The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) is setting up its sixth centre in Bengaluru. Karnataka's department of commerce and industries will provide training and consultancy in packaging technology and quality to medium and small packaging enterprises.
The centre, which spans an area of four acres, within 10,000 sq ft of constructed area, at a cost of Rs 5 crore, with the aid of a financial grant from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
MN Vidyashankar, principal secretary, department of commerce and industries, Government of Karnataka, and chairman, Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), said, “The new centre of IIP is yet another endorsement of Karnataka’s growing industrial importance. Access to a pivotal industry body will enable the setting up and faster growth of packaging and allied industries in the state.”
“It will also serve as a support to the primary customers of packaging, namely industries like fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), dairy, beverages and pharmaceuticals,” he added.
Commenting on the establishment of IIP's centre in Bengaluru, Vimal Kedia, managing director, Manjushree Technopack, and chairman, IIP Bangalore, said, “The new centre will play a crucial role in strengthening the local packaging industry’s performance both within the country and in the export markets.”
Training activities will commence during the year. A laboratory will also be set up to test packaging material and finished packages. The centre will host the National Packaging Exhibition, INDPACK, and the National Conference on Packaging in 2014.
The foundation stone-laying ceremony is slated to be held on February 15, 2013. Jagadish Shivappa Shettar, chief minister, Karnataka, and Anand Sharma, union minister for commerce, industry and textiles, are expected to be present.
Why Karnataka?
IIP’s presence in Karnataka will provide a fillip to the packaging and allied industries by way of innovative package design and development, expansion to export markets and standardisation.
The state’s industrial advantages made it the obvious choice for the new centre of IIP. With 26 MSME product clusters, 132 industrial estates and eight growth centres, Karnataka is at the forefront of industrial development in the country.
A technology and quality centre for packaging will have an impact across several sectors, including FMCG, liquor and pharmaceuticals, which have come to heavily rely on it.
India's packaging sector
Pegged at $24.6 billion, the Indian packaging industry is growing at a rate of 15 per cent and is slated to triple in size in the next five years.
Packaging is considered a crucial component of the overall product by manufacturers, traders, retailers and end users, with most marketers even looking at it as a vital marketing tool.
It is also heavily influenced by consumer habits, and given the recent changes in Indian lifestyles and increase in literacy, customers now possess an increased awareness about products and packaging.
Besides product differentiation, better packaging results in protection and safe transportation of products; reduce loss and damage, wastage of products and produce. It enhances product value and also helps to expand markets within and outside the country.
“Eco-friendly packaging has also begun to make its presence felt,” N C Saha, director, IIP, said.
