First PackPlus Conclave In Hyderabad Highlights Global Regulatory Challenges Ahead For Packaging. The event highlighting global regulatory challenges ahead for packaging, was held concurrently with the first day of PackPlus South on 6 July 2012 at Novotel Convention Centre, Hyderabad.
Over 80% of global demand for API’s (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) is expected to be supplied from China and India by 2015. The challenges likely to arise out of such global demand was the subject of the first ever Conclave of its type held in Hyderabad during PackPlus 2012 on Jul 6 evening. Delegates from the pharma and food manufacturing industry interacted with packaging experts, in a panel discussion, to discuss the implications of the Integrated Quality Risk Management and Global Food Safety Regulations that are emerging. 
An Inspirational Start
The event was inaugurated by Dr. P V Appaji, Director General, Pharmexcil; Dr Ranga Rao, Past Executive Director, Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA); Mr. M.L. Agarwal, Past President-FCBM, APCMA; Mr. Chakravarthi AVPS, Regional Manager, Indian Institute of Packaging, Mr. M. Hemadri, Director, Pack World; Mr. Deepak Manchanda, Consultant, Packaging Design & Development and Mr. Anil Arora, President, Print-Packaging.Com (P) Ltd.
At the inaugural ceremony, Dr. P V Appaji observed that in his opinion there is an urgent need for the packaging industry to work very closely with the manufacturing industry in order to tackle the fast changing global business scenario and regulatory environment for pharmaceutical and food products.
Dr KV Ranga Rao emphasized the need for best practices in bulk packaging and even more so in preventing tampering and adulteration, which brings a bad name to Indian exports.
Mr AVPS Chakravarthy spoke of the dire need for the packaging industry to respond with responsibility to the demand of the user industry. Mr ML Agarwal stressed the importance of the secondary pack and its due role in the product value chain.
Technical Session 1: Reducing Risk & Achieving Strategic Business Goals
Leading experts from the industry participated in a lively panel discussions to discuss issues surrounding forward quality management programs. Mr Swapan Ghosh, Quality Certification Expert, Intertek Expert Services- the leading International Certification agency, highlighted the importance ofprocess driven quality risk management in the context of the food industry. Mr Sanjiv Jaggi, Country Head, Constantia Hueck Flexibles, spoke of managing supplies of GMP certified aluminium foils. Dr U K Saroop, Vice President, Reliance Polymers underlined the importance of food-safe polymers. Mr Siva Nagarajan, Director, Sandilyam Automation Systems, highlighted the process efficiency and batch control that could be achieved by modern track and trace methodology.
Mr Satish Kakade, Serum Institute, drew attention to the significance of packaging vaccines for a cold-chain distribution process and its management. Mr Ranajit Sen, Quality Risk Management Consultant, outlined the contours of the emerging global Harmonised System for Quality Management and augmented GMP. Mr Amrish Chowdhary, Mars India shared details of their Forward Quality Management process which places emphasis on assuring quality supply rather than inspection at delivery. The panel discussion was very ably moderated, inspite of the tight limitation of time and lively audience response, by Mr Gautama Buddha, Head of Packaging, DRL.
Technical Session 2: Best Practices For Bulk Packaging Of Pharma & Food Products
The role of safe and secure bulk packaging and handling was also a subject of intense discussion. MrKanwaljit Singh, Consultant, Surbhi Financial Technologies, highlighted the need to think of saving the 20% freight volume space lost due to use of cylindrical bulk packs. Mr J Patwe, Director,Time Technoplast, offered a solution by demonstrating their new cubical bulk pack units. Mr V Shivkumar, Quality Certification Expert from International Certification Agency- Intertek emphasized the need for a process driven quality management system that could assure delivered product quality. Mr P Dasgupta, Consultant, ITW Signode shared his own experience about bulk shipments and pitfalls to avoid.
Dr Amit Biswas, Executive Vice President, IPDO- Dr Reddy’s Laboratories was present at the occasion and spoke on his experience of being on both sides of the table, as a packaging material supplier from Reliance and subsequently as head of R&D at DRL.
Mr M Hemadri, the renowned packaging industry consultant, wound up the discussions by once again emphasizing the critical linkage between packaging quality and ultimate product delivery. The need to work jointly towards common business goals as partners instead of buyers and sellers was underlined.
Mr. Deepak Manchanda, thanked all guests, panelists and delegates for giving so generously of their knowledge and time and hoped that this would be the beginning of a more sustained and continuing effort towards meeting the challenges ahead.
