India's packaging sector targets zero-waste and hyper-scalabilty at PlastIndia

Charting a bold course toward sustainability, hyper-scaling, and a "zero-waste" future, the six-day event, featuring over 2,000 exhibitors, underscored the sector's shift from a consumption issue to an engine for high-tech manufacturing, innovation, and exports.

The industry is aiming to drive the current USD 44-billion Indian plastics sector toward an ambitious USD 20-billion in exports by 2027. This ambition is buttressed by significant government support, including the approval of major packaging projects involving investments of around INR 1.6-lakh crore.

Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jiten Prasad, confirmed these approvals are part of the government’s broader semicon project, which aims to build a complete semiconductor ecosystem covering design, fabrication, and, crucially, packaging. With an outlay of INR 76,000-crore, the programme has already cleared two fabrication units and eight advanced packaging facilities.

This push comes as the Indian packaging market surpasses a significant milestone, now estimated to be worth over USD 100-billion.

Thimmaiah Napanda, the managing director and CEO of Alternicq (formerly Manjushree Technopack), highlighted the enormous untapped potential in the Indian market, driven by rising per-capita consumption. He projects the rigid plastic packaging space to grow 20 to 30 times in the next 10 to 20 years.

While flexible packaging holds the dominant share at 64%, the exhibition showcased the massive runway for growth in the PET segment, driven by non-alcoholic beverages, where India's per-capita soft drink consumption (12-litres) is significantly lower than China’s (79-litres).

The exhibition also highlighted the crucial role of small players, with a staggering 70% of the plastics packaging industry managed by the MSME/SME sector. Support for this segment was a key theme, including a visit from the Chief Minister of Delhi, who outlined strong policy support, such as collateral-free loans of up to INR 10-crore, and a target of 5,000 new start-ups to ease access to finance.

Sustainability and cutting-edge technology dominated the product showcases. Industry leaders like UFlex, Mamata Machinery, and Comexi demonstrated complete innovative ecosystems for a circular economy, featuring sustainable films and PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) solutions. While Mamata Machinery showcased a nine-layer blown film plant capable of producing a 100% recyclable mono-material film that delivers superior barrier properties, offering brand owners a viable solution to meet government mandates for recyclable flexible film.

KHS detailed their work with SLMG Beverages — a major Coca-Cola bottler — which has boosted production by over a third after installing a high-speed Inno-Pet tri-block, capable of processing up to 48,000 PET bottles an hour. SLMG is also utilising KHS technology to coat the inside of PET bottles with an ultra-thin layer of glass to extend shelf life.

The buzz around In-Mould Labels (IML) was significant, with companies like Ajanta Print Arts and Mudrika Printers providing IML solutions with multiple embellishments. IML adoption is growing as it moves brand owners closer to monomaterial packaging, aligning with new sustainability regulations.

Meanwhile, Lohia Corp unveiled a Digital Innovation Centre for their raffia machinery, offering real-time machine monitoring and performance analytics. The exhibition's message was clear: recyclable packaging is now a viable, high-performance commitment.

At PlastIndia 2026, Justin Wood of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste highlighted the hurdles facing India’s circular economy.

Highlighting India’s generation of 9.4-million tonnes of plastic waste annually, Wood pointed to a critical economic opportunity: recapturing the USD 133-billion in material value currently lost to mismanagement. He noted that India’s combination of a fast-growing economy, rising consumer awareness, and a willingness to fund makes it an ideal laboratory for scaling global circular solutions.

While legislative frameworks are strong, Wood noted that enforcement remains inconsistent across states, with industrial leaders like Maharashtra and Gujarat outpacing others. A major bottleneck is the gap in sorting, with limited household segregation and a lack of municipal sorting centres, particularly in tier-II and tier-III cities, forcing valuable feedstock into landfills rather than recycling streams.

The disparity in recycling rates is stark: while PET reaches an 80% recovery rate, flexible packaging — which comprises 40% of plastic waste — is recycled at a rate of 5%.

Wood identified a financial deficit, noting a funding gap of USD 28–40 per tonne that current EPR credits fail to cover. He concluded that bridging this gap requires better integration of the 1.5-million informal waste pickers and increased access to working capital for recyclers to scale productivity.