The India Packaging Show 2015 – PackPlus, is a culmination of a number of successful events that followed the success of India Label show in 2002. The show is a display of packaging materials, printing equipment, converter machines, supply-chain and logistics management nationwide as well as in the international market due to growing demand of food ingredients and pharmacy supplies.

Conferences and seminars at the fair focus on industry challenges and opportunities. Over the years Print and Packaging portal (Pring-Packaging.com) has become the backbone of Indian manufacturers and traders that deal with packaging equipments, packaging materials, printing supplies and logistics management for provision of information flow and business across the country.

This portal has not only served as a platform for organizers but contributed significantly to employment in various sectors such as marketing, sales, corporate management, business communication, human resources, journalism, accounting and exports. Print portal offers fast and dynamic environment for job industry.

PackPlus south started in Hyderabad in 2011 and witnessed complete packaging, processing and supply-chain event for life science industry. Every year it only adds more value to content display and number of participants. This year trade will showcase machinery, materials and services for food, pharma and packaging industry from India and neighbouring countries.

North edition of PackPlus held in Greater Noida, UP in 2012 and 2013 moved to New Delhi in 2014 and will be repeated this year in August. South India is emerging as a strong pharma hub due to research and infrastructure growth in recent years, therefore abundant display of paper products and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) materials for packaging and processing is contributed by south Indian companies.

Recent estimates suggest that retail sales from tea, coffee production and packaged food contributed to 12 per cent of the total export market. Major packaging components were BIS standard corrugated cartons, cans, bottles and laminates.

Karnataka with rich biodiversity and biotechnology industry zone in south India has contributed to marketing agriculture produce, processed food and beverages as well as pharmacy through sterile packaging and marketing.

The trade show for packaging equipment and supplies is divided into four main zones – Packaging zone, Converting zone, Processing zone and Supply chain zone. Packaging equipment covers display of unit counters, weighing, bottling, sealing, skin wrapping, foiling, capsuling and labelling machines.

Converting and Processing zones includes wide range of material such as cellophane, heavy plastic films, pulp and paper materials, composite textiles, metallized materials, wires, cords, tapes, glasses, lids, and variety of decoration materials.

Supply chain services offer automation techniques, software products such as barcode readers, smart cards, biometrics and variety of services from the industry experts including consultants, publishers, logistics, and warehousing.

Packaging and labelling is a means to impart protection and identification to goods intended for immediate sales, storage or exports. Packaging is a design that ensures minimum volume and maximum stability of goods to enable ease in transport, warehouse storage, point of sale, end use and prevent damage to goods from physical environment or mechanical handling.

Packaging is coupled to institutional, government, business, industrial and personal use such as wrapping an item with a gift paper before presenting to spouse. Packaging fulfils multiple objectives of physical protection from mechanical shock, vibration, electric discharge or temperature.

Protection from chemical environment of moisture, dust, microbial contamination is accompanied by special packaging in air tight containers, tins and cans, especially for food grade equipment. Packed cans for processed foods and nutrition supplements ensure freshness, sterility, cleanliness and prolonged life.

Cans and tins are coated with non-reactive metals to prevent chemical reaction of food during preservation. Special biologics are usually supplied in glass or plastic bottles that are sealed with a sealing machine. A barrier can be put in packaging where miscible substances are needed to supply or to ensure protection and sterility of each product during transport.

Special packing have features that add convenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, sale, opening, reclosing, use, dispensing, reuse, recycling, and ease of disposal. Single serving or dispensing can be controlled through special packaging for bulk commodities like salt, milk bottles, or ketchup.

Special packing for medical devices, bulk chemicals, drugs, military food and chocolates is common. Packaged materials for transport, use or disposal of goods require labels and information transmission becomes necessary from point of view of labels.

 A packaging label is a written description (electronic, graphical or manual) that communicates with the user to ensure protection of goods while handling and storage or deliver the goods to a proper location. Labels convey information on storage, handling and use of product and describes other necessary information about the product such as warning signs, price tags, product ingredients, batch information, barcodes, standard markings and so on.

The purpose of a label is to track and trace the material in warehouse storage or logistics and delivery. Packaging labels are often used as market information to encourage potential buyers through attractive graphic displays or type of packaging. Labels are necessary for food products at point of sale in a fast food outlet.

Information technology has played a pivotal role in regulating packaged labels through use of barcodes. Barcodes are consumable tags implemented to manage sales electronically in supermarkets or assist logistics. Courier and auto industry use barcodes for auto capturing of information about materials, receipt, storage, dispatch, sales or any intermediatary function associated with production and sales.

Barcodes facilitate stock control, tracking and forecasting, quality service by tracking expiry dates of medical supplies, patient identification and billing, hospital stock management and order replenishment. Smart cards, billing, loyalty management, banking and identification are some areas managed by integrating information technology.

Many prominent innovations in the packaging industry were developed first for military uses to supply supplies packaged products foods, medicines under the most severe distribution and storage. Later conditions were developed for commercial packaging and general industry.

Paperboard box or carton is the basic container that is used in packaging of almost any type of good intended for transport or delivery. Different styles, shades and strength of paperboard is used depending upon the fragility of goods. Folding cartons usually combine into a tube at the manufacturer and shipped flat to the packager. Tray styles have a solid bottom and are often shipped as flat blanks and assembled by the packager.

Cartons for liquids can be fabricated from laminates of liquid packaging board, foil, and polyethylene known as tetra packs or combibloc. Labels are printed on laminate supplied on a roll. The carton is cut, scored, and formed at the packager. Corrugated box is made by combination of paperboard and fibreboard and design to match functional aspects of the goods transported.

Corrugated box are usual shipment containers that contain the product from manufacturing through distribution, sale and sometimes end-use. Corrugated box provides product protection by inner foam components such as cushions, braces and blocks to help protect fragile contents.

Some boxes are designed for display of contents on the shelf. Others are designed to help dispense the contents. These are popular for their strength, durability, lightness, recyclable, and cost-effectiveness, used for the shipping of a variety of items.

Cellophane is another popular packaging material used in variety of application for individual unit packing to packaging larger units using foam cellophane. Cellophane is thin, transparent sheet of regenerated cellulose having low permeability to air, moisture, oils, bacteria and particulates. Cellophane and viscose find number of applications in packing agriculture produce, powder formulations, bulk packing and textiles.

The Indian bulk packaging market acquired its capabilities with rise in Indian exports significantly in 1990s. The market scenario has now rapidly expanded into both domestic supply as exports in agro produce, food & beverages, bulk drugs, generic medicines, chemicals, pesticides , petroleum, oils and lubricants.

The packaging, labelling and handling of each of these products require special care to ensure sterility and enhance shelf life. The proliferation of hospital chains, pharmacy outlets, malls and food bazaars has driven growth in this segment.

Rigid packaging industry use drums and containers made of variety of metals, plastics, fibre board and other composite materials. Flexible bulk packaging industry includes paper packaging, woven sacks, leno bags, wrapping fabric, and flexible containers. Laminated products include form-fill-seal pouches, laminated tubes and tetra packs.

Customized or flexible packaging has open-up a new horizon for printing and converting materials to meet requirement for branded products in organized retail to attract customer attention. Printing industry has rapidly coevolved with packaging in this global outlook. Indian converters have been adopting the latest technologies and several high-end machines from western countries like Germany and Italy that account for almost 45 per cent of the total packaing solutions. However, small corrugators and commercial printers use products from Taiwan, Korea, China and Japan to deliver small units at cost effective price.

Pointers indicate that packaging industry is moving at a growth rate between 20-25 per cent from the present level of 12-15 per cent. Technology is oriented to improve business efficiencies and competitiveness. Process automation and extensive use of robotics system enabled with wireless communication have changed the vending structure for this industry. Packaging is indispensible for maintaining quality systems and control in production, delivery, safe disposable and waste management.