anish Kumar Gupta, and Ashutosh Upadhyay – ensured fair and rigorous evaluation. Chief Guest Deepak Walia, Managing Director, MAN Roland, delivered an empowering address, stressing competence-driven education and adaptability in a fast-evolving, technology-led printing landscape. He remarked, “The world is changing. Print is changing. And if students wish to lead tomorrow’s industry, they must evolve with these changing times.”
The online MCQ-based examination, seamlessly coordinated by Technical Coordinator Dr. TKS Lakshmi Priya, commenced at 4:10 p.m. and concluded efficiently, reflecting excellent discipline and organization. Results were proudly announced by Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra: Shubham Kumar (Government Polytechnic, Patna), Ruchi Kumari (Government Polytechnic, Patna) and Harshit Chakraborty (Jadavpur University, Kolkata) The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks by Anubhava Shiksharthi, Advisor, Print Olympiad, and Ashwani Gupta, President, AIFPP, who expressed gratitude to all dignitaries, coordinators, judges, institutions, faculty, students, and the technical team. This milestone success in the East Zone reinforces Print Olympiad 2026 as a credible national platform for shaping future leaders in printing and packaging. The Final Round to select the Top Print Student for the East Zone is scheduled to take place in Patna on 19 March 2026.