The state of Karnataka has 26 MSME product clusters, 132 industrial estates and eight growth centres which according to Sapan Ray, chairman, IIP, brings Karnataka at the forefront of industrial development in the country and hence it was preferred location for setting up the new centre.

In the initial years, IIP, Bengaluru will cater to industry requirements such as testing and consultancy and host knowledge exchange programmes and seminars. It will also offer vocational courses in packaging technology for graduates and working professionals.

The Bengaluru and Mysore belt is known for automobile, pharmaceutical and textile industries. Speaking to PrintWeek India, Prof N C Saha, director, IIP, said, “There was a need to assist the entrepreneurs to choose right kind of packaging for their goods. It is glad to have a centre in Bengaluru, which will cater to the needs of Karnataka industry.”

At the occasion, Sharma said, “Packaging today contributes 5.3% of GDP and this industry vertical is growing at 15%, the second fastest in world. We expect it to double to 30% within a decade. Our research in secondary and tertiary packaging is even recognised by European Union, and we reached the milestone much ahead of time, thanks to the work happening at professional institutes like IIP, IIT and NID.”

AVPS Chakravarthi, chairman IIP Hyderabad and managing director of Ecobliss feels that there is lack of basic awareness about packaging in the user industry, especially in the SME sector. The new centre will enhance IIP’s capability to spread the awareness and improve the quality of packaging in India.  

The other five centres of IIP are located in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai.