Sustainable packaging key to India’s export growth, says Minister Jitin Prasada at IIP Diamond Jubilee

INDIA – Union Minister Jitin Prasada has called on India’s packaging industry to adopt sustainable, world-class practices, stating that packaging will play a major role in supporting the nation’s manufacturing growth and export ambitions.

Addressing the Diamond Jubilee inauguration of the Indian Institute of Packaging themed “Six Decades of Innovation: Packaging – A Sustainable Future for Viksit Bharat,” Prasada emphasised that India must “make in India and make for the world” and “package in India and package it for the world”. 

He noted that Indian consumers have become increasingly quality-conscious and aspirational, creating opportunities for both domestic manufacturers and exporters, adding that the era where only export markets received the best-quality goods was over.

Sustainability as a Priority, Not a Burden

Prasada stressed the need for the packaging industry to adopt green and sustainable practices, stating that going green, biodegradable, recycling, and sustainable packaging has come of age, and that it should not be treated as a compliance burden but as the topmost priority. 

The minister’s framing shifts sustainability from regulatory obligation to competitive advantage, reflecting a broader government push to align packaging standards with the expectations of developed-world importers. 

Free trade agreements increasingly include environmental provisions; packaging that cannot demonstrate recycled content or recyclability risks non-tariff barriers.

Technology and Trade as Twin Engines

The minister emphasised that technology and trade are the “twin engines” driving India’s growth story, noting that artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced technologies will shape the future of the packaging sector. 

He stated that the sooner the industry equips itself to evolving technological challenges, the better positioned it will be to further cutting-edge packaging. 

Referring to India’s ongoing free trade agreement negotiations and recent trade deals, Prasada said that the developed world is looking towards India as the biggest market and the biggest prospects.

Ease of Doing Business

He also highlighted the government’s efforts to improve the ease of doing business through reduced compliances and decriminalisation of outdated provisions, stating that the government wants to roll out the red carpet for investors, not red tape, referring to the Jan Vishwas Bill which has reduced compliances. 

The Indian packaging market is projected to reach US$92 billion by fiscal year 2030, growing at approximately 9 percent CAGR, outpacing GDP growth.

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