PlastIndia opens at Pragati Maidan

At first glance, day one of the show was busy with serpentine queues to enter Pragati Maidan.

The halls have been segregated into raw materials, and machineries as well as mould-making. Conversations that we overheard on day one were about visitors seeking solutions in the health, hygiene, medical, agriculture and automobile sectors. Recycling and sustainability evoked a huge interest. There were many stalls with showcased recycling as a theme.

The exhibition has participation from 79 countries from around the world and shall witness a footfall of more than 2,00,000 people during the five-day show.

In addition to the main expo, the show has three major events. The first one is a buyer-seller meet. Over 300 buyers from overseas were seen shopping for products that they can source from India. In the second type of knowledge session, the Indian Centre for Polymers and Environment (ICPE) will conduct seminars on sustainability and recycling. The third is a closed-door conference on 3 February during which 80 CEOs will confabulate, debate and interact.

Speaking on the occasion; Jigish Doshi said, “We are delighted to host this exhibition. It feels great to see various stakeholders across plastic industries coming together to pave a path for a technology-enabled sustainable future. The industry can immensely contribute to realising the vision of our Prime Minister of making India a 10 trillion economy.” 

“The main aim of the exhibition is to facilitate export-led growth of the Indian plastics industry and help boost exports both in volume and revenues. Indian Plastics Industry is capable enough to compete in cost and quality to our neighbouring countries like China,” Doshi added.

As Ajay Shah, chairman of the National Executive Council at Plastindia 2023 said, "We’re trying to showcase the powers of the Indian plastic industry."He added, "There's a huge potential for this industry to grow, and become a sourcing hub for the world. There is keen interest from overseas suppliers and companies. People are seeking alternatives to China, and India can provide an alternative. Today, it is easy to do business with India."

The plastic industry in India has the power to employ a large number of people. The industry provides jobs to over four million people and comprises over 35,000 processing units, 80% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises. This sector is predicted to achieve 9.1 lakh crores by 2025.