TG Leads In Pharma Packaging Innovation

Life saving drugs and vaccines are manufactured in Hyderabad for the world. Here, packaging plays an important role. As complex drugs are being introduced in the market, it is vital to take care of its packaging for retaining the drug’s efficacy - Chakravarthi AVPS, CEO& MD, Ecobliss India, tells Bizz Buzz

Hyderabad: Telangana is a major contributor to the country’s packaging materials industry with the presence of India’s largest paperboard and glass packaging manufacturing units here. Moreover, Hyderabad, known as the pharma hub of India, is the hub for innovation in drug delivery by introducing innovative pharma packaging materials, a Hyderabad-based manufacturer said.

“Life saving drugs and vaccines are manufactured in Hyderabad for the world. Here, packaging plays an important role. As complex drugs are being introduced in the market, it is vital to take care ofits packaging for retaining the drug’s efficacy, right from the time of research till the drug reaches its expiry date. For instance, earlier, administering insulin injections were painful, but now there is needle-free packaging. This indicates that innovation in packaging materials supports innovation in drug making too,” CEO and Managing Director of Ecobliss India, Chakravarthi AVPS, told Bizz Buzz.

According to him, pharma packaging market contributes about 20 per cent, while food packaging materials holds major share of about 30 per cent in the organised $75-billion packaging industry of India, which is growing at about 11 to 16 per cent, in which the contribution of Telangana stands at 10-15 per cent. The organised global packaging industry, valued at $1.5 trillion, is growing at 2-4 per cent.

Highlighting the significant role Hyderabad plays in manufacturing packaging materials for the pharma and other sectors, the Ecobliss CEO said that India’s largest paperboard manufacturing facility operated by ITC is set up in this State. In addition, the largest glass packaging facility is also present in Hyderabad.

He went on to add: “Telangana not only has majority of companies contributing to the packaging material market, but also has advanced manufacturing facilities near Hyderabad. There are nearly 60 box making automated units that are operating utilising robotic machinery.”

On a query about the challenges faced by the organized packaging industry, Chakravarthi informed that this sector, which is an integral part of every industry and an indirect contributor to India’s economic growth, is marred by counterfeit products despite government regulations in place.

The fake packaging goods market across the globe stands at about $250 million, he pointed out. But, he is not sure about its size in India. Chakravarthi, however, called for creating consumer awareness to tackle sale of imitations of brands, which are making their way into the market from neighbouring country.

“Innovation in packaging solutions is not making the product costlier, but according to me it brings value for money. A fraction of the product value will go up but, retaining the product for longer period and higher shelf life brings more benefit to the manufacturer. Manufacturers have to adhere to compliance requirements. The question here is how many follow them,” he said.