It is not only Make in India but Pack in India as well: Minister of Commerce

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry recently acknowledged the rising significance of packaging in exports and said, “From oranges of Nagpur to the leather of Kanpur, the packaging is significant for every Indian export”. He was interacting with Chakravarthi AVPS, Global Ambassador, World Packaging Organisation, a non-profit, non-governmental, international federation of national packaging institutes and associations, comprising around 64 countries.

Goyal said that the footprint of packaging is visible in every industry, as products cannot be sustained and sold without it. He highlighted that the packaging industry continues to grow robustly despite the pandemic. He also pointed out how innovations in the packaging industry are the defining feature of Make in India as all the products packed in India are recognised worldwide for quality. It is not only Make in India but Pack in India as well, he added.

AVPS congratulated the Minister on achieving exports worth $418 billion this fiscal. He also praised the Minister’s efforts in making international trade more robust. Incidentally, the Commerce Minister has just concluded trade agreements, CEPA and ECTA, with UAE and Australia respectively, and he is on a mission to get many other countries to sign FTAs with India.

The Global Ambassador also conveyed the World Packaging Organisation’s appreciation to the Minister for recognising the significance of the packaging sector and its contribution to economic growth.

Speaking on the future of pharma packaging, in particular, AVPS said that it will be driven by two major factors, user-centricity and sustainability. He reiterated that every packaging development in pharma revolves around patient needs and hence it is the influencing factor that will shape the market.

He also said that the world cannot do without packaging, but we must learn to make packaging more effective and people must be educated to respect the purpose of packaging. He also opined that packaging should be considered as an industry segment like steel, cement, chemicals, pharma, textiles etc. He advised that every measure must be taken to uplift the industry and enable it to contribute to the development of international trade.

Taking cues from industry doyens and policymakers, Pharma Packaging and Labelling (PPL) Conclave coming this September, in its fifth edition, will bring pharma packaging leaders and experts to discuss on pertinent topics such as pharma packaging innovation, packaging’s potential to support and boost pharma exports, user-centricity and sustainability.

Take a look at our previous edition in the issue of May 2021: Decoding the pandemic effect