National Conference on Food Packaging held in Pune; prep for third edition begins

Professor Padmaja A Joshi, from the department of printing and packaging technology at PVG, shared with WhatPackaging? that an event marking the 2025 edition of the National Conference on Food Packaging (NCFP) marks World Packaging Day. The conference, she said, served as a platform to bridge the gap between academia and industry, bringing together 200 participants from across India, including industry professionals, academicians, and students.

Indraneel Chitale, managing partner at Chitale Bandhu, was the guest of honour. He delivered a talk on opportunities for food businesses, highlighting "How India Can Be the Kitchen to the World." He emphasised India's export potential and the transformative impact of technology and smart packaging on global food brands.

Pune-based Chitale Bandhu started making snacks in 1977. But it took 12 years to shift to mechanised production. During the 1970s, due to a lack of machinery, the group could make only 200-kilogrammes of bhakarwadi per day. 

Currently, the family has a few dozen shops across cities in Maharashtra and one outlet in Goa. Today, the company focuses on growth primarily through third-party retail, that is, resellers and quick commerce, with the emphasis being on low-unit price products that are under INR 50. 

This approach has given it a compound annual growth rate of over 20% for three years now. Their target is expanding in other countries. As Chitale said, “The USA and Australia have already been tapped and we are working with a couple of big-box retailers there, like Kohl’s and Walmart." The brand has six outlets in the US and exports to the UAE and the UK as well.

Chitale said, "Automation has always been a core principle at any of our manufacturing units," with almost 80% of their products produced in an automated environment. The reliance on automation makes the plant more machine-intensive rather than labour-intensive, and hence, reduces the chances of contamination during cross-handling by a great degree. It also minimises the chance of human errors.

Chitale added, "Through all these endeavours, they are working around the clock to ensure that the customers can enjoy our products without any hesitation on the safety front."

Shreyas Rajendra Sikchi, managing director of Mangalam Oil Mills, shared his company’s journey in sustainable food packaging. The focus was on the evolution of the packaging industry towards sustainability and digitisation. There was a significant emphasis on fibre-based, biodegradable, and smart packaging solutions, driven by both regulatory pressures and environmental concerns.

Atithi Majumdar, executive director of finance and administration at Fujifilm Sericol India, was the chief guest. In his keynote address, he underscored the vital role of innovation in propelling India's packaging industry forward, drawing from his extensive experience in manufacturing finance and global supply chains.

The conference featured an array of speakers who shared their expertise on critical topics. Dr Shilpa Anchawale, business development manager at Fujifilm Sericol India, discussed sustainable trends in inks and packaging, while Dr NC Saha, former director of the Indian Institute of Packaging, spoke about modern packaging technologies which are required to enhance food shelf-life. 

Ashutosh Kumar, general manager for manufacturing at Vinsak India, delved into AI-driven supply chain optimisation for food packaging.

Dr Abhijit Bhattacharya, group leader and expert for fibre-based packaging at Nestle, joined the conference online to provide insights into driving sustainability with paper-based materials, and Dr Bijender Kaushik, assistant professor at the department of printing technology at the Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, highlighted the top twenty trends in food packaging.
 
Professor Madhura Mahajan, head of the department of printing and packaging technology at PVG, said, "The conference reinforced the critical need for cross-sector collaboration between academia and industry to foster talent development and drive future-ready innovation."

The department of printing and packaging technology at PVG’s College of Engineering and Technology and the GK Pate (Wani) Institute of Management, Pune, have started preparing for the third edition of the National Conference on Food Packaging (NCFP). The aim is to provide insights into the world of food packaging in 2026.