BigBasket’s Chetan Murthy on printing and packaging

Murthy is bullish about the power of print. He believes print has created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas and press gave birth to facts and ideas which were created. It was, and still is, a powerful tool for raising awareness, education, literacy, culture preservation and history.

When asked what’s trending, he said, “Digital print is booming in India. It has got new colours like fluorescents, liquids, toners and is wide enough to print maximum shades from colour space.”

He added, “Both print and digital media are complementary; they work together to maximise reach and engagement. For example, a QR code can effectively communicate with consumers, and offer an engaging print experience to them. Say, a magazine can deploy this technology to direct to a website for in-depth review of the concise article or a video interview on the subject.

Murthy spoke about his favourite packaging: ITC’s Fabelle dessert collection box. What caught his eyes was the gloss lining adding to the golden colour of the box, whose structural design is pleasing plus appealing premium look for the luxury chocolate brand.

When asked if Gen Z’s remain loyal to a brand or prefer exploring other alternatives, he said, “They are less likely to exhibit strong brand loyalty. Since we have grown up in a digital era, where information is at our fingertips, we are inclined to research and explore different brands and products before making a purchase. If a brand fails to meet our expectations, we quickly shift our allegiance to one that does.”

He also shared an interesting package concept: a neat, recyclable package for shipping plants. The box comprises a cardboard shell, which folds around the pot to hold it in place inside the shipping box, and an adjustable coconut fibre disk, which sits over the dirt in the pot to keep it from falling out. In a bid to eliminate the use of bubble wrap, the New York-based The Sill online plant store came up with this customised packaging solution.

On the sustainable front, Murthy said, Sustainability tracker can help to provide a real-time tracker to assess the environmental impact of the packaging. This includes information on the materials used, carbon footprint, and recycling instructions. Consumers can make informed choices based on the eco-friendliness of the product.

He concluded, "In India, regulations are transpiring, though slowly. There is awareness to use eco-friendly materials, and eliminate single-use plastics that are below 50 microns. For laminates, combination structure is employed now and may lead to mono family laminates for closed loop waste management. Also, the country has been working on improving recycling strategies such as waste segregation initiative, EPR and public awareness campaigns."