The Indian pharma packaging industry can survive the quality and competitive pricing scenario. The packaging sector is growing on a solid foundation of new technologies, modern approaches and latest designs. While the prevailing trend is for Alu-Alu packs and tamper proof solutions, within five years, the concept of child resistant packaging will catch up in the country, aver pharma consultants who view the pharma packaging sector as bright and buoyant.

The promising pharmaceutical packaging industry in India is on a higher growth trajectory at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15 to 20 per cent. Around 90 percent of the revenues for pharma packaging sector is generated from the western and southern region which is the base for pharma production.

According to experts, the pharma packaging industry has been going through a process of change in terms of technology adaptation. This has allowed the sector to achieve international benchmarks in a wide variety of products. However, with the emergence of global multinationals in the Indian market and steep increases in the cost of all major raw material inputs, the industry faces a challenging future. Medium-sized packaging companies informed that only 25 percent of the methodology is automated and 75 percent is manual.

Packaging is an important part of drug delivery and helps create a unique brand identity for the drug and instant recognition for the consumer. Most decisions taken by doctors depend upon the external appearance of the drug and hence packaging plays a vital role in marketing too, stated sources from Anglo French Drugs & Industries.

Today packaging technology has seen a sea change from loose packing, shifting to strip packing to blister packing and opting for trends like Alu - Alu packing (both side aluminium). There is also tamper proof packing, said VR Kannan, pharma consultant.
A clear observation is that there is a major shift towards Alu - Alu and tamper proof cases in packaging methodologies. The key reasons for this are the convenience, appearance and prevention of pilferage, informed officials from Micro Labs.

Drug companies addressing issues like improved patient compliance and systems to control counterfeit and imitation drugs have adopted newer packaging solutions on par with the global trends, stated Shailesh Siroya, managing director, Bal Pharma.

Sources from AstraZeneca Pharma India said that there has been a change from blister packs to plastic containers for capsules and tablets. In the case of liquids, glass has been replaced with PET bottles. In terms of drug delivery devices, inhalers pumps and transdermal patches, pulmonary delivery tubes, intravenous vials are replacing oral drugs which are difficult to consume when patients are serious and unconscious. Pharma industry has moved with the times to adopt newer and modern technologies to provide both safety and convenience in packaging.

With a constant inclination for innovation, in the wake of crucial concerns like environmental factors, transportation and storage, drug packing has undergone a major transformation. The key intention is to adopt customised packaging solutions only to achieve maximum advantage from the medicine administered, stated drug dispensers from HOSAMT, Wockhardt, Sagar and Manipal Hospital.

The Alu - Alu packing is preferred because it is photo sensitive, can withstand temperature variance and is also moisture absorbent. It also has an elegant appearance. Further it weighs less and therefore Alu - Alu packing has gained the name, fame and interest created by blister packs. Even three years ago blister packing was a fad. But now Alu - Alu packing is a technology innovation in pharma packing which has impressed the physicians community who prefer prescribing drugs with Alu - Alu packing which is tamper proof, prevents pilferage during transportation, added Kannan.

Six years ago the Essae Technologys Private Limited, a division of the Essae Group launched the bar code technology because the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Commerce, government of India made it mandatory for any manufacturing industry. The drug manufacturers look for accurate handling right from raw material receipt to despatch of final product and bar code implementation and this facilitated product tracking at a faster space, stated Narasimha Subramanian, managing director, Essae Technologys Private Limited.

Pharma consultants point out that at least 5 percent of the budget allocation from the total turnover of large companies is used for innovative pharma packaging technology. However companies were not in a position to confirm this but agreed there was considerable focus on modern packaging methods for safety and reliability.