Indian packaging market expected to reach $ 32 billion by 2020

Hyderabad, March 21, 2017: The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India to organize a two day Conference on “Inno Vision in Packaging” here in city at Hotel Kakatiya on 23rd and. 24th March.

The two day meet which will be attended by well over 300 delegates including some from countries like USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland other will be formally inaugurated on 23rd morning at 10am by Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, IT, Govt of Telangana informed Madhab Chakraborty, Joint Director of IIP Hyderabad, while addressing a pres s conference here in city on Monday.

The National Conference is organized with the support from World Packaging Organization and The Asian Packaging Federation.

The two day conference will discuss among other, Patient Centric Packaging in the Pharmaceutical Industry; Innovation in Glass Container; Safe drinking water through use of PET Bottle, a revolution in packaging “Wow’ moment; Packaging Waster Management etc added Sanjiv Jaggi, Chairman, Sub Committee of IIP.

There will be a group discussion on day two, on “Role of packaging in Make in India” added Chakravarthi AVPS, GB Member of IIP.

Adding further, Madhab Chakraborty said IIP is planning to expand. Three centers one in each at Bangalore, Guwahati and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh will be fully functional in next one to two years.

Adding further Chakravarthi spoke about edible packaging is becoming reality. Though it is not yet commercialized and in the research phase, it may become reality in next four to five years and may even go commercial. This may revolutionize the packaging as at first thought of the concept, edible packaging might incite interesting reactions like “Eating the container that their food comes in “

Milk, Not Plastics may protect food in the future, if we have to believe the way research is going on. The researchers in the west have discovered that a milk protein called casein can be used to develop an edible, biodegradable packaging film. The casein-based film is up to 500 times better than plastic at keeping oxygen away from food because proteins form a tighter network when they polymerize, the researchers found, informed Chakravarthi NVPS.

Soon sensors embedded in packaging will act as a electronic tongues. They sense the quality of food in the packaging, weather it is decomposed or not and accordingly colour of the surface packaging will change. This can be another revolution in Packaging in near future informed Chakravarthi NVPS.

Soon people may drink medicine with a straw. With this tacking medicine will be a child’s play and much easier for patients with swallowing difficulties. Drinking medicine with straw is ideal for both young and old. This pill delivery system make taking medication easier for kids and elderly patients. Anyone tried to get a child to take a bitter tasting pill know how difficult it is to make child take the pill. So how will it be if they could drink their dose of medicine. This medicinal straw straw filled with pellets that are virtually tasteless to the consumer. They are pre-filled with exactly the required dosage on fully automatic systems, ruling out the risk of overdosing. As the patient drinks, a control filter moves upwards ensuring the proper dosage is consumed, Chakravarthi added.

Speaking about online packaging solutions, Jaggi said, alternative materials for Bubble wrap are being considered now. Today mobile phone to giant TV, everything is ordered online and customers expect that their product reaches them scratch proof. So many eCommerce companies have realised that packaging is the key to reduce high returns and consumer grivances. Now Air Cushion platic bags, stripes and many such new materials are being considered, he informed.

Some of the trends in packaging include Packaging design is creating personal experiences that connect consumers to brands on a deeper level. Simple design and going back to the basics is the other trend evolving in the year 2017.

Custom lettering on the packaging which helps the product to stand out through warmth and set it apart from digital design is another trend noticed. There is a massive comeback of hand-lettering too. Using illustration as narrative is a new thing in the industry. Vintage package design is evolving each year and this year there is no exception. Vintage Packaging is emerging big through the use of new technologies and materials. Eco-friendly, biodegradable, natural, sustainable… going green with packaging is a trend that is caught on well in India informed Prof Dr NC Saha, Director of IIP, while addressing a press conference here in city today.

Holistic packaging is becoming increasingly important. Product and packaging integration has been at the forefront of many conceptual conversations in the industry for a few years now, Prof Saha added.

The Indian packaging industry constitutes about 4 percent of the global packaging industry. The per capita packaging consumption in India is quite low at 8.7 kgs, compared to countries like Germany and Taiwan where it is 42 kgs and 19 kgs respectively. However, organised retail and boom in e-commerce, which offer huge potential for future growth of retailing, is giving a boost to the packaging sector, Saha informed

Speaking further Dr. N.C Saha added that The Indian packaging market is expected to reach $ 32 billion by 2020

The objective of the National Conference is to update the worldwide innovations in packaging to discuss and to disseminate among the others to upgrade packaging standards in packaging materials, technologies, techniques and packaging machines informed Dr. NC Saha.