Kamakshi Sudpack inaugurates new plant near Ahmedabad

The Kamakshi Sudpack production plant near Ahmedabad was inaugurated on 14 October 2022. In 2020, the Germany-based film packaging specialist Sudpack had entered into a joint venture with Ahmedabad-based producer of printed flexible packaging materials Kamakshi Flexiprints.

16 Oct 2022 | By Abhay Avadhani

The Kamakshi Sudpack complies with the IGBC standards for green building

Kamakshi Sudpack has inaugurated its flexible packaging manufacturing plant at Bavla near Ahmedabad. The plant which has been set up with an investment of Rs 200 crore was inaugurated in the presence of Sudpack's managing partner Carolin Grimbacher and managing director Tharcisse Carl. Along with the presence of the managing directors of Kamakshi Sudpack, Harish Goel and Narendra Dhupar, as well as local politicians and VIPs.

As per the official press note issued, the Germany-based Südpack is a leading manufacturer of high-performance films for food, non-food and medical packaging and has invested in Kamakshi Südpack, (formerly Kamakshi Flexiprints), a manufacturer of printed flexible packaging materials.

The new site is a key component of "Sudpack's internationalisation strategy – as well as a strategic hub for the intensified development of the rapidly growing market of the Indian subcontinent and for meeting the demand for high-quality flexible films in a broad range of industries with a comprehensive product and service portfolio." Set up at a cost of 200 crores, the facility will produce packaging material for food and the pharmaceutical industry.

The complex covers a total area of approximately 2.25 lakh square feet and has an installed capacity of 24,000 Tonnes Per Annum (TPA).  The plant is equipped with cutting-edge extrusion, printing, coating and laminating machines for the production and finishing of high-performance films. It complies with the IGBC Standards for green building. The site will also comply with future international regulations and standards, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), BRC, FSMS ISO 22001, QMS ISO 9001 and SMS-ISO 45001.

Tharcisse Carl, who was also responsible at Sudpack for the new construction of the production site said, "Our well-considered site concept is designed so we can gradually expand its capacities in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for multilayer films that are both innovative and sustainable for flexible packaging on the Indian subcontinent."

Harish Goel added, "Sudpack's unparalleled and long-standing expertise in coextrusion and film finishing in combination with our excellent knowledge of the market opens up opportunities for us that we had not been able to exploit in such a way until now".

Readers of WhatPackaging? magazine would know that Kamakshi has a packaging manufacturing plant at Changodar (near Ahmedabad) which boasts of an installed capacity of 3,600 MTPA to make flexible packaging material. Auxiliary bag making machines manufacture 20 million bags and 10 million poly bags per month.

Sustainable packaging solutions

The Kamakshi Sudpack factory will focus on sustainability. The aim is to consistently meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions. After all, the reduction of plastic waste has become a topic of increasing importance in recent years in India as well. In 2016, the Indian government recognised the problem and passed what are known as the "Plastic Waste Management Rules." According to the rules, single-use plastic items such as simple plastic carrier bags are to no longer to be produced by the end of 2022.

Kamakshi Sudpack factory is looking at the gradual phasing-out of multilayer laminates that are not recyclable and therefore, predominantly undergo thermal recycling. "With our broad portfolio in the area of recyclable and particularly material-efficient high-performance films and packaging concepts, we are in an excellent position – and can therefore, optimally support our Indian customers in meeting statutory requirements in terms of sustainability,” signed off Carolin Grimbacher, whose position also includes overseeing the R&D department at Sudpack.