The inauguration speech was delivered by V Shankar, president, SIES. He said, "India is the fifth largest economy in the world. Packaging has contributed to the growth immensely."

Prasad Balan Iyer, director, SIES SOP said, “The activity and research centre will enable it to connect the training site with industry requirements. It shall house several external training programs including material consumption, lowering the carbon footprint."

Iyer added, “By the year-end, the centre shall receive National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation. The facility will further augment analytical tests, and testing of dangerous goods in the future.”

Activities of both the institutes - SOP and IIEM - have been recognised and progressed over 20 years. With this establishment, the facility has a training centre as well as testing facilities. As Iyer said, “This is a must for companies which need to leap into elements of packaging - materials, sustainability.”

             

Industry stalwarts were present for the ceremony which was followed by a walk-through of the classrooms, packaging materials / packaging testing and quality evaluation labs, plus packaging audit and packaging design & development as well as a gallery of packaging samples.

Prasad Balan Iyer spoke to Team WhatPackaging? about how the two-storey centre will be catering to the needs of packaging education.

The Activity & Research Centre is located in Plot No. D388, MIDC TTC Industrial Area, Kukshet Village, Next to IOCL Vashi Terminal, Navi Mumbai.