Focus on packaging cost reduction, automation
Torrent Pharmaceuticals’ Suresh Ganapuram talks to Noel D’Cunha about end-of-the-line automation, serialisation, track and trace, and anti-counterfeiting
11 Oct 2015 | By Noel D'Cunha
Suresh Ganapuram of Torrent Pharmaceuticals
Noel D’Cunha (ND): How has packaging changed in the last five years?
Suresh Ganapuram (SG): Drastic technological changes have happened in last five years. The importance of packaging has increased with respect to product promotions, counterfeiting, brand image, and most importantly, contribution to extending product shelf life. We have seen innovations on packaging cost reduction and automation fronts. In recent times, there have been attempts to switch over to bio-degradable packs. Also, there has been significant improvement with respect to end-of-the-line automation, serialisation, track and trace, PCR/aggregation, etc.
Suresh Ganapuram (SG): Drastic technological changes have happened in last five years. The importance of packaging has increased with respect to product promotions, counterfeiting, brand image, and most importantly, contribution to extending product shelf life. We have seen innovations on packaging cost reduction and automation fronts. In recent times, there have been attempts to switch over to bio-degradable packs. Also, there has been significant improvement with respect to end-of-the-line automation, serialisation, track and trace, PCR/aggregation, etc.
ND: Are Indian packaging ideas blindly aped from the West or unique?
SG: No, the Indian packaging ideas are unique with respect to counterfeiting and technological aspects. Indian DGFT is proactively working to nullify drug counterfeiting in all the stages. They have speedup the process with cost effective and feasible implementation of PCR/serialisation and data uploading to control the complete distribution channel from manufacturing to consumer stage across the globe. DGFT is working with industries and solution vendors for matrixing, labelling, security features implementation through packaging and labelling.
SG: No, the Indian packaging ideas are unique with respect to counterfeiting and technological aspects. Indian DGFT is proactively working to nullify drug counterfeiting in all the stages. They have speedup the process with cost effective and feasible implementation of PCR/serialisation and data uploading to control the complete distribution channel from manufacturing to consumer stage across the globe. DGFT is working with industries and solution vendors for matrixing, labelling, security features implementation through packaging and labelling.
ND: What kind of brands benefits most from packaging?
SG: High volume products will benefit from packaging with respect to cost by implementing innovative solutions and robotics operation at the end of the line.
ND: Does packaging in India vary in top cities as compared to more humble towns?
SG: There are variations from location to location. Packaging differs with respect to type of population, environmental conditions, etc. Packaging should be designed according to the cost affordability of individual population density.
ND: One trend that is important, according to you?
SG: Anti-counterfeiting features and digital printing as a part of end-to-end solution from manufacturing to packaging are a couple of exciting trends.
SG: Anti-counterfeiting features and digital printing as a part of end-to-end solution from manufacturing to packaging are a couple of exciting trends.
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