AnugaFoodTec 2025: Syntegon India prepares for high-speed snack lines, and an India-for-India play

Ashish Deshpande, managing director of Syntegon India, reflected on how the packaging sector evolved during and after Covid-19. He noted that the pandemic accelerated demand for packaged and processed food, especially in the snacks category, driven by hygiene concerns and changing consumer habits.

At Anuga FoodTec India, Syntegon showcased two machines: the SVL 2310 vertical form-fill-seal machine developed for potato chips, running at 110 to 115-packs per minute; and their horizontal flow-wrap machine Pack 301 designed for Biscuits-On-Edge(BOE), capable of 250-packs per minute.

 For biscuits, a horizontal flow-wrapper for “biscuit-on-edge” applications ran around 250 packs/min, positioning it among the fastest in its class. He added that servo-driven continuous-motion architectures have become the default for speed, uptime and efficiency.

Deshpande explained that India’s snack market sells around 1,000-machines annually, making it one of the company’s key focus areas. While affordability keeps small sachets dominant, larger packs are used by major players such as ITC and Unilever. Syntegon primarily caters to multinational and large domestic food companies, offering end-to-end automated packaging solutions with high compliance and safety standards.

 Syntegon manufactures in Verna (Goa) with full assembly, integration and testing locally. India serves both domestic and export demand. About 50% of the company’s output is exported to Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with the rest serving India and SAARC markets. While most sub-systems are localised, certain controls (e.g. PLCs) remain imported to meet performance and safety criteria. He highlighted Syntegon’s after-sales service network of 23 engineers across India, ensuring quick response times.

Sustainability is another focus area for Syntegon. The company is working with Nestle on recyclable films and exploring paper-based laminates, though cost and technical barriers limit adoption among smaller players. The company has also introduced an “India for India” strategy with eco-focused, cost-effective machines tailored for domestic requirements, alongside “India for the world” exports.

When it comes to sustainability, some categories are shifting to larger pouches (5–10 kg) in staples and detergents, but affordability still anchors small SKUs. 

Deshpande concluded by emphasising that Anuga FoodTec provided a valuable platform to showcase technology innovations, engage with both Indian and international customers, and gather insights into emerging market needs.