Packaging is a growth engine for India, experts say at TG-PackCON

The two-day national summit, hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), connected industry, policymakers, and academia to explore innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness in the sector.

A highlight of the inauguration was the defence of plastic by Vagish Dixit, past chairman, CII Telangana and managing director, Alpla India. Challenging the prevailing negative perception, Dixit asserted, "That’s unscientific. Plastic is integral to modern life; packaging makes our lives safer and more convenient. Plastics is fantastic—and we should be proud of it." 

He pointed to the economic outlook for the sector, noting that the global packaging market, currently valued at USD 1.2-trillion, is projected to reach USD 1.5-trillion in 5–7 years. Crucially for India, he stated that the nation's USD 100-billion sector could grow to USD 150-billion, urging Indian entrepreneurs to focus on "invention, not imitation," to achieve this growth.

Echoing the national priority, Akshay SC, ITS, joint director general of Foreign Trade, Government of India, outlined the government’s guiding philosophy: Reduce, recycle, and reuse. He emphasised the ministry's focus on giving Indian exporters a competitive edge, calling for the minimisation of empty space in containers and achieving "100% recyclability of packaging materials by 2030," alongside clear material composition on labels.

The conference, built on the pillars of innovation, acceleration, and elevation, spotlighted three core sectors shaping India’s future: Food and agri, pharma and life sciences, and technology and consumer goods.

Goutham Reddy, vice chairman, CII Telangana, addressed the sustainability challenge, remarking, "Pollution is inevitable—but the question is how can we pollute less. Packaging was meant to reduce food contamination, yet its waste now contaminates our environment. The solution lies in balance and responsibility." This sentiment was reinforced during a CEOs roundtable, where leaders discussed efficiency and competitiveness.

Priyanka Singla of Avery Dennison noted that India’s EPR framework is "among the world’s most forward-looking."

Discussions across the panels underscored the role of innovation, from enhancing product shelf-life through active packaging (Manish Jain, managing director, Cilicant) to embedding intelligence into materials and processes (Bala Prasad Peddagiri, principal consultant and CIO, TCS). The Food & Agri panel, which explored scaling value and export readiness, highlighted that while sustainable solutions are often more expensive, businesses must proactively adopt them.

The Vision Edition of TG-PackCON is designed to build a robust, innovative, and sustainable packaging ecosystem, featuring an Innovation Corner and Pitch Arena to showcase cutting-edge technologies and startup innovations. It has emerged as a milestone gathering dedicated to shaping India’s sustainable and export-ready future.