Kerala boasts a big sign manufacturing industry, which provides jobs to over five lakh people through direct and indirect employments. The state has more than 2,500 small, medium and large signage printers and manufacturers. It is a fact that some cities/states, like Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Mangalore and Mumbai have imposed ban on flex. In this, Kerala was the first to impose the ban on flex printing and use of flex for displays in 2005. As a result, hundreds of small and medium printers in the state went bankrupt and many thousands lost jobs. In the same year, few of the veterans in the industry decided to work on the issue and they formed Digital Printers Association of Kerala (DIPAK), demanding the government for recycle units of flex prints.
In 2009 another organisation from Thrichur under the name of Flex Printing Owners Association was formed. In the following year, before the assembly election the ban on flex printing was imposed again. Then both the organisations jointly filed a petition in the high court of Kerala and got the ban vacated. They celebrated the victory and decided to merge under the name of Sign Printing Industries Association of Kerala (SPIA) for the good of the trade and unity. Now the association has all the sign manufacturers and digital printers from all over Kerala under a united umbrella body. On May 7-9, 2018, SPIA is organising a convention and exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram. For derail, contact at: 9847061077/9895398053.
