Padma Vibhushan Man Mohan Sharma highlights packaging innovations at Star Awards 2025

The 8th edition of the SIES SOP Star Awards 2025 was held on 18 February in Mumbai, recognising outstanding achievements in packaging innovation. Padma Vibhushan Prof Dr Man Mohan Sharma, a distinguished chemical engineer and former Director of the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), was the chief guest at the event.

Addressing the audience, Prof Sharma expressed his admiration for the range of products showcased at the awards. “I feel very happy that we have such talent in India to produce such an extraordinary range,” he said. He noted the progress made in packaging technology and its impact on various industries.

Prof Sharma provided insights into the rapid growth of polymer-based packaging materials, citing increases in production volumes of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene over the years. "I have seen polyethylene going from 3,000 tons to several million tons. I have seen polystyrene going from trivial quantities to 200,000 tons. Technology allowed polyethylene films to become thinner, thinner, and stronger, which led to the so-called pollution problem, created more by municipalities than by the polymer itself." He highlighted how advancements in polymer technology have led to thinner, stronger films, improving efficiency while also presenting environmental challenges.

Discussing the evolution of packaging, Prof Sharma recalled the shift from glass bottles to plastic pouches for milk distribution. “In the 1950s, milk was sold in glass bottles, which were heavy, expensive to transport, and required significant water for cleaning. Plastic pouches eliminated these inefficiencies,” he explained. He challenged policymakers to find viable alternatives before banning plastic-based milk packaging.

He also spoke about the use of PET bottles and their high recyclability rate in India, exceeding 90%. He shared the story of Nathaniel Wyeth of DuPont who overcame 10,000 failures before successfully developing PET bottle technology. “Today, the world produces more than 60 billion PET bottles per year—a revolution in packaging,” he remarked.  Today, he says India has successfully indigenised the use of polyethylene and anecdotally shares how polyethylene bags have reached every corner of the country. "Nobody would have thought that the invention of polyethylene would one day be used by construction workers in India to drink tea."

Addressing packaging in the eCommerce and electronics sectors, he underscored the importance of expanded polystyrene for protective packaging, citing its strength and recyclability. He also highlighted the need for better packaging solutions in India’s fruit and vegetable markets to reduce wastage. “Barrier film-based packaging can extend shelf life by almost a week, yet India does not produce key materials like EVOH, which are monopolised by only two global companies,” he noted.

His speech was a masterclass in terms of scientific and technical details. He shared a couple of anecdotes about his interaction with key policy-makers in the government which determined the course of the growth of the Indian chemical and petrochemical industry in the crucial decades.

Prof Sharma acknowledged India’s leadership in innovative packaging formats, such as sachets, which revolutionised accessibility for products like shampoo and edible oil. Today, a majority of shampoo sales in India transpire due to sachets. Four decades ago, there was no concept of sachets and shampoo was a product confined to the rich. Also, he shared how Indian ingenuity led to the development of the iconic round-shaped plastic Parachute coconut oil bottle to prevent damage from rats.

Prof Sharma who pioneered the chemical method of determining effective interfacial areas in liquid systems at a cost that was a small fraction of the prevailing physical methods ensured that was the theme of his address to the packaging experts in the audience. The theme of creating "packaging breakthroughs through affordable excellence."

Reflecting on the advancements in packaging technology, Dr Man Mohan Sharma praised the contributions of young professionals in the field. He said, "It is good to see so many young people receiving awards. I foresee a very bright future for more and more innovative packaging." He commended the SIES School of Packaging for its role in training professionals and fostering innovation in the industry.

Prof Sharma reaffirmed the critical role of packaging in modern life. “Packaging is indispensable because you cannot dispense a product without it,” he said. He congratulated the award winners and the organisers for a successful event, reinforcing the importance of continued advancements in sustainable and efficient packaging solutions. He extolled the audience to work on frugal innovation. His mantra, "Money does not matter. Ideas matter."