Manjushree Extrusions Limited, a leading pharma packaging major in the country, is supplying to the Ayurveda sector in Kerala. It caters to nearly 80 per cent requirement of the major players.
Pharma and Ayurveda industry has welcomed plastics without much hesitation.
Since the initial research revealed no quality issues for the drugs and no health hazards, plastics was preferred as a very convenient and comfortable packaging solution compared to glass, especially in terms of handling and storage, Ankit Kedia, associate director, Manjushree Extrusions Ltd. told Pharmabiz.
With the advancement of time, plastics are recycled and used for various commodities like mats, buckets, etc. resulting in no necessity for using recycled bottles for pharmaceutical usages. Since there is no scarcity of raw materials, the availability of fresh bottles is no problem, he added.
The change over of packaging in the ayurvedic sector has not happened overnight. The Ayurveda sector responded to plastics only after the major player in the industry has started replacing glass with PET. This exercise took nearly three years, during which time, there was continuous and constant research and shelf study going on amongst PET raw material manufacturer -Ayurveda unit - PET bottle manufacturer.
Up till now, no health hazards have been reported with the use of plastics in Ayurveda. However, due to the intrinsic nature of the Ayurveda preparations certain products develop acidity due to which there is some issue of bottles buckling during longer shelf life. Manjushree has redesigned the bottles and now bottles with ribs have been developed for some of the preparations and the results are very encouraging.
Almost all the major Auyrveda units are customers of Manjushree. Notable names include Kottakkal Arya Vaida Sala, Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, The Pharmaceuticals Corporation (I.M) Kerala Ltd., Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore) Ltd., Nagarjuna Herbal Products, Pankajakasthuri Herbal Products and Santhigiri Ayurveda.
The PET Jars and Bottles are the fastest growing packaging products. The company caters to the basic packaging requirement of the Ayurveda sector like bottles for oil preparation, arishtams and kashayams. The jars are used for Leham preparations and balms.
Coming to competition for Manjushree, Kedia stated that all PET Bottle manufacturers are competitors. However, the company was regarded as packaging solution provider and this gives a major edge over all other competitors. Constant improvement in the supplies, quality products and timely service along with follow-ups backed up by efficient technical and marketing support are its key strengths, he averred.
Compared to other packaging materials like glass, plastics are lighter and unbreakable. It is easy to handle and in the production-filling line, there are no rattling sounds like glass and no wastages due to mishandling because of breakages. Compared to glass, it is cost effective for transportation.
The global slow-down had no impact on the pharma packaging sector. In fact the Ayurveda and pharma sector are flourishing. There is an influx of multinational companies which is a clear indication of robust growth in the sector for the future, stated Kedia.
Being recognized as packaging solution people, Manjushree has a responsibility to update, maintain and improve the packaging requirement of this sector. A special technical team in Manjushree is working for the research and development for eliminating and minimizing the packaging issues faced by this sector along with finding innovative and modern packaging solutions for the pharma sector, added Kedia.