October 20, 2004 -- NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies has received an $180,000 matching grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Market Development Cooperator Program for a three-year program to promote U.S. exports and the benefits of American technology in India and South Asia.  The grant was announced October 10 at a news conference on NPES international initiatives during GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 04.  The project will help small and medium size U.S. manufacturers to gain better access and expanded trade in the region.  NPES and participating member companies will match the grant with $360,000 of funding and services. “The Indian economy is quickly growing to become one of the world’s top three markets by 2020,” said NPES President Regis J. Delmontagne, “but Indian trade barriers and international competition have restricted the export business potential of this market for small and medium U.S. manufacturers, who make up the bulk of NPES membership. This grant will enable us to work with the Department of Commerce and the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service offices in India to continue trade liberalization, improve access for U.S. companies and promote the benefits of U.S. technologies to the Indian printing, publishing and converting industry.” Len Heimowitz, Supervisory Team Leader of the Machinery Team, Office of Materials and Machinery Manufacturing and Services, U.S. Department of Commerce, noted that NPES was one of only seven organizations to receive a Market Development Cooperator Program award, chosen from more than 40 applicants.  Project activities will include: · Opening the first U.S. trade association office in India · Creating a web site · Organizing country-wide seminars and a 2007 national conference and exhibition on the theme “Profiting from American Printing Technologies in an Open Market” · Staging USA Pavilion exhibits featuring the technologies of small and medium sized manufacturers in Indian trade shows · Bringing Indian buying delegations to PRINT 05 and CONVERTINGSM 05. The Indian printing industry includes 130,000 businesses employing 1.3 million people and with sales worth $US10.82 billion in 2002-2003. For several years, printing industry growth has outpaced that of India’s gross domestic product, which has increased at a rate of 6 percent. Indian purchases of graphic arts equipment in 2002-2003 totaled US$185.6 million, including $US115 million in imports. U.S exports have been growing, and Delmontagne predicted that the new project could help U.S. manufacturers increase their export sales to the region to $US 50 million within five years.