Inter FoodTech, Snack&Bake Tec, Pac MechEx 2025 draws visitors on a three-day event
From startups to decades-old companies that cater to multi-national corporations, these industry leaders have their ears to the ground and know the pulse of the packaging industry.
08 Apr 2025 | 868 Views | By Sai Deepthi P
The fourth edition of Inter FoodTech, Snack&Bake Tec, Pac MechEx, drew crowds at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. The three-day event featured over 250 exhibitors, mostly India-based, focused on packaging and food technology.
On day two of the event, the Metal Container Manufacturers’ Association (MCMA) hosted a seminar titled Can-The Future, which featured industry experts from the tin can manufacturing and metal manufacturing industries. The panel discussion, moderated by Ritesh Mathur, founder of F2F Food and Beverage consultants, featured Amit Agrawal, chief marketing and sales officer of Tata Steel, Kaushal Vora, managing director of Massilly India Packaging, Kartik Nayak, joint managing director of Shetron Limited, and Subhaprada Nishtala, founder of Food Adroit. The discussion focused on tinplate packaging and the role it would play in sustainability, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2025, and the only thing holding brands back from switching to metal packaging is the cost.
Ujjal Chakraborti from Tata Steel highlighted the features of tinplate steel, such as its lightweight, durability, and recyclability, making it ideal for packaging. The division leads the Indian market with a 40% share and exports 20% of its production, focusing on innovation and high-strength steel development. He emphasised steel’s superiority over alternative packaging, particularly plastics, regarding sustainability and long-term cost-efficiency.
S Sreenatha, vice president of Easy Openends, called for greater confidence and modernisation in India's canning and packaging industry. He stressed the lack of formal training programs and skilled technical manpower, urging institutions like IITs and other multinational corporations to introduce specialised courses and training centres in can making and quality control. Drawing comparisons with countries like Thailand, he notes that India has significant untapped potential in packaging innovation and manufacturing efficiency.