Cosmoprof India's highlights sustainability and innovation in beauty packaging

UFlex showcased its latest tube packaging solutions, emphasising innovation, sustainability, and design. Highlights include recyclable laminated tubes, packaging with premium finishes, and integrated anti-counterfeit features for the beauty and cosmetics industry. At EPL (formerly Essel Propack) we heard about the opening of its new factory in Thailand, strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia. At its stall, the company featured advanced tube innovations such as: Glow in the dark, super titanium, radiance (lens foil effect) and screen (braille effect).

Meanwhile PGP Glass, a leading glass packaging brand from India, spotlighted its premium, sustainable glass packaging solutions for cosmetics and perfumery. With major production capacities in India (Kosamba, Jambusar) and Sri Lanka (Horana), the company is redefining cosmetic packaging trends through luxury design, innovative craftsmanship, and in-house decoration services.

AGI Greenpac announced a significant development with the inauguration of Seidel during Cosmoprof India. AGI has secured the exclusive distributorship for Seidel Germany—globally recognised for premium aluminum closures for perfumes, cosmetics, and skincare—within the Indian market. This partnership, strengthening AGI's specialised unit AGI Clozures, promises to bring internationally acclaimed luxury closures and advanced manufacturing technologies directly to Indian brands.

What caught our eye was a collaboration between FR Partners (Switzerland) and Neural Hinge (India), with formula support from AS Beauty (Italy). This was recognised as a Cosmopack India Awards 2025 finalist for Packaging: Design & Materials. Its compact, which features molded cork paired with an infinitely recyclable aluminum refill pan, is designed to withstand the "chaos" of real Indian life. The design highlights: Utilisation of a molded cork from the regenerating bark of the cork oak and deploying of the rim of the aluminum refill pan as a new branding surface for a private dialogue with the consumer.

During a panel discussion on day two, Umashan Naidoo, head of customer and beauty, Trent, noted the rapid evolution of the beauty world, particularly in accessory packaging: "Packaging for Indian brands need to be much more artistic and creative. Ultimately the fragrance item sits on your bedside and needs to be a collectible item, a thing to behold."

He added that paper as a material can be playful: "An Indian wedding card is perhaps the most elaborate thing imagined and yet when I want to create a fragrance box, it's quite ugly."

On the ground floor which boatsed of innumerable packaging manufacturers, the focus was on brands using beautifully designed packaging. The key is to tell a brand story, create an emotional connection, and reinforce a focus on sustainability and highlighting the perfume or fragrance.The other big trend we picked up is how homegrown beauty brands could be the "key" in India's path to becoming a global beauty powerhouse.

Even today, India's growth remains reliant on cost competitiveness, despite its mastery in manufacturing and services. One of the messages that emanated from a Cosmoprof panel discussion is, an urgent need for a strategic shift from being the "factory of the world" to becoming the "brand builder of the world."

Developing strong, globally recognised beauty brands—a theme highly relevant to the burgeoning beauty sector—is crucial for completing India's growth story. This transition requires focused branding strategies and identifying Indian fragrances and ingredients to unlock India's full economic potential.