Piyush Goyal, minister of commerce and industries, acknowledged the rising significance of packaging in trade during an interaction with Chakravarthi AVPS, Global Ambassador of World Packaging Organization, the apex packaging body with 64 countries membership. Goyal mentioned that the packaging footprint is visible in every industry without which the product cannot sustain and get sold.

Minister highlighted, “The packaging industry continues to demonstrate a robust growth despite pandemic. The innovations in the packaging industry are the defining feature for Make in India by getting all products packed in India recognized worldwide to reveal their testimony and quality. It is not only Make in India but Pack in India.”

Chakravarthi AVPS congratulated the minister on achieving a record 418 billion USD worth of exports this fiscal year. He also praised the minister’s efforts in making robust international trade. Incidentally, Goyal has just concluded trade agreements CEPA and ECTA with UAE and Australia, respectively. Minister is on a big mission to get many other countries to sign FTAs with India.

Chakravarthi also conveyed World Packaging Organization’s appreciation to the honorable minister for recognizing the significance of the packaging sector and its contribution to economic growth.

Later in a statement, Chakravarthi says, “In general packaging has two purposes — protect a product and encourage customers to buy the product. In simple terms, packaging sells what it protects; it protects what it sells. From concept to shelf (or delivery to your home), no one can deny the multifaceted role of packaging throughout the supply chain gamut. Imagine the absence of packaging during this ongoing pandemic when there is pressing demand for products like hand sanitizers & washes, surface cleaners, medicines, food/beverage, and scores of other daily use supplies.”

According to Chakravarthi, the future packaging is multidimensional, not that it was never the case before. “As an integral part of the customer experience, packaging will require to live up to the expectations of product performance, visible tamper-evident features, vocal on sustainability attributes and an enabler towards the distribution of fresh & preserved products.”

Chakravarthi says, “There is no culture on earth that can do without packaging.” He is pained that it is viewed by many as a problem and an unavoidable burden. He feels the world cannot do without packaging, but we must learn to make packaging more effective than ever before and educate people everywhere to respect the purpose of packaging.

He feels, “Packaging should be considered an industry segment like any other major segments like steel, cement, chemicals, pharma, textiles and so on and every measure be taken for the upliftment of the industry and thereby contribute to the development of international trade.”

The World Packaging Organization is a non-profit, non-governmental, international federation of national packaging institutes and associations comprising 64 countries. The organization encourages the development of packaging technology, science, access and engineering; Contributes to the development of international trade; and Stimulates education and training in packaging by various means.