Packaging is among the high growth industries in India. The packaging industry refers to the business of creating a specific container to ensure a product is delivered to the consumer in top shape. Packaging is often thought of as the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. The packaging industry includes makers of corrugated paper, glass bottles, plastic wraps, aluminum wrappers, and more.
Due to lower manufacturing costs, India is fast becoming a preferred hub for packaging production. The Indian packaging industry has made a mark with its exports that comprise flattened cans, printed sheets and components, crown cork, lug caps, plastic film laminates, craft paper, paper board and packaging machinery, while the imports include tinplate, lacquers, coating and lining compounds. In India, the fastest growing packaging segments are laminates and flexible packaging, especially PET and woven sacks.
Packaging market size in India is about Rs 65,000 crore is growing at the rate of 15 per cent per annum. Currently rigid packaging enjoys more than 65% market share but the traditional rigid packaging users are migrating to flexible packaging in a big way.
The factors leading to the growth of the packaging industry includes sectors like process food industry, electronic industry, fresh fruits and vegetables packing, consumer durables etc. The major sectors likely to influence the Packaging Industry at least for the next decade, are electronic business processing, convenience packaging, supply chain management, marketability, other benefits like labeling, tamper evidence, freshness, environment-friendly.
The market size for packaging materials & systems for food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, toiletries, Ind. products, textiles, handicrafts, etc. accounts for 4%, while rigid & semi-rigid plastic containers is about 9%.The metal and tin containers accounts for 10%, glass containers 10% , corrugated board & boxes 23%, paper & paper board 36% and other ancillary materials like tapes straps, labels, adhesives, etc. - 8%.
The top packaging companies of India includes Parksons Packaging System , ITC Limited , Hindalco , Tata Tinplate Company of India , Moldtek Technologies Limited , Gujarat Glass Ltd , Advance Packaging , AMAC Plastic Packaging, E C Packaging Pvt. Ltd, The Paper Products Limited.etc.
According to a study by AMR Research, 76% of sustainability efforts are focused on reducing packaging waste. A recent market study also found that sustainable packaging is expected to grow to 32 percent of the total global packaging market by 2014, up from 21 percent in 2009. Overall, companies engaged in sustainability efforts should focus on meeting consumers’ needs, reaching corporate objectives, and doing so in a way that demonstrates continuous improvement with regard to how it positively affects people and the environment. Sustainable packaging is becoming a fact of life for companies that seek to remain competitive.
The print industry is directly related to packaging industry. Print industry encompasses almost every field in a country's economy. India is the second largest print market in the world. The industry generates an assortment of objects like Newspapers, Magazines, Books, Business Order Forms, Post Cards to Memo Pads, etc. that comes in use in our day to day life.The Printing Industry also comprises all sectors primarily engaged in printing on apparel and textile products, paper, metal, plastics, glass, and other materials, except fabric (grey goods). The printing processes employed include, but are not limited to, lithographic, gravure, screen, flexographic, digital, and letterpress. The demand for innovative printing practices has been on a high in recent times. The country’s printing market, currently valued at US$12.1 billion, is projected to reach US$20.9 billion and expected to rise to the 8th position by 2011. Currently India is the12th largest print market in the world.The Indian print industry will be worth around $27 billion by 2012.
The Main Segments of the Indian Printing includesNewspaper printing, Sheet fed offset printing, Flexographic & Gravure printing, Can Coatings printing, Screen Printing, Marking & Coding print, UV Coatings printing, etc.
Due to liberalization and globalization, the printing industry is progressing at a very fast speed by adopting modern printing technology.
Today, the use of good quality packaging is preferred highly in every sector. The Indian economy is growing and so is the Packaging industry. As growth rides on increased industrial production and international trade, demands on package converters has become more demanding and sophisticated. The tremendous rise in the retail sector of the country, improving lifestyle of middle income group and rapid growth in exports that demands for excellent packaging standards to cater to the international market's needs will see the packaging industry consolidate in the strong position in the coming years.