The inaugural edition of the Packaging, Design, Innovation and Technology (PDIT) conference jointly organized by IPPStar and Messe Düsseldorf India saw good response with more than 110 delegates in attendance on the first day and a bit less on the second day of the conference. The two-day event took place at Bombay Exhibition Centre on 16–17 December alongside the International PackTech India 2016 exhibition, organized by Messe Dusseldorf India, and the International Drink Tech exhibition organized by Messe Munchen.
Rob Vermeulen, strategy and design, ORV Consultancy; and Debabrata Deb,director of Future Formats. Photo PSA
Among the delegates were some of the leading brand owners such as General Mills, Marico,ITC Foods, Mahindra and Mahindra, Cadila, Nerolac, MTR Foods, Jayshree Foods, INOX, Parakh Agro and Gemini Oils. Many packaging experts and professionals, along with a strong delegation from the Mumbai chapter of the Indian food scientists and technologists association, were present. Interestingly, there were some smaller brand owners such as Debon Herbals who were speakers and others who came to the conference looking for innovative solutions for new food products. In addition, designers and design students and faculty from the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at IIT Bombay took active part.
Prabodh Halde, head regulatory, Marico Ltd. for domestic and international business; and Deepak Manchanda, an associate with The Packaging Consortium. Photo PSAThe PDIT conference covered the panorama of packaging with strong presentations on design and innovation, environment and sustainability, food wastage, the packaging supply chain, retail modernization and new technologies for new materials, simplified structures, digital printing and enhancement. New concepts such as PopPack’s revolutionary use of an air bubble for creating totally accessible flexible packaging were the highlight of the show along with the two packaging design presentations that rocked the audience with the exposition of global trends and the challenge to “think different.”
Save Food
Sukhdev Singh Saini, packaging design and development lead for AMEA region at General Mills International. Photo PSAThe first day’s keynote by Werner Dornscheidt, president and chief executive officer of Messe Dusseldorf, presented the Save Food program, which has now become a key component of the Interpack exhibition. He begun by sharing the findings of the Food and Agriculture Organization and commented, “The aim of the Save Food initiative is to raise awareness among enterprises and institutions of the need to fight food loss and waste and to mobilize them for this cause. Out of the current 7.5 billion world population, 842 million are malnourished, while enough food is produced to actually feed a population of 11 billion if there was less wastage and better delivery.”
The message was clear that food waste leads to wastage of seeds, fertilizer, water and energy apart from depriving millions of people of good nutrition. Venu Gopal Chintada, director, Sathguru Management Consultants, showed how food loss happens across the value chain on the basis of the research of crops and produce in Andhra Pradesh including mango, chickpeas, rice and milk. Chintada’s survey and analysis of the state’s food chain has shown in some cases that modern harvesting practices are more wasteful than traditional methods. He nevertheless spelt out the need of innovations required both in harvesting and in packaging solutions for overall improvement of the food supply chain. Moreover, in several areas it turns out that Andhra Pradesh is doing a better job at processing and delivering food products than the country as a whole.
Appadurai A, country manager – Indigo & Inkjet Solutions, Hewlett-Packard India speaks atthe first annual PDIT Conference in Mumbai. Photo PSA
Gérard Caron, chairman of the Pentawards jury and co-founder of French design and marketing agency Carré Noir, shared the global trends in design, innovation and sustainability while totally wowing the hushed audience with examples from the winners of the last ten years of the world’s foremost open competition for packaging. Rob Vermeulen, strategy and design, ORV Consultancy a global consultant and a featured speaker at the last Save Food Congress, Interpack in 2014 addressed the challenges and opportunities for packaging designers to ‘Make a Difference.’ Vermeulen’s presentation highlighted the need for designers to understand regional food supply chain, production and existing cultural
practices. Only by keeping these in mind can inventive concepts in processing and distribution be imagined and eventually implemented.
William Perell, president, PopPack LLC; and K Ravi, managing director of Hassia Packaging. Photo PSAA major highlight of the first day was a spirited and free-flowing engagement between the design students and the packaging designers. The students from IDC at IIT Mumbai interacted with Saswata Das, director of WOW Design, Gerard Caron, Rob Vermeulen and Deepak Manchanda. Issues discussed were that of better collaboration between designers and advertising agencies, and how lack of coordination could lead to the final product and packaging being inefficiently produced. The discussion concluded with the topic of accessible packaging for visually challenged and color-blind users that is already being investigated by some of the students of the new packaging design program at the IDC.
Saswata Das, partner and executive director at WOW Design. Photo PSAOn the second day, among the topics discussed were innovations in cartons, labels and flexible packs as well as in inks and coatings, which was well received by the audience. Bill Perell, president, PopPack spoke about the innovative ways in which PopPack offers a safe, quick, enjoyable, ergonomically and environmentally responsible way of opening and re-closing flexible packages, sachets, pouches, semi-rigid containers and blister packs.
“One of the most unique conferences ever attended by me with topics covered from every aspect of new technologies coming in packaging industry, sustainable development and the future of the printing and packaging industry. The delightful part of the conference was that eminent speakers not only from India but also froabroad shared their views on next-generation printing and packaging industry.
“As we come across various challenges faced by the industry and environment, understanding the need of the hour and importance of packaging in increasing the productivity with minimizing environmental aspects is necessary. It’s time for authorities to come up with laws and regulations to promote the usage of ecofriendly and recyclable materials. This could even be in the form of some sort of rebate for environmental and eco-friendly product packaging.
“It’s time we give back to the environment before it becomes too late. In the end I would like to thank IPPStar for organizing the PDIT (Packaging Design Innovation and Technology) conference involving various professionals in brainstorming for future needs in the printing and packaging industry considering environmental and sustainable development in focus. I hope more professionals will attend the next conference.”
– Aditya Gaur,
Executive – Packaging Development, Reckitt Benckiser
Denver Annunciation, director at Janus International. Photo PSAPerell said that Indian brand owners have shown great interest in the solution, which can be attested from the fact that he has visited India seven times in the last one year. Perell also finds the consumer product companies far more receptive to innovation than some of the more developed countries. A Appadurai, country manager, HP dramatically highlighted how digital printing technologies can bring a paradigm shift in the way modern packaging is done. He talked about how brand owners can use digital not just for short-run packaging but also for novel ways of engagement and expanding market presence and share—possibilities that are only limited by lack of creativity and marketing acumen. Several
packaging developers embraced the idea of variable and personal packaging with one company already working on their own implementation within days of the conference.
“The PDIT conference was very interactive and I would like to thank team IPPStar for inviting me to participate in such a good packaging conference at the Bombay Exhibition Centre on 16 and 17 December.
I would like to specially thank team HP for highlighting the concept of producing millions of unique SKUs with multiple themes using just a few artworks and the power of software. This is very exciting for me. The example of Coke as a reference is still fresh in my memory, and it is very exciting.
Since I am looking after the packaging development cell in INOX FMCG (INOX Group Co.), which is a start-up organization in FMCG for modern and general trade, I would like to use this printing technology for one of our future projects. I am keen to work on our new and personalized ‘My Snacks Pack.’”
Subhra S. Nandi, Asst. General Manager,
Packaging, INOX FMCG (an INOX Group Co.)
Sustainable packaging
L – R: Saswata Das, partner and executive director at WOW Design; Rob Vermeulen, strategy and design, ORV Consultancy; Gerard Caron, co-founder of Carre Noir with three students of packaging and design and Deepak Manchanda (extreme right). Photo PSAIssues of extending the shelf life of food products and the sustainability of the packaging systems were addressed throughout the conference right from K Ravi’s presentation on automation for packaging machines and his easy-tounderstand guide to Industry 4.0 and Debabrata Deb’s technical presentation on active packaging. Dr. Prabodh Halde took on the complex regulatory issues of food industry compliance in the country with a generous and open offer to help every food product company that needs to clarify and sort out these issues. He also indicated that the current regulatory path is fraught with challenges that
need to be taken with the utmost seriousness by the food industry.
Cheryl Harrison, marketing director, PopPack LLC and chairman, Vivia Foundation; and Venu Gopal Chintada, director – agriculture and food at Sathguru Management Consultants. Photo PSABoth sustainability and food packaging regulatory challenges were addressed by Cheryl Harrison of the Global Action Platform and marketing director of PopPack along with Sonia Henam representing the Centre for Science and Environment. While Henam spoke about the zero-landfill movement in India, Manchanda clearly explained how brand owners can be motivated to aggressively adopt the ‘Swacch Bharat’ (Clean India) motto for a ‘litter-ally’ cleaner environment. The panel discussion on Save Food and sustainable packaging rounded off the day establishing an exceptional context for a discussion on the food and packaging supply chain.
Caron had the last word when he pointed out that too often the packaging designers are brought into the process too late to be able to address the social and environmental aspects of packaging. This was an interesting beginning to a new type of conference—perhaps short on comfort food but long on creativity and food for thought. According to initial feedback from both presenters and participants, the conference provided good take-home value and a much-needed context for action. The second annual PDIT conference will take place in the second half of 2017, most likely in Delhi or Mumbai.
