POLYMERS Communique – 8.2 – Dec 2021 – Jan 2022

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 l Issue 8.2 l ` 150

Dare to Dream Big It’s Not a Gamble

Racing

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POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

CONTENTS December 2021 - January 2022

l

Issue 8.2

Under the Cover

It’s all about capabilities, vision, market dynamics and, the ever so important, ‘gut feel’...opportunities are aplenty! With this, ‘dreaming big’ is

the colour of the season today!

It’s delightful to see a buoyant business sentiment of the plastics industry. At times, sentiments take you where merely hard work can’t! Positivity can move mountains, identify unseen opportunities and seamlessly overcome obstacles.

A lot of ‘ground content’ here is to share varied approaches to business, to dreams and to growth; beyond the realms of typical business schools! Nothing better than to learn from case studies of ‘Dreaming Big’ that are especially curated for you; nothing better than to read POLYMERS Communiqué.

To close, with normalcy racing in and business racing high, well ushering in a scenario of COVID racing out!

A NEW DAWN

30

Fit into India’s New Global Footprint: Think Big

Shailesh Sheth, Corporate Strategy Advisor, Management & Manufacturing Technology, Ahmedabad

MARCHING ON

34

Mega Factory for BOPP and BOPET: The Belief is to Dream Very Big and Work Very Hard

Sumant Singhal, CEO, Chiripal Poly Films Ltd., Ahmedabad

MEGA TRANSFORMATION

34

44

44

Films for Packaging, Lamination, Labelling and More: Dreaming Big and Making Dreams Achievable

Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films Ltd., New Delhi

NEXT GENERATION INJECTION MOLDING CONTROL office.in@br-automation.com | +91-20-41478999

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ENERGY

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

THE BIG STORY

56

IN PERSPECTIVE

40

Dare to Dream Challenge Yourself, Raise Your Bar Further, Do Not Emulate Someone Else’s Business Harpal Singh, Chairman,

Sangeeta Group, Mumbai

ADVERTORIAL

82

Reframing the Anatomy of Risk

Ruby Thapar, A Reputation and Sustainability Consultant and an Executive Coach, Mumbai

Sponsored by

SIVARAM SPEAKS

84

FORWARD LOOKING

50

Visualise, Introspect and Then Leap Forward

India’s First PE Tubular Film for Dry Bulk Container Liners: Realising a Dream

Managing Director, Vishakha Group, Ahmedabad

Meela Jayadev, Managing

Director, Sudhakar Irrigation Systems Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad

Making the Rupee Speak: A Strategy that Worked Rajkumar Sipani, Chairman,

Sipani Fibres Ltd., Bengaluru

Some Dreams Can Transform India Bishnu Kumar Agarwal, CMD, Samarth Fablon Pvt. Ltd. / Samarth Ad Protex Pvt. Ltd., West Bengal

DIVING DEEP Anil Kabra, Managing Director, Synthetic Packers Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

92

Leveraging Smart Solutions for Superior Plastic Manufacturing

DOWNSIDE

71

Risk Management: A Policy Framework

Sumeet Agarwal, CEO, Sumantrak Specialties, Mumbai

Rupinder Paintal, Director - Market Development,

THOUGHT PROVOKING

76

Customer Empowerment: A Derivative of Technology Leadership

ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

ADVERTORIAL

94

Aerodry Process Automation: Impacting Business Positively

Sponsored by

Our Acquisition Set the Phase for Another Growth

Dr. Harj Cheema

Geeta Anand, CMD,

AG Industries, Gurgaon

Organocatalysis: The Nobel Prize Winning Discovery and its Implications to Polymerisation

Dr. S. Sivaram, Former Director, CSIR-NCL, Honorary Professor Emeritus and INSA Emeritus Scientist, Indian Institute of Science; Education and Research (IISER), Pune

Jigish Doshi, Chairman and

Timely Decisions and Risks: Key to Our Growth

Why Mamata Machinery?

Industry Opines

Chandrakant B. Patel, Jt. Managing Director,

Director of Capital Projects, AUDAX Protective Fabrics Pvt. Ltd., Canada

Mamata Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

Digital Gallery

An online showcase of exclusive content, opinions, research reports and global developments in plastics!

Business Redefined

Register on www.mypc.co.in

The POLYMERS Communique Digital Gallery

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T: +91-22-2520 4436; M: +91-88790 50327; E: info@custage.com POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E

A RELATIONSHIP YOU CAN TRUST

Luxurious print edition

+91- 8879050327

Global digital edition

info@polymerscommunique.com

Weekly e-bulletin

On-the-go MyPC mobile app

Scan and download the MyPC app

GROWTH STORY

98

India, With Its Youth: The Right Market to be In

BUCKLE-UP

123

Import Substitution and ‘Make in India’: Way Forward to Strengthen the Plastics Industry

Arvind Mehta, Chairman - Governing Council, AIPMA;

Past President - AIPMA and Plastindia Foundation; Mumbai

Printed and Published by Manish Chawla

manish@custage.com

Chief Editor Jyoti

jyoti@custage.com

Editorial Advisory Board Arvind Mehta Chairman and Managing Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd. Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha formerly Director at Indian Institute of Packaging

Jun Ho Park, Overseas Manager, SM Platek Co, Ltd. (JSW Group), South Korea

Archives

112

A New Orbit of Applications

Prof. Ashok Misra, Chairman-Emeritus India Intellectual Ventures, Bengaluru Prof. Anil Kumar, Chemistry Department, Indian

Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai

A GRASSROOTs APPROACH

116

Bringing Awareness Among Students: ICPE’s Initiative on Responsible Management of Plastics

In series...

104

Emerging Prospects of Dimethyl Ether as Substitute for LPG and Diesel

Professor (Dr.) G. D. Yadav, Emeritus Professor of

Eminence, and J. C. Bose National Fellow (GoI), Former Vice Chancellor & R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, and Tata Chemicals Darbari Seth Distinguished Professor of Leadership & Innovation, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

120

Plastics and Climate Change

S. K. Ray, Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee, Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), Mumbai

N. K. Balgi formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd. Pushp Raj Singhvi formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd. Rajesh Nath Managing Director, German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India Office Rakesh Shah formerly Managing Director at Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd. S. K. Ray formerly Sr. Executive Vice President (Polymers) at Reliance Industries Ltd.

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IN SHOTS

118

IPLEX’20 Kochi Makes Its Mark

Advertising Sales - National Hyderabad Vani

P. J. Mathew, Convenor, IPLEX’20, Kochi

Mumbai Vinisha New Delhi Vijay

And The Rest

News..................................................................22

Golden PAGES........................................... 125

RETRO................................................................. 74

Events............................................................ 127

Weekend Delights................................. 102 Printed and Published by Manish Chawla, and printed at Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd., A-403, TTC Industrial Area, Near Anthony Motors, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400709, District - Thane and published from 406, Vikas Centre, Dr. C. G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA. Editor: Manish Chawla.

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Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of POLYMERS Communiqué. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances and so POLYMERS Communiqué does not take any responsibility for any loss or damage incurred or suffered by any of its subscribers / readers / advertisers of this magazine. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Subject to Mumbai Jurisdiction. Some of the images used in this issue are from Shutterstock. The maps, if used, in this document are only a pictorial representation, not to scale and do not indicate any geographical boundaries.

No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. POLYMERS Communiqué reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

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Content Alliance Partners

Mind Speak Pushp Raj Singhvi

S. K. Ray

ging Director formerly Vice Chairman and Mana at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd.

formerly Sr. Executive Vice Presid ent (Polymers) at Reliance Industries Ltd.

The basic tenet of business is taking ‘calcu lated risk’ to realise a vision, or a dream for the future. In this journey, a larger-than-life vision propels and modulates the path to the future. Dreaming big becomes a compelling force that releases the adrenaline in the business context to march forward. It is also a pragmatic approach to realise the full potential of any opportunity.

Arvind Mehta

Chairman and Managing Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd.

Fire in the belly for growth will always lead to

dreaming big and

re. achieving it with our inherent calib d their small companies into turne who eurs pren entre Many t ‘big’. Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, billion dollar ones always dream is a shining example. tries Founding Father of Reliance Indus grow from the current can The Indian plastics industry size and current exports from crore lakh 10 Rs. to crore Rs. 3 lakh crore in the next 5 years by Rs. 40,000 crore to Rs. 1,50,000 rtunities. grabbing the global market oppo rt the local industry is the impo The next big opportunity for products being ic plast h wort crore 0 45,00 substitution of Rs. y value chain includes polymer imported annually. The beneficiar converters contributing around and rs make inery mach , producers ‘Atmanirbhar’.

India ng maki Rs. 8,000 crore GST for dy growth. spee our for So, we should ‘dream big’

Pushp Raj Singhvi

Arvind Mehta

Rajesh Nath

Rakesh Shah

beloved Bharat business history of our own the panacea for be can big ing dream that teaches us think twice while naming late business growth. No one has to ys dreamt big and today alwa who ani Amb bhai Dhiru Shri of Reliance Industries Ltd. ess busin the see to it’s for everyone ‘unlimited’. nce Relia In fact, it should be known as mind; first is Richard my Globally, two names come to of these gentlemen Both .

Musk Elon is d secon and Branson own conclusion. their draw can one dreamt very big and is Jeff Bezos big very t Also, one more person who dream about the plastics erned conc all are we Since of Amazon. s that easily come to my processing industry, two name erson Sumi and the other is Moth of al Sehg Vivek are mind own way dreamt not only big, Subhash Chandra. Both in their rints outside India. Subhash but also established their footp ed by his own younger realis fully was dream Chandra’s say that dreaming big to e Suffic l. brother, Ashok Goya places. Other examples in with global vision can take you and Narayana Murthy.

Kohli d Chan Faqir r, Nada India are Shiv read their dreams to sh cheri will Our coming generations ntials that await them. pote e realis s selve them help and

Recent

N. K. Balgi

S. K. Ray

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha

SL

SL

R

Mind Speak Rakesh Shah

formerly Managing Director at Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt.

Rajesh Nath

Managing Director German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India Office

you your business to be a car - do good want you do or s want good brake you need acceleration. Certainly in a car until you but you, ct prote to s good brake car will not have good acceleration the business. You move forward. Same is with the big so that think and vision a need to have accelerate just like the car the business can n to those grow and flourish. Success is draw it. e who actively pursu

Imagine

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha

Ltd.

The basis of most human endeavour is a dream

. What really is a dream in this context?

It is an idea about where one wants to be in one’s life. An idea that becomes a passion, possesses the person who has it, and drives that person to try to realise it.

When a person begins to foster an idea that is seemingly unattainable at that time it is called a ‘Big Dream’.

Larger than life, bigger than the person’s resources etc. are expressions that can define the big dream simp ly. To do anything big, the big dream is the starting point. It becomes the objective, prime motivator, obse ssion if you like, and therefore becomes the main focal point of all thoughts and actions which is what make s the dreamer achieve it.

As Bill Gates said, “It is however not enough to have a big dream.” One has to work hard to realise it lest it lapses as an unanswered wish . The entrepreneur with a big dream needs to have a vision, hard focus and persistence. Planning and hard work are necessary to achieve anything. The dream helps by constantly motivating the entrepreneur.

Dhirubhai Ambani said, “If you don’t build your dream , someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.”

formerly Director at Indian Institute of Packaging

The growth of any business, including plastic packaging, will depend on the amount of effort taken by an entrepreneur. But, at the same time, one has to have a series of thoughts, ideas, aspirations, ambitions or goals in mind. In other words, ‘dream’ in mind is an impo rtant tool for the growth of any business.

Dreaming big is the greatest sourc e of motivation for any entrepreneur. It always serve s as a resource of great ideas to take more effor ts towards business growth. For a ‘big dream’, one has to take a series of actions like setting a clear goal, committing the goal in writing and creat ing the intentions for implementation.

But, at the same time, ‘dreaming big’ would require big confidence, overcoming the fear of failure which needs to be considered as an opportunity to grow and learn from past mistakes, taking action in terms of tracking the progress in each stage, recording it and also celeb rating the success and also to have mindful imag ination. In short, an entrepreneur cannot be succe ssful in business growth without having big dream s in mind.

N. K. Balgi

formerly President & Director Ltd. at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt.

to achieve beyond big in business means targeting s to get everyone need one big’, m conceivable possibility. To ‘drea process’ and then build ming ‘drea the in ipate partic to in your team 90s, companies that have now your growth strategy. In the mide practiced ‘large scale interactiv grown to be big organisations s the organisations brainacros s loyee emp all e wher )’ process (LSIP . re and charted the growth path stormed to prepare the ‘big’ pictu and ent onm envir the h ’ to watc Next, train your team to be ‘agile and then act through ‘real time pick up the growth opportunities strategic change (RTSC)’. ey, initiate your entrepreneurial journ ‘Dream and Dare’ is essential to th. grow ess busin drive and big then dream

Dreaming

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Feedback satisfied azine and are ive your mag e. in az ag m e th out ts in bringing with your effor made. rrections to be n’t see any co do I w, no of As Damodar Soni P ir Polymers LL av ah M

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We are ab le to get news from the polym various se er industry ctors with which mak information. in es it an id Inputs from eal source various indu get know of stry leaders ledge abou helps us to t new te introduced chnologies across the and prod global as ucts market. We well as th hope to ge e local In t such upda dian tes on a regu lar basis.

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the tion between al communica re r fo tics s as pl nd ed in the uniqué sta POLYMERS Comm ers for the various products consum from machineries stom rmation right market and cu ed. the latest info oduct produc ays provides alw It the final pr y. str of du in ge the led to ow lp kn he t ll d grea rs and fu wcomers an to processo pport for ne ays a big su alw is it , So e essors. ts us to mak existing proc news suppor rmation and fo in ct rre co ng the Timely receivi nav ns.

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POLYMERS

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Communiqué & Francis Klein

Murali Y.

Co Pvt. Ltd.

Commun iqué hel know the ps us latest tren ds in the processin polymer g indust ry direct industry le ly from aders. We thorough reading ly enjoy your editi ons. Keep great work up the !

Sharad Ba

Assorted

Plastics (P

uraging and anding, enco is an outst ué iq learnings on un d m POLYMERS Com ine which encompasses diversifien, end products agaz automatio thoughtful m erials, tooling, th the future gies, raw mat lo no to cope up wi ch te ed t ed ne lates ts en m ire qu sources re and human re industry. stry e th of s ed ne polymer indu ders in the rselves urney of lea ou jo g th in ch ow et gr str the fuel for In addition, th larly gives us stry at par wi magazine regu polymer indu an di shared in the In e th ing ak m r fo el lev to the next ds. ué team. global standar S Communiq the POLYMER of rk wo nt Vijay Warke e excelle Appreciate th ation Pvt. Ltd. ig Irr Automat

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POLYMERS Com muniqué is a very info magazine on rmative plastics and polymers. It the journey also highlight and plans of s many indust also inspires rial leaders. us to know ab It ou t th e personal lif successful en e of big trepreneurs.

The quality of printing and overall excellent. W content is ishing you all the best!

Tejendra Ade

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Asian Flexi Pa

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POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

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News Kandui Flame Retardant Masterbatch

Digest

K

ANDUI

FIREFIGHTER®

revolutionary

retardant

which

a

is

fire

a

very effective solution

AMSilk partners with Mercedes-Benz to present a sustainable bio-based product

for

flameproofing

PP

(homo-polymer and co-

polymer) and gives V0

rating in polypropylene

KANDUI Ascend Performance Materials announced it signed an investment agreement to construct a new hexamethylene diamine and speciality chemicals plant in Lianyungang, China

outputs

is

halogenated

masterbatch

Mobile controllers with safe, floating

at

dosages

as 10%.

as

low

This masterbatch, with REACH & RoHS compliances,

allows

usage

in

very

critical applications due to very low halogen levels.

This

flame

retardant

masterbatch

can be used in non-wovens, fibres,

sheets, raffia, moulding, mono-filament and extrusion.

Cargill to acquire Croda’s bio-based industrial business, expanding natured-derived solutions for customers

autonomous.

They require controllers that are not

only compact, but also safe. B&R has Chevron Phillips Chemical completes first commercial sales of Marlex® Anew™ circular polyethylene

A-C

expanded its X90 control system with

an option board that allows floatingground connection of external safety devices,

even safer.

making

mobile

machines

been

new

safety

relay

module,

external

safety components such as drives or laser scanners can now be connected

to the X90 controller via a floatingground emergency stop circuit. A safety

level of PLe / SIL3 can be achieved. The

option board is particularly suitable for

autonomous

construction vehicles.

agricultural

and

With its powerful, expandable X90 controller, B&R offers design freedom that is unique on the market. The

range of option boards opens up new

possibilities

for

implementing

customer-specific automation solutions.

In addition, the controller comes in a rugged IP69K housing. Since it does not

Peak Nano Installs DavisStandard Line for Innovative Capacitor Films

P

eak

Nano

Films,

nanotechnology

a

leader,

U.S.-based recently

commissioned a Davis-Standard cast

film line for processing a breakthrough dielectric film for capacitor applications.

With this new equipment, Peak Nano

Films has moved into production to serve automotive, military, electrical

grid and industrial markets. This new nanolayered film represents the first major

materials

improvement

for

solid-state film capacitors in decades.

Davis-Standard collaborated with Peak Nano’s team to validate the process and tailor the cast film machinery The new safety relay module from B&R makes mobile machinery even safer.

22

not

wiring, easy service is guaranteed.

obile machines are becoming increasingly

previously

require a control cabinet or complex

B&R Introduces New Safety Relay Module for X90 Control System

M

have

available on the market. With B&R’s

based

on

the

company’s

product requirements.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

unique

December 2021 - January 2022

shaped badge for the electric BMW iX

is produced in a cleanroom atmosphere.

Both the BMW Group and ENGEL are

Digest Clariant’s Styromax® Ul3 catalyst demonstrates outstanding productivity at Risun’s new styrene monomer plant in China

Comar expands packaging solutions portfolio with Omega Packaging acquisition

Dow launches Luxsense™ silicone synthetic leather, providing innovative solutions for a new era of high-end sustainable materials

breaking completely new ground here,

prompting the International Society for Plastics Technology (SPE Central Europe)

to honour the application with the SPE Grand Award 2021.

Peak Nano, film on turret winder.

“We have grown with Davis-Standard

In an integrated process, a heatable

Mike Hus, Senior Vice President of

polycarbonate and flood-coated with

“Davis-Standard’s

technical

expertise

of processes which is also offered by

processes

define

machinery

knew from the start that this process

says

functional film is back-moulded with

Engineering, Peak Nano Film. He adds,

polyurethane. This is a combination

enabled us to collaborate on new

ENGEL under the name clearmelt. “We

features prior to purchase. We value

combination would enable automotive

systems-oriented approach in helping

way,” says Michael Fischer, Head of

throughout

this

endeavour,”

and

Davis-Standard’s

experience

and

make this film a reality.”

Business Development Technologies at

Peak Nano Films’ modern dielectric film

already having been used for vehicle

structure overcomes current technology

challenges to provide longer capacitor life,

higher

temperature

resistance,

greater breakdown strength and a

smaller footprint for capacitor designs.

This includes two to four times the energy storage and temperatures up

Eco-conscious yoga mats made with HEXPOL TPE’s bio-based material

Faerch acquires leading dairy packaging company Paccor

designers to think in a completely new

to 150° C (300° F). As a result, capacitor producers

benefit

from

additional

design freedom and the potential for

ENGEL, Austria. “With the technology

interiors, the kidney-shaped badges for

BMW’s new electric models represent the next step. This is the first time that

combined film back injection moulding and polyurethane flooding is being used in the series production of functional components on the exterior, where they are exposed to particularly high stress.”

The

sensitive

electronics

are

well

reducing system costs for end-users.

protected under the scratch-resistant

Davis-Standard’s

level and depth effect, which even a

web

handling

expertise and scrap reduction strategies

have been pivotal in helping Peak Nano Films deliver this film and other innovative a

custom

products.

feedscrew

In

addition,

design

built

polyurethane surface. The high gloss

thin coating of polyurethane achieves, convey a very elegant impression.

ENGEL is the system supplier for this demanding project, with responsibility

specifically to adapt to the process Henkel invests in medical technology start-up Smartz AG

C-H

requirements for this dielectric film has also been advantageous.

New Cleanroom Production Solution by ENGEL Goes Live; SPE Grand Award Honours Innovative Application on the Vehicle Exterior

T

he BMW Group has launched a

new ENGEL production unit at its

Landshut production plant. The kidney-

24

The kidney-shaped badges for the new BMW iX are produced in a highly integrated cleanroom production cell by ENGEL. This is the first series production application for combined film back injection moulding and polyurethane flooding on the demanding vehicle exterior. (Picture: BMW Group)

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Milliken presents

UltraGuard Solutions for improved barrier properties in polyethylene ™

UltraGuard™ Solutions by Milliken is a line of performance additives that brings value to polyethylene parts by improving barrier properties. It can be used in films, and in injection molded, compression molded, and blow molded parts.

These additives cut by up to 50% the transmission rate of any substance (such as moisture or oxygen) that passes through the polyethylene bottle.

As an added benefit, UltraGuard Solutions also provide sustainability benefits. To meet the barrier requirements, pharma bottles typically have much thicker walls than needed from a purely functional point of view. PE resin formulated with these additives enables bottle makers to reduce the weight of these bottles by up to 20% while still providing enhanced barrier properties.

These lighter-weight bottles, therefore, use significantly less material and lessen their overall impact on the environment.

HDPE with UltraGuard

HDPE

0.00229 WVTR (g/pack. day)

White opaque HDPE bottles are commonly used for OTC (over-the-counter) drugs, prescription drugs and nutraceutical products because they have good moisture barrier and light protection properties. Barrier enhancement in HDPE pharma bottles is particularly valuable because it can help to extend the potency of drugs toward the end of their shelf life.

WVTR of HDPE Bottles

0.00173

-33%

-34%

0.00154 0.00114

Original Wall Thickness

Reduced (20%) Wall Thickness

Polyethylene with UltraGuard Solutions provides controlled crystallization allowing for enhanced properties.

up to 60% improved barrier

downgauging

increased shelf life

For more details and information please contact us at asiachem@milliken.com or visit us online at chemical.milliken.com © Copyright 2022 Milliken & Company. All rights reserved.

Milliken™ and Ultraguard™ are trademarks of Milliken & Company.

for the complete production cell. In terms

Digest Indorama Ventures, a global sustainable chemical company, announces that it is in the process of acquiring Ngoc Nghia Industry, Vietnam

of

process

integration

and

production

cell

machine

with

automation, it meets particularly high requirements.

The

integrates an ENGEL duo combi M injection

moulding

a horizontal rotary table, two large articulated robots for handling the films

and moulded parts, a film cleaning system,

an

inline

quality-control

station and peripheral units including polyurethane technology.

INVISTA acquires propylene business from Flint Hills Resources

KRAIBURG offers TPEs that are suitable to be applied on musical instruments and accessories

Neste successfully concludes its first series of processing trial runs at industrial scale with liquefied waste plastic in Porvoo, Finland

Plastic Energy and TotalEnergies sign an agreement for an advanced recycling project in Spain

I-P

Reinhard Priller, Sales Director, Brückner Maschinenbau is very proud: “Such partnership

is

to

unique.

do

unusual

Forop’s

The special feature: Above the injection

willingness

things

a sliding ceiling which can be opened

operation and a deep mutual trust for

the mould area. All work steps in the

to extraordinary results. I am sure the

also un-pack the function films and pack

successful joint decade.”

moulding machine, the cleanroom has

sometimes, their will for absolute co-

for mould changes and other work in

many years - this is fun and also leads

cleanroom are automated. The robots

six new projects will herald another

the parts.

Covestro Receives First DNV Adjustment Certification for Partial Reduction Factor γm1 of Wind Turbine Blades Using AgingResistant Polyurethane

An ISO class 8 greyroom adjoins the cleanroom with the production cell.

the entire production unit as early as in the RFQ phase. “In the 3D simulation, we were able to guide our customer through all the production cell areas,

C

ovestro

has

received

the

first

adjustment certification from DNV,

see how the robots interact, and

the wind power industry’s certification

construction of the cell had even

reduction factor γm1 of wind turbine

Automation and Peripheral Units at

polyurethane (PU). This factor is an

assess the ergonomic aspects before

organisation, for the so-called partial

begun,” as Walter Aumayr, Vice President

blades

ENGEL, Austria reports.

important indicator of the long-term

is an extremely loyal customer of

Brückner Maschinenbau. Since 2009

both parties have been cooperating in 28 various BOPP projects. Especially in the last few years, the business gained

enormous

momentum. Since 2020, Forop ordered

18 complete film stretching lines plus a laboratory stretcher KARO® 5.0.

The recently signed lines are consistently high-speed

lines,

running

aging-resistant

service performance of the blades.

F

has

of

is also used to measure the long-term

orop Advanced Materials Co., Ltd.

relationship

made

aging resistance of rotor blades and

Forop and Brückner Sign for Further Six High-speed BOPP Lines

with

600 m/min. Two trend setting BOPP/

26

the scope of delivery.

a

Another first: ENGEL virtually visualised Lego Group expands manufacturing capacity at its factory in Jiaxing, China to support long-term growth

BOPE hybrid lines are also included in

It is also the first time that DNV has evaluated and adjusted this factor.

To do so, DNV evaluated complex and rigorous comparative tests as well as

theoretical analysis by Covestro. Based on design standards for wind rotor blades

(DNVGL-ST-0376:2015),

DNV

confirmed and adjusted the partial

reduction factor γm1 of polyurethane resin processed using the vacuum infusion

process.

This

certification

applies to the Baydur® 78BD085 PU resin and the Desmodur® 44CP20 hardener from Covestro.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Resin materials must prove their long-term aging resistance before

Digest Solvay to collaborate with Trillium on bio-based acrylonitrile for carbon fibre applications

they

be

given

that allow for broader

rotor blade design and application. For the first time ever, DNV has lowered the γm1 factor of polyurethane resin, marking

an

important

for Covestro.

Sun Chemical acquires SAPICI to expand customer offerings in polymers and lamination adhesives market

can

lower safety margins

Compared

to

epoxy

milestone

resin,

which

is often used to manufacture rotor blades, polyurethane resin shows better

mechanical properties. With a lower

γm1 value, rotor blade designers can take full advantage of polyurethane and

also achieve greater design freedom.

Teijin Aramid and Clariter develop a carbon neutral solution for recycling of Endumax®

The Heubach Group and SK Capital partners close acquisition of global colourants business of Clariant

Train Bits & More Ltd. (TBM) offers more hygienic commute with antimicrobial technology from Biomaster

As the need for longer and larger rotor

blades increases, so does the weight of

TPE

series

of

and

a

in

soft

compounds, of

and

respective

available

pre-colouration

wide

velvety

surface

applications.

processing

in

options,

a

window

These

variety

have

and

a

can

be processed via injection moulding and extrusion.

rotor

the customers’ needs to fulfill medical

has become an important issue in the

to customise the compounds to suit

resin enables the production of lighter

regulations for specific clinical laboratory

greatly improves the efficiency of blade

Solutions for Versatility and Safety

blade

industry.

Polyurethane

blades with the same length, which

equipment and applications.

production and its applications.

The

T

hermoplastic are

elastomers

increasingly

development

of

safe

used

equipment

and to

for

PVC, heavy metals and phthalates,

(TPEs)

the

efficient

improve

TPE series of compounds for a variety of medical and healthcare applications.

The compounds meet the performance for

include

buttons,

resulting

in

high-quality

material

solutions that meet Cytotoxicity, GB/T

16886.5, ISO10993-5, as well as various global

food

contact

medical standards.

The

series’

food-grade

Commission 10/2011,

and

compounds

standards

the

Administration’s

US

Food

Code

also

such

Regulation

relevant

as

meet

(EU)

and

of

the

No.

Drug

Federal

Regulations Title 21 (21CFR), and China’s GB (GuoBiao) standards.

clinical

Additionally, the series of compounds

handles,

adhesion to PP, soft touch surface,

laboratory equipment and components.

These

of

hazardous substances such as latex,

manufacturer offers its THERMOLAST® H

criteria

series

the EtO process. It is also free of

KRAIBURG TPE, the recognised global TPE

structural

H

autoclave at 121° C and also through

either at home or in a clinical setting.

and

THERMOLAST®

compounds are sterilisable with an

KRAIBURG TPE Offers Its THERMOLAST® H TPE Series of Compounds for a Variety Medical and Healthcare Applications

droppers, valves, pipettes, test tube

racks, stoppers, flexible connections, closures and gaskets.

28

H

compounds exhibit flexibility, durability,

Furthermore, KRAIBURG TPE is able

detection, evaluation and response,

S-T

THERMOLAST®

the blades. Therefore, weight reduction

laboratory TricorBraun acquires beverage packaging leaders Zuckerman Honickman and Vessel Packaging

Better Structural Properties and Performance with TPEs

feature excellent properties such as chemical

abrasion,

compression

set

and haptics etc., allowing for product design flexibility.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

A NEW DAWN

Fit into India’s New Global Footprint

Think Big

India is breaking out of its shell and regulatory barriers to growth are diminishing

(especially with the redefinition of MSMEs). The time has come for India to think big!

India does rank high on macroeconomic stability (Score 90, 43rd Rank) and market

size (Score 93.7, 3rd Rank). India’s financial sector (Score 69.5, 40th Rank) is relatively deep, and stability and innovation (Score 50.9, 35th Rank) is well ahead of most emerging economies, or on par with several advanced economies

I

n 2019, India became the fifth largest economy in the world, and by 2028, it will

Shailesh Sheth Corporate Strategy Advisor, Management & Manufacturing Technology, Ahmedabad

30

be the third largest. Stunningly, the third trillion dollar of GDP was reached in just five years (2014 to 2019), whereas the first two trillion took India 65 years to reach!

India has now arrived on the world stage!

Expanding Our Horizon Although India’s share in the global goods trade is still small, about 2%, the domestic consumption has been the major driver of India’s growth story. A single

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

- Michelangelo

example from

the auto industry would

suffice to understand this point.

Passenger

NN

Gram Sadak Yojana

NN

Production Linked Incentive Scheme

NN

Digital India l

Skill India Mission l

MSME Rejuvenation Schemes When these schemes gather full

Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.

- Timothy Ferriss

vehicle

production crossed the 4-million

mark, and two-wheelers crossed the 20-million mark with India now set to become the third largest

auto market in the world by 2026. So, India can no longer be seen as a small, village mart. We have to paint on its large and expanding canvas.

The time has come for India to think big! The context in which management theorist Peter

Drucker wrote, ‘Small is Beautiful’ has altered dramatically. The new narrative now demands

we understand that small may be beautiful, but ‘Big is Better’.

India is breaking out of its shell and regulatory

barriers to growth are diminishing (especially with the redefinition of MSMEs). India has become one country, one market (GST is similar to VAT); OEMs

are encouraging outsourcing, global players are

setting up plants in India, and manufacturing is

steam, India will surely see high

growth on a sustainable basis, Corona notwithstanding.

Thus,

these

are

the

times

to think ‘big’, not small and

marginal. When the whole nation

is on the run, you cannot merely

walk. You will have to leap forward,

literally and metaphorically.

It is for the leadership of the corner office to

take charge in charting their future to ensure that apprehensions about the existing threats

are replaced by positive aspirations to make a

significant impact. As it is said in the Bhagavad

Gita, “Find purpose, and the means (growth) will follow.”

Large number of companies are considering alternatives to manufacturing in China. So, who

will be the +1 part of the China+1 strategy?

Considering

the

various

countries

in

South-

East Asia that fit the bill, the five most likely contenders are as mentioned in Table 1.

Despite the fourth rank on the list as given in

Table 1, India does rank high on macroeconomic

stability (Score 90, 43rd Rank) and market size

back again in focus in the government’s priorities.

The result is that you either grow big with the

Score

Rank in 141

Malaysia

74.6

27

Indonesia

64.6

50

Vietnam

61.5

67

India

61.4

68

Bangladesh

52.1

105

whole supply chain or just exit. There are simply no other options for businesses.

Strengthening India Businesses looking to survive in this competitive, ever-changing economic climate must also make the effort to fully understand the implications of

these ten significant initiatives that are currently playing out in India.

NN

Make in India

NN

Trade corridors

NN

Atmanirbhar Bharat

NN

Defence ‘offset’ policy

NN

Startup India

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Countries

Table 1: World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 4.0, 2019 To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

31

MARCHING ON

Mega Factory for BOPP and BOPET

The Belief is to Dream Very Big and Work Very Hard “We are excited to offer the market BOPP films (1,26,000 MTPA) and

BOPET films (38,000 MTPA); another recent move being the PET resins manufacturing (2,16,000 MTPA). Also, I believe that it is important not to lose focus and never let circumstances prevail upon you to deter your movement towards fulfilling your dreams,” elucidates Sumant Singhal, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. In less than a decade, Chiripal (CPFL) has grown in leaps and bounds; what are the top three attributes as per you that are clear contributors to this growth?

I think the three key attributes which helped us achieve this growth are clarity of vision, people centricity and customer centricity.

Right from when we started, we were clear about where we wanted to be in 10 years and built our business from day one with that goal in mind. We created an infrastructure that was best in class and easily scalable, we hired the best talent in the business and put together

a team that was capable and motivated to achieve our goals, we focussed on creating

products and establishing processes which were comparable, if not better, than our

competitors who had a twenty-year head start on us. The outcome is a future-ready organisation which is agile and responsive to changes in the marketplace or the competitive landscape.

I have always believed that an organisation is as good as its people. We have always hired the

best and created an ecosystem where our team members continually develop themselves and contribute their best for the company. We have one of the lowest attrition rates in the industry, particularly in the mid and senior management levels. The continuity and the commitment of our team has definitely been a significant contributor to our fast growth.

Last but not the least, we have always kept the customer at the core of whatever we have

done. In an industry where 80% of what we sell is highly commoditised, we did not want to play the price game. The only way to retain customers in such a competitive and price

sensitive market, is to offer customers an experience which delights them. In fact, our Hyderabad expansion is a step in the same direction - it was to get closer to our customers in the south and to cut the time to market.

34

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

In an industry where 80% of what we sell is highly commoditised, we did not want to play the price game. The only way to retain customers in such a competitive and price sensitive market, is to offer customers an experience which delights them.

Sumant Singhal CEO, Chiripal Poly Films Ltd., Ahmedabad

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

35

Q. Your views on ‘80% of business comes from 20% of loyal customers’.

should exercise when dreaming big?

I strongly believe that customer fidelity

those dreams into actionable plans

We are operating in an environment

Don’t

and commoditised in a very short

is very important. In a highly competitive

environment enjoying the patronage of loyal customers is an important

competitive advantage. We are clear that we don’t want to be everything to

everybody, like our customers have a

Work around your dreams, convert and work hard to implement them. lose

focus

and

never

let

circumstances prevail upon you to deter

your

movement

fulfilling your dreams.

towards

partner, we too associate with our

Q. What does it take to handle failure when you dream big?

customers based on compatibility of

purpose and long-term commitment.

As I said, don’t lose your focus. Failures

However, it is equally important not

can happen as nothing is guaranteed, but you have to readjust and work

number of customers as it makes the

business vulnerable in case of attrition

of one or two customers. So, we need to balance both the objectives.

Q. How important is it to dream big? Please substantiate your views with one example of Chiripal.

Yes, it’s critical. I strongly believe that

unless you dream, you can’t achieve.

I am a firm believer in that ‘if you can dream it, you can do it’ and equally

believe in dreaming big. Somebody has said it, “Dream big - dream very big; work hard - work very hard”. Whatever

we are today is the dream we saw and worked hard to achieve it. We have

further dreams and are working hard to realise them.

Q. What would be your advice to budding CEOs / business owners as to the prudence that they

longer to take the right leap, but you

need to keep believing in yourself and the dreams to turn them into reality.

36

always been to position CPFL as a preferred vendor based on superior service. we

Like

product

continuously

innovation.

All

innovation,

work

on

service

manufacturers

use

similar hardware; the real differentiator

is in the software. How you develop which

training

enhance

your

service

people

to

for faster and accurate information

plan for the risks has now become

an important function of business.

COVID-19 has taught us a lot regarding risk management. At CPFL, we regularly

identify

possible risks classifying them into short- to medium term operational risks

and long-term risks which are a threat to corporate objectives. Based on our

assessment, we risk fence the business

flow, developing metrics to measure, monitor

and

continually

improve

service are all very important and we are very focussed on this. I also believe

customer

intimacy

is

very

important. We can create value for the customer

by

knowing

better.

encourage

him

better

and understanding his implicit needs have

I

multilevel

interactions

with

and

the

my

team

to

customer

to

multifunctional

achieve ‘customer delight’.

would like to add that risks throw

Q. Being a key player in the films domain and catering to the vast and ever-progressive packaging industry, what is the scope of implementing sustainability and further more use of recyclate as feedstock? What kind of challenges may arise and probable solutions available?

which have an appetite for risk and

solutions is a social responsibility apart

as far as possible and have a Plan B ready alternatively. It is critical in today’s age to have a robust ‘business continuity plan’. Our Hyderabad plant

is an initiative in ensuring business

The Indian packaging film industry is quite dominant globally, both from Indian locations and offshore sites. To achieve our aggressive growth plans, over the next five years, we will definitely have manufacturing sites beyond Indian shores.

through service. My endeavour has

facilitate the process, use of IT platforms

business faces and to have a mitigation

and

differentiation, most products sold by

delivery,

Being aware of the possible risks that a

assessments

limited scope and shelf-life for product

processes

Q. Your thoughts on the importance of risk management and having a plan to mitigate risks; be it manmade or natural.

risk

period of time. In our business, there is

So, the real scope of differentiation is

harder. Sometimes you have to wait

do

where product innovations get copied

different manufacturers are ‘me too’.

choice when selecting us as a business

to have very high exposure to a small

support and the important facets of value-added service and client service management.

continuity.

Being

manufacturer, disruptions up

the

is

a

single

risk

more.

opportunities.

of

location

business

However,

I

Organisations

For us, offering sustainable packaging

the resilience to handle them can capitalise on the opportunities.

To know more, please subscribe to

Q. Your views on implementing a differentiated after-sales

Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

www.lohiagroup.com

Extrusion • Winding • Weaving • Coating • Printing • Conversion • PP Yarn Spinning

End to End Solutions for complete peace of mind.

For over three decades, Lohia Corp, besides standing for innovation and precision has stood for complete customer satisfaction. A company that offers end to end solutions for the raffia industry, be it extrusion, winding, weaving, coating, printing, conversion or PP yarn spinning, Lohia Corp has gone the distance and has always put customers first.

Today if the company has delivered a processing capacity of 5.76 million metric tons per annum of PP and PE for customers across 92 countries, it’s only because of efficient after-sales support and optimized cost of ownership for customers. Lohia Corp continues and in future too, will be committed to customers for great value and complete peace of mind.

Lohia Corp Limited D-3/A, Panki Industrial Estate, Kanpur-208022, INDIA. T: +91 512 2691221 I E: sales@lohiagroup.com

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December 2021 - January 2022

www.milacronindia.com

eQ-SERIES 180

Made in India Milacron Introduces High Precision All-Electric Injection Molding Machine The all new eQ-SERIES raises the benchmark in energy savings in its category. Its advanced regenerative servo drive reduces energy consumption. The eQ-Series also allows to handle a wider range of applications. The eQ-Series maximizes acceleration and provides ultimate precision and repeatability throughout the cycle, thanks to its best-in-class servo drives. The eQ-Series delivers better shot weight and cycle time consistency throughout its cycle. It’s a new industry standard for an All-Electric Injection Molding Machine.

For more info: salesfmi@milacron.com

+91 72279 09818

Clean Machines

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Scan this QR code to know more

IN PERSPECTIVE

Reframing the

Anatomy of Risk When reframing risk, four distinctions must be

considered namely between risk and uncertainty, the

vocabulary around risk, the way to think about risk versus the way to act around risk, and the psychology around risk and reward.

E

very day, we take endless chances. From a very young age, we are taught to remember safety measures: don’t touch that, wear

this, stay away from that, don’t do this. We are endlessly trying to

mitigate the risks involved in daily life even in relationships and love, and Ruby Thapar A Reputation and Sustainability Consultant and an Executive Coach, Mumbai

40

this continues to take centre-stage with new uncertainties such as the pandemic continuing to loom large.

I asked myself whether risk could be reconnoitred? Reframing is a

powerful tool that helps to think differently and is applicable in all walks of life. The effort here is to do just that - reframe risk.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

BEYOND JUST MACHINES IT’S THE JOY OF BUSINESS

Sustainable Packaging

Customers partner with Mamata beyond just looking for a machine. They trust us to discuss business opportunities, they share their plans with us to know how we could assist them to realise their vision in flexible packaging and they come to us to experience sheer engineering delight.

“The New Normal” Talk to us!

And why? As an organisation, Mamata Group is always in the forefront of sharing knowledge. We see sharing our team experience as a benefit to the industry; and what’s good for the industry is good for us. Our position of leadership is just the end result!

BLOWN FILM PLANTS

CONVERTING MACHINES

PACKAGING MACHINES

Total Solutions for Flexible Packaging Survey No. 423/P, Sarkhej Bavla Highway, Moraiya, Tal: Sanand, Gujarat 382213. +91 2717 630 800 sales@mamata.com www.mamata.com

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E

WE ARE HIRING! POLYMERS Communique (published by Custage Marketing Solutions LLP) is one of the most high-profile

trade publications in India. Based in the commercial capital Mumbai, the publication is on the cusp of a major expansion plan for which we need to identify thought leaders for the following positions. A defining career

opportunity and an unprecedented exposure for marcom professionals to be associated with one of the most reputed brand in trade publishing; a brand that has global repute.

Asst. Editor

Asst. Manager (Ad Sales)

Executive (Subscriptions)

With content being the most vital cog in its business, this position would need a minimum 8-10 years experienced candidate who has a post-graduate degree in journalism, corporate communications or equivalent.

A go-getter with field experience of space selling (media or events) could apply. Candidate with B2B sales would also be considered. This position would need a minimum 6-8 years experienced candidate with a post-graduate degree in marketing / sales or equivalent.

Experience in direct sales of subscriptions or experience with creating a network of sales agents for magazine selling would be imperative for this positions. Graduate or Post Graduate in business, media or equivalent is desirable. This position would need a minimum 3 - 5 years experience.

The position demands enhancing the current content profile, expanding to new verticals, strong industry interaction, working closely with the production team to close the issues and working towards natural extensions for the magazine brand. It is expected that the suitable candidate should be in a position to deliver article editing and content writing of the highest standards.

Setting business targets, achieving business, implementing marketing plans, creating new avenues for revenue generation would be his core targets.

Building and heading a team would be an important task under this profile.

Sales experience within the plastics industry would be given preference.

This target driven job profile would need the candidate to evolve ways and means of expanding the subscription base and continuously create promos to excite the industry.

Experience in trade publications would be given preference.

Experience in trade publications would be given preference.

Submit your CV with as much details to jyoti@custage.com within 15th March, 2022. Please indicate your

current salary drawn. Please also write in 2 sentences as to why do you consider yourself suitable for the post applied.

Custage Marketing Solutions LLP 405 - 406, Vikas Centre, Dr C.G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074.

www.mypc.co.in

Distinction Between Risk and Uncertainty

them to a halt.

Risk, as first articulated by

Vocabulary Around Risk

economist Frank H. Knight in 1921,

While risk and uncertainty can be used in the same breath;

is something that you can put a

in reality, they are different yet

Our world exists in words.

All words have meanings

price on. Uncertainty, on the other

interrelated.

and

hand, is risk that is hard

Nate Silver, a writer and poker

player who analyses baseball,

to measure.

basketball, and elections, explains

all

meanings

interpretations.

differ,

depending

conditioning,

have

Interpretations on

our

values,

upbringing,

actions,

behaviours,

this best. According to him, risk, as

culture and many other factors, thus

Knight in 1921, is something that you

outcomes and impacts. What is the

first articulated by economist Frank H. can put a price on. Say that you’ll win

a poker hand unless your opponent draws

to

an

inside

straight:

the

chances of that happening is exactly 1

in

11.

This

is

risk.

In

the long run, you will profit from your

opponents making desperate draws with

insufficient

odds.

Uncertainty,

on the other hand, is risk that is hard

to measure. You might have some

impacting vague awareness of the demons lurking

out there and be acutely concerned

about them. But you have no real idea how many of them are there or when

they might strike. Your back-of-theenvelope estimate might be off by

a factor of 100 or by a factor of 1,000; there is no good way to know. This is uncertainty. Risk greases the wheels

of the economy; uncertainty grinds

our

first word that comes to mind when

you think of risk: Danger, the unknown, fear, red.

failure...basically

Interestingly,

all

the

words

colour

in

red

represents both danger and celebration.

Even Google endorses it. After all, To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

TELE/FAX : +91 79 2687 1367 / 2687 2347 / Mob: 90161 05605 l E-mail: sales@mifasystems.com, info@mifasystems.com

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December 2021 - January 2022

43

MEGA TRANSFORMATION

Pankaj Poddar Group CEO, Cosmo Films Ltd., New Delhi

Films for Packaging, Lamination, Labelling and More

Dreaming Big and Making Dreams Achievable

44

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

Q. What are the three top-of-the-line milestones that you would consider as the most impactful in the four-decade journey of Cosmo this far?

Cosmo Films, when established, was the pioneer of BOPP Films in India. Over the four decades of its existence, there have been several milestones that the company

has achieved. We now have a production capacity of over 200K MT for BOPP films, are global leaders in thermal lamination and industrial films, and among the top three players across the world in films for labelling applications.

While there are several milestones that have made us the global leaders in films

for packaging, lamination, labelling applications, industrial films and synthetic paper, the top three would be:

Acquisition of Gujarat Propack Ltd. in Gujarat in 2003 and GBC Commercial in

NN

USA in 2009,

Diversification into the pet care business ‘Zigly’, and speciality chemicals and

NN

polymers with Cosmo Speciality Chemicals in 2021 and 2020, respectively, and

“Our big dream

NN

Multiple improvements in PE ratio from 4 a few years ago to 10 - though it is still a significant undervaluation; also, an improvement of our Crisil rating to AA-.

is to become a large Indian conglomerate in the near

Q. It makes us curious and naturally prompts the question: what made a financial expert join the plastics industry? future.

What triggered this switch?

We have already begun the journey by launching our pet care business and

venturing into speciality chemicals and polymers, and we would like to transform these into large stand-alone businesses and, at the same time, evaluate other avenues for growth. It’s also important to understand that failure is a part of success. You are bound to fail, learn and then succeed while you are

I have always been inclined towards contributing to the

Indian

economy

and

working

with

Indian

companies. Packaging is an evergreen sector, which drew me towards it.

Also, our Chairman’s vision for the growth of the

company was one of the major driving factors for me to join the group.

Q. How important is it to dream big? Please substantiate your views with one example of Cosmo.

At Cosmo Films, we believe that every big dream is to

be backed by achievable short-term and long-term goals for the dream to be a success.

working towards your big dream,” shares

Our big dream is to become a large Indian conglomerate

Pankaj Poddar, in dialogue with

by launching our pet care business and venturing into

POLYMERS Communiqué.

in the near future. We have already begun the journey speciality chemicals and polymers, and we would like to

transform these into large stand-alone businesses and, at

the same time, evaluate other avenues for growth.

Q. What would be your advice to budding CEOs / business owners as to the prudence that they should exercise when dreaming big?

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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December 2021 - January 2022

45

46

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The world of ENGEL Efficient. Reliable. Innovative.

As one of the world’s leading companies in the field of plastics machine manufacturing, we offer our customers integrated system solutions. This means: injection moulding technology from a single source. Machine, automation, process, training and service are all perfectly integrated with ENGEL. And we always look to the future. Innovation and the latest technologies offer our customers a decisive competitive advantage. be the first.

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We Stretch to Meet

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Communication Services

Custom Publishing

Business Forums

FORWARD LOOKING

India’s First PE Tubular Film for Dry Bulk Container Liners

Realising a Dream

Anil Kabra Managing Director, Synthetic Packers Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

Q. In this journey of 40 years from being a one plant to a multiple plant and multiple location company, which are the top three milestones that you think have been most impactful so far?

The top three milestones that have been most impactful in the journey so far include: NN

Achieving four figure sales in a month, surpassing 1,000 MT in August 2009 and never slipping ever since, and

NN

Setting up a 5-layer fully automated barrier film line sourced from Germany in 2012.

Commissioning of the 3-layer blown film line

Q. How do you incorporate sustainability in your processes?

PE tubular film for dry bulk container liners, thus

An interesting initiative undertaken by Synthetic

liner industry - a first in India,

green practises in tandem with the global shift

in 2006 to manufacture up to 5.5-metre-wide making Bengaluru a global hub of the container

50

NN

Packers (Synpack) is its commitment towards fostering

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

“As regards the way forward, having

been in PE films for four decades now,

expansion will be pursued in the same

domain with the inherent understanding

and experience gained during this glorious period. It is likely to be in high barrier

film lines, which enhances our product

portfolio and a very niche segment with export potential,” updates Anil Kabra, in

dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

towards more sustainable living. The company has

recycling machines where 99.9% of the in-house waste generated is recycled.

The company is at par with the global approach in taking steps towards building a greener and more

environmentally-friendly ecosystem. In keeping with this objective, the team at Synpack adheres to all To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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December 2021 - January 2022

51

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December 2021 - January 2022

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December 2021 - January 2022

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THE BIG STORY

Dare to Dream

It’s delightful to see a buoyant business sentiment of the plastics industry. At times, sentiments take you where merely hard work can’t! Positivity can move mountains, identify unseen opportunities and seamlessly overcome obstacles. A lot of ‘ground content’ here is to share varied approaches to business, to dreams and to growth;

beyond the realms of typical business schools! Nothing better than to learn from case studies of ‘Dreaming Big’ that are especially curated for you; nothing better than to read POLYMERS Communiqué.

To close, with normalcy racing in and business racing high, well ushering in a scenario of COVID racing out!

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Challenge Yourself, Raise Your Bar Further,

Do Not Emulate Someone Else’s Business Harpal Singh Chairman, Sangeeta Group, Mumbai

Harpal Singh did not consciously set

out to dream big, but dared to dream

nevertheless and challenged himself at every step of the way, going from being an apprentice to a

Founder-Owner of 4 manufacturing sites in Daman producing quality plastic packaging products.

H

arpal Singh, Chairman, Sangeeta Group has been active in the plastic

packaging industry for nearly five decades now. He started out small

and sans any strategy at all. But at each step of his professional journey, he

never shied away from asking himself, “Is this enough? What more can I do? What else can I do?”

HHere is a man who did not consciously set out to dream big as they say, but dared

to dream nevertheless. Until such time his habit of challenging himself became the secret sauce of his recipe for success that played out kind of slow and steady, fuelled by hard work and single-minded focus.

Harpal Singh was studying in Amritsar, Punjab, when he lost his father in 1959. Two years later, on 6th June 1961, he visited his uncle in Mumbai during his vacation after

his 12th standard examination. All of 17, he was actually looking to join engineering,

but he felt it wouldn’t be right to burden his uncle with financing his engineering

course. There were financial constraints and family responsibilities to take care of primarily. And so, with the thought ‘learn while you earn’, he landed at the employment exchange in Mumbai and even managed to get the job of an apprentice

POLYMERS Communiqué

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with Mahindra & Mahindra on 14th August 1961. For seven years, he worked as an apprentice and later on the shop

floor at the Mahindra plant with a starting stipend of Rs. 75.

As he worked in shifts, his uncle suggested that he do

something in his spare time and that’s how he started making

plastic cane hand-woven shopping bags. His cottage industry grew and Harpal Singh, to get his finger on the market

dynamics, decided to accompany his driver and tempo that

he had hired. This, he felt, provided him a tremendous opportunity and learning for his decision making. Eventually in 1972, he decided to start his own manufacturing unit and successfully founded Sangeeta Industries that began manufacturing plastic cane and other packaging products.

With the factory set up, Harpal Singh never looked back.

Even

as

Sangeeta

Industries

expanded

to

embrace

multiple companies and products within its fold, he was

sure of one thing: He did not want to copy anyone or

any product. He relied on the fact that each person is born different and

has his own blessed strengths and capabilities to convert his dreams into reality.

A lot changed after 1995 when his three sons, Pawanjit Singh, Amardeep

Singh and Ramanjit Singh joined the business. They nurtured the business well and helped him realise his vision and grow multifold.

There’s more to his ideology, he always remained connected to the latest

developments across the world, travelled a lot and always continued to be a student at heart. He developed a knack to identify the right technology for his products and adapted the same, well keeping in mind its impact and

commercial viability. Another strategy that he imbibed was to park 20% of his profits for new ventures. This, he believed, helped him realise

his dream and convert them into a meaningful reality.

He relied on the fact that each person is born different and

has his own blessed strengths and capabilities to convert his

Not the one to sit on his laurels, he always made it a point

to meet different people and broaden his horizons and his

social network, while keeping a finger firmly on the pulse of

the market. No surprise then that he made some very good

friends in the plastics’ industry and feels fortunate to have

earned the love and support of this industry. “Whenever you

dreams into reality. His advice:

meet people, be simple and genuine; create comfort and

and the energy within you to

time, has never been averse to refusing someone with whom

“Never grumble, trust yourself achieve your goals.”

pleasure in your conversation,” he shares; but, at the same

he thought he wouldn’t enjoy doing business. After all, pleasure

and not money has been his motivation for doing business

all along. His advice: “Never grumble, trust yourself and the

energy within you to achieve your goals.”

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Visualise, Introspect and Then

Leap Forward Jigish Doshi Chairman and Managing Director, Vishakha Group, Ahmedabad

Vishakha’s meteoric rise is also owed to

Jigish Doshi’s belief in certain maxims. For

instance, he never compromised or cut costs

when it came to buying the best machine or

deploying the best technology or employing the best manpower.

J

igish Doshi, Chairman and Managing Director, Vishakha Group - today a leader

in high barrier flexible packaging; material handling solutions; drip irrigation systems; water supply PVC pipes; gas pipes; agricultural, industrial, silage, pond

and canal liners and films, EVA encapsulant and backsheet films for solar modules as

well as solar aluminium profiles for solar panels - put up his first factory in 2001.

The thought uppermost in his mind was that he did not want to venture into any

business in which his close friends had a presence, for that would make them competitors. Hence, choosing the right vertical always remained one of the most challenging decisions for Jigish Doshi.

In current times, it’s important to make your presence count! Jigish Doshi, as an industrialist, always believes in this; his businesses are conceived and built with this ideology. For Jigish Doshi, if one couldn’t make it into the top 10 names within five years of starting any venture, to continue in that business one may need to rethink.

It is important for any business owner to comprehend what is the ‘think big’

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59

approach in his context. ‘Think big’ could be a vision or a target or both. To him, this appetite depends on the individual’s risk-taking capacity, financial muscle, industry dynamics and the individual’s growth philosophy. Most importantly, the approach needs to be rational. He is a strong believer that as a business owner, it is very important to know the market in which you are getting into and the product which you are conceiving. With these

approaches formulating the framework of decision-making, he is confident that the probability of this going wrong is very less, however big the decision may be.

Cut

to

the

present

when

Vishakha

is

an

agglomeration of companies, each handling one

A champion of the ‘Make

in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar

or the other of the verticals chosen back then, that

too manufacturing nearly four or five times the

initial capacity, Jigish Doshi takes pride in the fact

that none of his decisions, however challenging

Bharat’ initiative, Jigish Doshi

they seemed at the time, misfired. This strategy

Government for ‘Vibrant

It’s been quite a journey from being an SSI in

has tied up with the Gujarat

Gujarat’ wherein he plans to manufacture solar glass.

has

worked

for

the

group

quite

successfully!

1981 manufacturing monolayer films and trading

in polymers, to today having a staff of 1,000+ and

processing 81,000+ MTPA and, by end of this year,

with a target to cross 1,00,000 MTPA.

His meteoric rise also owed to his belief in certain

maxims. For instance, he never compromised or cut costs when it came to buying the best machine or deploying the best technology or employing

the best manpower. Only the best machine and technology took his company this far and only manpower that was cleverer and more capable took it

further. That Vishakha Industries has one of the country’s largest injection moulding machines with a capacity of 3,800 tonnes is proof of his conviction.

Even now that Vishakha is a conglomerate with a much diversified portfolio,

he is of the view that there are still areas whose potential lies relatively untapped in India, namely agriculture.

A champion of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative,

Jigish Doshi has tied up with the Gujarat Government for ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ wherein he plans to manufacture solar glass. The group’s ideology can be well fathomed by a recent move at Vishakha Group when they decided to

set up the first green field solar glass project of 600 tonnes per day capacity (which can cater 3 GW of solar panel) with an investment of over

US$ 135 million. Their vision is aligned with our country’s goals; once the

first unit goes into operation, they have plans to increase the capacity by a staggering 300% in the next 5 years.

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Timely Decisions and Risks Key to Our Growth

Meela Jayadev Managing Director, Sudhakar Irrigation Systems Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad

One such challenging decision that we took

was entering into the SWR pipes and fittings

manufacturing along with PVC pressure fittings

manufacturing in 1996, another first in South India, in which we again invested all that we had; in addition, we borrowed significantly.

A

n ambitious man, a new product, a new application, no technology know-how, no knowledge of machinery, scarce raw materials, no trained

manpower - this is the beginning of the SUDHAKAR Group journey in

the 1970s.

My father, Shri Meela Satyanarayana along with my uncle, Shri Ananthula Janardhan started the journey in a very humble manner. They were into traditional business and very ambitious personalities. Plastics was just a new business for the Indian market. So

much so that the use of plastic pipes was almost a new concept for any application.

My father went to CIPET, Madras (present Chennai) to study and get trained on the technologies and its applications. They invested their lifetime savings in this new

industry and coupled with the financial assistance from Andhra Pradesh State

Financial Corporation (APSFC) started ‘SUDHAKAR PVC Products’ in November, 1971.

Both of them did not have a technical background; however, their ambition drove them to start the business of manufacturing PVC electrical conduit pipes, a first such initiative in Southern India. The journey was tedious, turbulent and a roller coaster ride.

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61

Their journey was not a smooth sail and every decision was a challenging one. After a gruesome 15 years of struggle, we could expand the business in

the late ’80s. Our first major expansion since inception was in 1991-92, which was a major challenging decision for us. We expanded our product range and started manufacturing larger diameter PVC pipes, which were never used in commercial markets and government projects.

Another challenging decision that we took was entering into the SWR pipes

and fittings manufacturing along with PVC pressure fittings manufacturing in 1996, another first in South India, in which we

again invested all that we had; in addition, we

My father, along with my uncle, started this journey in a very humble manner.

Their ambition drove them to start the business of manufacturing PVC electrical conduit pipes, a first such initiative in

Southern India. The journey was tedious, turbulent and a roller coaster ride.

borrowed

significantly.

Any

deviation

in

our

calculations would have led us into a financial

catastrophe; however, that calculated decision made

us a strong player in the plastic pipe segment.

We took another bold step in implementing SAP in

our organisation in 2007-08 when the Group turnover

was not even Rs. 200 crores. We are one the very first

few companies that implemented SAP in the plastic

piping systems manufacturing industry. It was a major

financial investment on systems, which was about 3% of

our annual revenue in those days.

In addition to macro decisions as above, we also embarked on a slew of

micro bold decisions such as having a large product range, multi-location manufacturing facilities, diversifying into manufacture of uPVC profiles along

with wires and cables. We have always dared to dream and have many firsts to our credit!

We believe in the ‘slow and steady wins the race’ formula and believe in the proverb ‘Dhairye Sahase Lakshmi’. Business is a risk, and business is money.

Less risk is less money, and more risk is more money.

To sum, our calculated and bold decisions have always provided us with fruitful results.

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Making the Rupee Speak

A Strategy that Worked Rajkumar Sipani Chairman, Sipani Fibres Ltd., Bengaluru

Today we can proudly say that we are one of the leading manufacturers of

HDPE / PP woven sacks and leno bags, having a daily production capacity of 100 MT per day.

S

ipani Fibres started out as a partnership concern in the year 1970 with a very limited production and a humble turnover of less than Rs. 1 crore per

annum. However, we always believed that we need to

continuously keep investing in our company and make

it grow gradually year after year. In 1986, we incorporated Sipani Fibres into a Limited company with the vision of scaling the business and becoming a market leader in the given industry.

To make our business grow, it was very important for us to understand the customer needs and cater to their required specifications. We kept product quality as the focus of all our activities as we began to realise that if we were out of quality, we would soon be out of business. After a series of trials and errors

over the months, we began investing our time and resources towards R&D so that we could set certain parameters and standards for the company to abide by. We set in-house systems through which we would manufacture a quality product that would assure to keep the packed product safe and secure.

Over the years, we gradually increased our production lines to cater to different fields and understood

more about various markets. Since the competition was also increasing every year in the dynamic market space, we had to become more competitive in order to thrive in the market. There were limited avenues we could use to cut down our costs without compromising on our product quality, and this led us to

investing in solar power to cut down our electricity costs. It was a game-changer move as we were the first in the state of Karnataka to install the rooftop solar system which we converted and used

completely for self-consumption; our current installed capacity being 2.5 MW. This really helped us to reduce our day-to-day manufacturing costs and have a competitive edge over the other manufacturers.

Today we can proudly say that we are one of the leading manufacturers of HDPE / PP woven sacks and leno bags, having a daily production capacity of 100 MT per day.

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Some Dreams

Can Transform India Bishnu Kumar Agarwal CMD, Samarth Fablon Pvt. Ltd. / Samarth Ad Protex Pvt. Ltd., West Bengal

We came forward with the establishment of the block bottom valve bags

manufacturing facility for the first time in India

by importing the patented technology from Europe, which not only made us the pioneer in this field, but changed the concept of packaging cement in India.

T

he initiative to establish a manufacturing unit at the

location of P.O. Jhalda, District Purulia, which is the most

backward, remote and industrially underdeveloped area of

India and was affected with Maoist activities at the time, was the most challenging and daring decision taken in our business endeavours.

The manufacturing units thus established were not only able to generate huge

employment opportunities for the local populace, but also proved to be a catalyst in eradication of the Maoist activities in the region. Today, these units are considered to be the largest manufacturing units of PP woven sacks, PAN India.

Furthermore, we came forward with the establishment of the block bottom valve bags manufacturing facility for the first time in India by importing the patented technology from Europe, which not only made us the pioneer in this field, but changed the concept of packaging cement in India. These block bottom valve bags were the most technologically advanced bags for packing of bulk commodities like cement,

The manufacturing units thus

the opportunity of more sophisticated branding of the bags to the cement

to generate huge employment

now being packed and marketed in the block bottom valve bags by all the leading

populace, but also proved to be

has also stopped the spurious cement market in India, including considerable

Maoist activities in the region

which

were

moisture-proof,

free

from

pilferage

and

seepage,

and

provided

established were not only able

manufacturers. In fact, within a span of 1 decade, almost 30% of the cement is

opportunities

for

the

local

cement manufacturers in India; this not only increased the margins for them, but

a catalyst in eradication of the

decrease in pollution.

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Our Acquisition Set the Phase for Another Growth

Geeta Anand CMD, AG Industries, Gurgaon

While this acquisition translated into an

immense business of steering wheels, we

also became a leading steering wheel supplier to many OEMs. It’s important to highlight here that this decision to dare to dream big helped AG to migrate from the component segment to

the product segment. Our real journey began from here.

A

G Industries (AGI) comes with its strong presence across the country with 9 production locations having state-of-the art moulding, painting and assembly. AGI strives to add value to the complete supply chain and always works on offering solutions to the industry.

AGI challenged itself to enter new markets. In one such instance, AGI had no experience in the steering wheel product and that too is a safety item. It was very difficult to enter into this

segment. Taking up this challenge, in 2016, AG dared to take over a sick company M/s PMP and work relentlessly to make it its most successful business. It was dedication and commitment top to bottom that was instrumental to transform this company. While this acquisition translated into an immense business of steering wheels from PSA, Mahindra, Force Motors, Ashok Leyland and we, it also became a leading steering wheel supplier to many OEMs. It’s important to highlight here that this decision

to dare to dream big helped AG to migrate from the component segment to the product segment.

Our real journey began from here.

With this successful experience under its belt, coupled with the excellent development facilities set the

tone for AG to acquire subsequent businesses in other product segments as well - plastics fuel tank, air filter element and reflex reflector and so on. A cumulative result being that AG could put a strong footprint in the auto industry and is today able to deliver from product concept to design to manufacturing.

As we see the market today, the industry and AG too see the EV product as the next challenge. Hoping that AG would make a strong impact in this segment as well.

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l

December 2021 - January 2022

combination TO PVC MANUFACTURING

WITH THE ALL-IN-ONE

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ADDING MAGIC TO ADDITIVES

ADDING THE RIGHT

DOWNSIDE

Risk Management

A Policy Framework Every industrial unit or business operation must have in place a risk management framework to identify and assess risks and take measures to

mitigate them. It is equally essential to periodically review and modify this framework...

T

his

article

lays

down

the

framework of risk management within

any

industrial

unit

or

business operation. It lays down the process to identify and assess risks

Industry-oriented relating

actions

competitive

to

the

inherent

the company as well as methods /

characteristics of our industry, including

periodically

landscape,

to

mitigate

reviewed

which

and

are

modified

structure,

extent

technological linkage

the

size and complexity of the business.

regulatory structure.

Why Risk Management?

Customer- and Market-oriented

feasible by identifying and mitigating major operating and business risk.

A

company-wide

risk

management

framework is applied in a manner such that the effective management of risks

at different levels and within different functions is an integral part of every employee’s job.

Risk Categories There are certain broad categories

December 2021 - January 2022

economic

of

in a manner commensurate with the

value to an extent that is practically

l

highlighted below.

Risks

exercise is to preserve the company’s

POLYMERS Communiqué

management framework which are as

inherent to any type of activity within

The objective of any risk management

Sumeet Agarwal CEO, Sumantrak Specialties, Mumbai

of risks considered within the risk

environment

to

and

Risks arising from our association with

entities for conducting business. These include clients, vendors, alliance partners and their respective industries.

Resource-related Risks

arising

from

inappropriate

sourcing or sub-optimal utilisation of key organisational resources such as talent, capital and infrastructure.

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

71

2

00

0

Jabar Singh Gehlot Director, Gehlot Printec LLP

Early in his business when he started Gehlot Works as a Proprietor in 2000, Jabar has gone strength to strength thereafter and carved a niche for himself in the industry.

Change being the only constant, we thought it

would be wonderful to capture this and freeze

‘time’. We associate with the ‘current look’ of

our industry colleagues and would it not be

exciting to know of their persona, decades

ago. That’s what we did, had them dig deep into their archives and share this just for your ‘read’... or should we say ‘see’!

2

A visual delight!

00

1

Mayur Nadkarni General Manager - Fans Division, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd.

The sharp astute look on Mayur’s face clearly continues then and now. His experience with fans continues to add wind under his wings.

74

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

2

1 0 0

Rashmin Patel Director, Knack Packaging Pvt. Ltd.

2

With the right knack of engineering which Rashmin completed in 2001, he stepped into the family business of Knack Packaging and has never looked back since then. Today, he is a dominant manufacturer and exporter of BOPP woven bags in India.

00

2

Vinay Agarwal CEO and Managing Director, Creative Group of Industries

1

It was work (Marketing of ASB machines, Delhi) and study at the same time for Vinay in 2002. Today, he continues to play a stellar role, heading the business of Creative Group of Industries.

99

5

Zuber Z. Pathan Owner, Universal Enterprise

It was college time for Zuber in 1995, and he currently runs his own trading business, Universal Enterprise, providing packaging solutions in plastics.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

75

THOUGHT PROVOKING

“With AI incorporated and Industry 4.0 enabled, the

packaging solutions we offer are very advanced, but I must admit here that we still have a long way to

go in some of the markets that we serve,” candidly explains Chandrakant B. Patel, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Customer Empowerment

A Derivative of Technology Leadership Q. The journey of Mamata is most inspiring for many in the industry; as per you, which are the two most defining parameters that have contributed to the growth of the organisation.

There are several aspects that need attention as the market transforms. It is always dynamic. Ultimately, constant focus must be on the deliverables (i.e.) product

quality and service. Rest all falls in place. We are successful because we are always

focused on the constantly evolving needs of our customers. Our ability to serve customers across the globe has helped Mamata to grow constantly and become a preferred brand.

Q. The technical design of Mamata machines has been futuristic; please share with the readers your ideology when building new solutions?

Whenever we design a product, we use the latest technologies to meet

requirements of operators and supervisors who are going to operate the machines. Designing machines that are operator-friendly is very important. Our

second focus is on consistently delivering quality output over a long period of

time without operator intervention. For example, we had started offering net

enabled machines way back in 2017; they were a boon to our customers during the pandemic as they could receive support from us remotely and keep their factories going.

76

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

Dreaming big is not about leaps and bounds, but deliberate steps taken in sequence, so you know where you are reaching next.

I am proud that at Mamata, we have been practising this meticulously and you see the transformation from time to time.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Chandrakant B. Patel Jt. Managing Director, Mamata Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

77

Mamata’s philosophy is always to

focus on product quality, product

is driven for fulfilling

improvement and excellent customer

demands

service; not only taking care of problems faced in machines, but also service

In

customers with solutions on end product

coming

from their customers. the

majority

instances,

it

of

lands

as an urgent task to

applications and processing needs. So, the

resolve which is not

truth is simple...don’t run after numbers,

easy for every company,

things. Another important ‘Do’ is ‘thinking

resources. Our effort is

they will follow when you do these three

especially with limited

to provide technological

out of the box’. A solution that you

support to the industry vide

develop must be easy for your customers,

a proven solution. This should

but not to be easily replicable for

help the industry focus on end

your competition.

product

innovation,

rather than struggling to

supply newer solutions

Q. Currently, what is the big differentiator that Mamata offers through its machinery and solutions to their discerning client base.

Mamata operates in the domain of flexible packaging. We are in a unique

position since we are able to offer a complete solution to the flexible

packaging industry. We well understand

the rheology of plastic materials since we manufacture coextrusion blown

film lines. We also understand the application of these films because we manufacture plastic bag and pouch making

(converting)

machines

and,

lastly, we also manufacture end-of-theline HFFS, VFFS, PFS and sachet making

to their customers.

without

any

compromise

on

technology required.

the

In the blown film segment, a lot of work has been done on mono-material films as well as barrier films. In recent times, we have sold more machines of 5- and 7-layer lines. That is where our focus is.

Q. Your views on the role of AI, IoT, remote machine management and predictive maintenance in the next-gen machines. How far are these implemented in the Mamata machines?

Our

packaging

incorporate

machines

these.

For

already

instance,

an operator has to key-in process parameters including the pouch size;

Our current product portfolio offers

the machine control will take care of

converting to end-of-line machines for

detection and rejection etc. Way back

solutions right from film making to

sealer placement, film placement, leak

packaging.

in 1989, we used industrial PCs and

Q. Having progressed at a very rapid pace, both in terms of technology and business, what are your plans for the future with respect to expansion or diversification or both?

this was a unique proposition. We

stepper motors in converting machines,

realised at that time itself, the need of data collection and analysis to improve productivity, efficiency and repeatability

of production. Since we have exported more to developed countries over the

We are busy with expanding our

years, with the experience garnered,

applications are being catered to. We

these technologies in our machines

top-notch

management

packaging machinery segment. Newer

we

have been able to associate with some

in India. Currently, remote machine

and look forward to leveraging their

Mamata. Some of our machines are

brands

of

the

segment

were

the

first

is

to

the

implement

standard

for

experience and collaboration.

already Industry 4.0 enabled. We will

all the dots is perhaps the biggest

On the converting machines side, we

for some of our high-speed machines.

else in the industry.

convert recyclable films and at the

machines. Mamata’s ability to connect

differentiator as compared to anyone

Q. ‘Sustainable solutions’ continue to be a journey and not a destination for a while. What next is your vision for empowering processors in this regard?

Feasible sustainability will be the key to

success in coming times. Most times, converters

are

busy

keeping

their

businesses running profitably. Hence, our focus on innovation or development

78

have been focusing on solutions to same time, reducing the cost of the

films. Also, significant work has been

done on flat bottom stand-up pouch machines. We expect that there are several

segments

like

corrugated

boxes, PET-PE structures etc. which

can be replaced with flat bottom stand-up pouches made from monomaterial

films

that

are

completely

technology

affordable

recyclable. We have successfully made flat

bottom

be introducing AI enabled bag stackers However, I must admit that we have a

long way to go in some of the markets that we serve. Perhaps we would still

wait for some more time to introduce these solutions as a standard feature in all our machines.

Q. Importance of dreaming big and how it catalyses in To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

R

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l

December 2021 - January 2022

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ADVERTORIAL Sponsored by

Why Mamata Machinery?

Industry Opines Aditya Roongta CEO, Dhwani Polyprints Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

Some opinions solicited from the industry as

regards the impact of

Mamata Machinery Pvt. Ltd. (Mamata) to their business and to the

market, at large. The

sentiment is evident...

In our industry, most of our international competitors have European converting

machines. When we solicit new customers,

most are surprised to hear we operate Indian-make

Mamata machines and in some cases write us off, that is, until they receive our samples and are shocked at

the wide variety and quality of bags that we are able to make on Mamata machinery.

The biggest contribution of Mamata to the Indian plastics industry has been to consistently

innovate and make world-class machinery at relatively affordable prices.

Atul Baijal Whole Time Director, Ecoplast Ltd., Mumbai India is now home to industrialisation and globalisation. This had led to a rise in the demand for flexible packaging. The sector is leveraging modern technology to serve this demand.

The co-extrusion process enables financial savings, along with

enhanced product functionality. Thickness can be reduced on the

skin layers, making them slip or non-slip. Multi-layered lines enable

the blending of other polymers like PP with LDPE. Mamata Extrusion Chandrakant Patel Hiren Hirpara xxxxxx Director, Mamata Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Jayshri Propack Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Mamata Machinery has been a great bag making machine supplier to us for over 10 years. Their

service, sales and machine knowledge have always

been excellent. They have immensely contributed to

our success in the bag making business and we truly

has helped us achieve complex extrusion structures. We could also leverage their offering of the wicketer bag-making machine. This

allowed us to make high-quality wicket bags and achieve a quick turnaround time for our inventory.

Our prime focus is on integrating recycled content into quality product offerings. We have been able to process a postconsumer recycled resin, reducing our carbon footprint.

We look forward to supporting brands in meeting their sustainability goals.

value them as our growth partner.

We thank Mr. Abhijit Deshmukh, Mr. Apurva

Kane and their team at Mamata Machinery for years of dedicated service towards Jayshri Propack and their profound

impact on value creation in the bag making business arena.

82

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

Suresh Kumar Director, Multiflex Polyfilms Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru Mamata Machinery, for so long, has been a great

associate in our journey spanning about two decades in the field of flexible packaging.

They have been a great partner, and continue to be, with new developments coming up almost every year. Earlier

Jayesh Kansagra Director, Sanraj Polyprinters LLP, Rajkot At Sanraj, we are in the business of flexible laminate

packaging catering to the domestic and overseas markets.

Our specialisation is in the standee pouch and zipper standee; however, we deal majorly in roll forms. Quite clearly, in the

machines installed way back in 2005 stand rock solid and

pouch making machinery, Mamata is the best supplier in India

installations over the years; the recent installations

Mamata machines are designed to cater to all types of pouch

addition of products and help us serve a

and technology.

still stand the test of time. There have been quite many are very flexible, well contributing to the valuesatisfactory client base. Nice people to work with!

when it comes to technology, quality and service support. making and have continuously improved their machines

Our relationship with Mamata spans over 25 years. We are very satisfied with the performance of their machines and the value

for money that they bring to us - very good quality, at very good Nitesh Jain Director, Maruthi Plastics and Packaging Pvt. Ltd., Chennai Maruthi Plastics is one of the leading companies in India for manufacturing of courier bags and

price. A salient feature that I would like to mention here is the use of the individual servo sealer and another sealer with a chiller which gives us excellent quality products. Great technology with an equally good service support makes Mamata our most preferred machine supplier.

speciality bags.

Our journey with Mamata is of exponential growth. For

us, Mamata is our growth partner. Mamata comes with vast

experience, latest technologies, innovations and an excellent team.

We are growing year-on-year with them. Mamata is a part of our vision. We are happy to be associated with them.

Wishing the very best to Team Mamata!

Vikas Bhuwalka Director, V3 Polyplast Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata V3 Polyplast is in the business of manufacturing

flexible laminated packaging in pouches and roll forms.

In the industry of packaging, namely pouches and flexible

packaging, in India it is very difficult to manufacture quality

products; Mamata has provided that technology and support to the manufacturers, and we have been associated with Mamata for over 22 years now.

Mamata has always been at the forefront of technology and its implementation in their machines with continuous upgrades as and when they occur. We have 7 machines as on date and that itself is testimony enough about

their technology, service and support. Flexible

packaging is a vertical that is going to grow in

leaps and bounds and one needs to be using the best in terms of technology and machinery.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

83

SIVARAM SPEAKS

Organocatalysis: The Nobel Prize Winning Discovery

and its Implications to Polymerisation

Figure 2: Two isomers of a generic amino acid that are chiral.

Polymerisation using organocatalysts is emerging as a powerful tool for not only enabling controlled ROP with high efficiency, but also for chemical

recycling and upcycling of aromatic condensation polymers. While there are

immense opportunities for industrial use, many challenges still remain for such catalysts to find widespread industrial applications.

Dr. S. Sivaram Former Director, CSIR-NCL, Honorary Professor Emeritus and INSA Emeritus Scientist, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

84

P

rof. Benjamin List, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany and Prof. David W. C. MacMillan, Princeton University, USA

were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2021 for their development

of a new and ingenious tool for building molecules with precision (Refer Figure 1).

Organocatalysts are a new family of catalysts which are simple analogues of nature’s catalysts, namely, enzymes. Organocatalysts enable chemists to synthesise chiral

and asymmetric molecules, meaning molecules whose mirror images are nonsuperposable (analogy, our left and right hand, Refer Figure 2). Chiral molecules are

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

Since the first report of this family of catalysts in early 2000, the area has grown and flourished

with numerous scientific papers. Today, chemists

have a vast and diverse array of compounds in

their tool-box that can function as organocatalysts (Refer Figure 3). Many of these catalysts are in industrial

applications

perfumery industries.

in

pharmaceutical

and

Organocatalysts for Polymer Science Figure 1: Prof. Benjamin List and Prof. David W. C. MacMillan were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2021 for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.

S

CO2H

N H

O

N H

N

R2

as a solution to address the issue of ‘sustainability’

because they are biocompatible as well as

biodegradable under composting conditions and

Ph Ph

the monomer used for its preparation is obtained

N

Ar

OTMS

O O P O OH Ar R3 N

from renewable resources. Thus, they belong to

the emerging class of sustainable materials. The property and application envelope of PLLA has substantially enlarged during the past decade,

thanks to commercial availability of the polymers

from multiple sources and increasing knowledge of structure-processing-property relationships. PLLA is

N R 2

manufactured by a ‘Ring Opening Polymerisation’ (ROP) chemistry using L-lactide, a cyclic diester of

Figure 3: Examples of some organocatalysts.

ubiquitous in nature and also constitute a large part of the synthetic molecules that find wide use as drugs, flavours and fragrances, and plant protection chemicals. As the name implies, such catalysts do not involve use of metals and in that

sense the processes tend to be greener and cleaner.

O

ROP O

‘circular economy’ concept which is widely seen

polyesters that has attracted wide attention

N

MeO

O

polymers to monomers and is important for the

Poly(L-lactide) or PLLA is a class of aliphatic HO

N H

construction and deconstruction of polymers.

associated with certain classes of polymers.

tBu

N H

polymer science [1]. They are being used for both The latter is particularly relevant for converting

R1 N H

Organocatalysts have also attracted attention in

L-lactic acid, as the monomer. In turn, L-lactic acid

is manufactured by the process of fermentation using sugar, starch and other biomass resources.

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

O

H

H3C

Tin-2-ethylhexanoate

O

O

(catalyst) 130° C

O

L-lactide

H3C

O

n O

PLLA

Figure 4: Ring opening polymerisation (ROP) of L-lactide.

86

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

Ventura /vɛnˈtʊrə/

noun Good fortune

All that the world needs right now.

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E

WE ARE HIRING! POLYMERS Communique (published by Custage Marketing Solutions LLP) is one of the most high-profile

trade publications in India. Based in the commercial capital Mumbai, the publication is on the cusp of a major expansion plan for which we need to identify thought leaders for the following positions. A defining career

opportunity and an unprecedented exposure for marcom professionals to be associated with one of the most reputed brand in trade publishing; a brand that has global repute.

Asst. Editor

Asst. Manager (Ad Sales)

Executive (Subscriptions)

With content being the most vital cog in its business, this position would need a minimum 8-10 years experienced candidate who has a post-graduate degree in journalism, corporate communications or equivalent.

A go-getter with field experience of space selling (media or events) could apply. Candidate with B2B sales would also be considered. This position would need a minimum 6-8 years experienced candidate with a post-graduate degree in marketing / sales or equivalent.

Experience in direct sales of subscriptions or experience with creating a network of sales agents for magazine selling would be imperative for this positions. Graduate or Post Graduate in business, media or equivalent is desirable. This position would need a minimum 3 - 5 years experience.

The position demands enhancing the current content profile, expanding to new verticals, strong industry interaction, working closely with the production team to close the issues and working towards natural extensions for the magazine brand. It is expected that the suitable candidate should be in a position to deliver article editing and content writing of the highest standards.

Setting business targets, achieving business, implementing marketing plans, creating new avenues for revenue generation would be his core targets.

Building and heading a team would be an important task under this profile.

Sales experience within the plastics industry would be given preference.

This target driven job profile would need the candidate to evolve ways and means of expanding the subscription base and continuously create promos to excite the industry.

Experience in trade publications would be given preference.

Experience in trade publications would be given preference.

Submit your CV with as much details to jyoti@custage.com within 15th March, 2022. Please indicate your

current salary drawn. Please also write in 2 sentences as to why do you consider yourself suitable for the post applied.

Custage Marketing Solutions LLP 405 - 406, Vikas Centre, Dr C.G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074.

www.mypc.co.in

DIVING DEEP

Leveraging Smart Solutions

for Superior Plastic Manufacturing Plastic manufacturers may choose equipment

producing high-quality parts and products, but these machines require appropriate lubrication used at the right time to achieve longer oil life and additional energy efficiency.

Q. What are the latest trends in the plastic manufacturing sector? What role can lubrication providers play in determining performance of the plastics industry?

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced rapid changes in everyday life, and the plastic manufacturing sector is no exception. The most visible trend can be seen in the adoption of digitalisation for core practices. Today, lubrication

providers have a greater role to play – along with providing the latest product formulations, leading lubrication providers are extending service support through artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI/ML) enabled

monitoring and remote assistance. For plastic manufacturers, partnering with leading lubricant providers is especially

important

today;

not

just

to

guarantee the long life of equipment,

but also to swiftly make the most effective transition by imbibing the industrial internet of things (IIoT) in everyday practices.

Rupinder Paintal Director - Market Development, ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

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December 2021 - January 2022

Q. What are some of the challenges that continue to plague the sector? How are lubrication providers plugging this deficiency?

While the plastics sector is poised for promising growth in the coming years, some challenges persist. A fundamental plastic

manufacturing

process

is

injection moulding. This process is rather

convoluted

moulding

machine

as

an

injection

simultaneously

deploys hydraulic, electrical, mechanical and

other

applications,

technologies. hydraulic

oils

In

these

play

a

crucial role in the production process, while being a key factor in minimising unscheduled downtime and extending oil drain interval (ODI). Simultaneously,

frequent filter plugging, hitches in servo valve and other challenges with plastic

injection moulding machines can be overcome with the timely inspection of machines and by deploying the right lubricants for maintenance.

India’s plastics sector is set to grow at

challenge,

preventing

manufacturing

firms from appropriately implementing industry recommendations to optimise performance. Here especially, AI/ML and a CAGR of 26.7% from 2020 to 2025

to reach US$ 204.8 billion by 2025, reports The Times of India. To enhance efficacy, plastic manufacturers choose equipment that produces high-quality parts and products with consistency.

For this, machines require appropriate lubrication that is used at the right time

to achieve longer oil life and additional energy efficiency.

Q. What role can digitalisation and AI/ML play in attending to the concerns of plastic manufacturers?

IIoT can play a driving role in removing the barriers of insufficient equipment effectiveness and downtime. Modifying existing workflows to integrate men, machines

and

the

manufacturing

process into a structured mesh of

interconnected devices - IIoT is allowing data collection, exchange and analysis for improved productivity, efficiency and output.

Further, the plastics industry has been

confronting the challenge of ensuring efficiency

in

guaranteeing

manufacturing

the

effective

and

disposal

witnessing

of plastic waste. Here, IIoT and the

everyday challenges such as the lack

a driving role in further optimisation of

The

rapid of in

plastics

growth

real-time

industry

while

is

encountering

monitoring,

measurement

and

inaccuracy

absence

of

precise predictive analytics. Further,

interpretation of data has been a

expertise of industry leaders can play

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

Savouring great content in

That Suits Most Taste Buds!

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

93

ADVERTORIAL

Sponsored by

Aerodry Process Automation Impacting Business Positively

“We must ensure we invest in our

human resources, provide opportunities for self-improvement, support

education and training, create a culture of continuous improvement and

fund the health and welfare of their

families. Machines and technologies

are great, but they cannot add value to sustain any business without our

most important resource, our people,” explains Dr. Harj Cheema, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Dr. Harj Cheema Director of Capital Projects, AUDAX Protective Fabrics Pvt. Ltd., Canada

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December 2021 - January 2022

Q. How do you adapt to the norms of sustainability and circular economy, in specific, to your business?

Partnership with Aerodry for the past 7 years. has

empowered us to deliver quality products to our

customers - on time, the

first time and every time!

AUDAX Protective Fabrics is an India based integrated manufacturer of reinforced laminated polyolefin fabrics for the global agricultural, petrochemical,

medical,

packaging

construction markets.

and

At AUDAX, we strive to use the industry best

lean manufacturing practices (LMP) combined

with innovation to guide all strategic business initiatives. We encourage sharing of information

and try to teach each and every employee right from bottom to the top of our organisation Central network-based gravimetric blending units.

to view the business holistically; we have found

that this nurtures continuous improvement and sustainable thinking. We educate our teams to measure change with key performance indicators

in the areas of quality, cost, delivery, safety and morale (QCDSM).

Our sustainability initiatives include designing our products to be recyclable and implementing processes with zero net scrap.

Q. Aerodry has been a solution provider for your group for bulk raw material handling (i.e.) central raw material conveying, gravimetric blenders and drying systems.

How do you rate their level of technology and performance as compared to your major European suppliers?

I have led numerous green field manufacturing projects across the globe for the past 30 years, and

in India specifically, for almost 20 years. During this time, I have used both European and North

American suppliers for our drying, blending and material handling requirements.

Driven by our commitment to always provide on-time delivery to our customers, we decided to

qualify

a

‘Made

in

India’

service-driven

organisation that offers high quality auxiliary equipment and process automation solutions.

After conducting detailed research, trials, and testing, we migrated all AUDAX operations to exclusively use ‘Aerodry’ made in India equipment. I must admit that after making the

decision to use Aerodry, an excellent qualified

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

95

To mitigate the issues encountered

over the past two years, we must revisit our commitment to our human resources. Our management made a

conscientious decision to ensure we

continued to invest in our human resources, provide opportunities for selfimprovement, support education and training, create a culture of continuous

improvement, and fund the health and welfare of our employees and their

families, irrespective of the financial pressures created by the pandemic, a true commitment to our people.

Central dehumidifying dryer units.

world-

development. I believe that human

Machines and technologies are great,

customers have significantly benefitted

successful use and implementation of

any

technology and automation solutions.

important resource, our people.

Q. How do you think the increasing use of smart technologies and automation will impact the industry over the next 3 - 5 years?

Smart technologies and automation

Q. Use of recyclables in production lines is gaining a lot of importance in the packaging industry for sustainable growth. How does your Group adapt to this and what are the challenges faced?

quality,

practices are instrumental to the success

domestic

company

offering

class technologies, AUDAX and our from this decision.

Q. Increasing use of high production capacity processing calls for higher levels of automation in auxiliary equipment to save materials and optimise overall efficiency of the production system. How have systems from Aerodry helped your business deliver better?

resources

are

what

truly

allow

7 years. During our partnership, we

can provide flexibility and return on

performed well and at par with our other

in our rapidly changing world.

have found that all the equipment has

investment over a longer time horizon

first time and every time!

Q. Investments in technology and automation have been critical to your business success. How have these investments helped your business? proponent

of

automation,

but

true

sustainable

and

to

sustainable

global operations.

add

along

96

our

human

resource

commitment the

to

the

environment

implementation

of

new

advantage

continues

with

the

education

and

with

footprint reduction techniques along

our

processes and products that integrate

competitive to

the

recycled

development

materials

sustainable world.

to

of

cleaner

promote

a

Q. Who do you consider as your role model in business and life?

The late Steve Jobs; primarily due to his vision, commitment to innovation, development and implementation of

vulnerabilities in organisations, correct?

of

begins with the management’s financial

with

initiatives

balanced

support

and

from the start of every project. This

technologies

intelligence

a

I think you are referring to the fact

training

AUDAX, we believe in this concept

hybrid combination of both artificial

implementing

investment in our people through ongoing

business

training of our people on carbon

and

that the pandemic has exposed the

a

sustainable

At AUDAX, we are actively researching

recruitment,

am

that

clean technologies. The commitment

success must also include a similar

I

investment in both technology and

agree

and

Q. The pandemic has exposed many loopholes in the most organised and resilient organisations. Your views on risk management and its critical role in order to manage / conduct business.

Yes,

most

and longevity of all organisations. At

sustainability,

is to try and invest in solutions that

products to our customers - on time, the

our

safety and morale of organisations.

delivery,

partnership with Aerodry for the past

This has empowered us to deliver quality

without

I

cost,

We have had the privilege of sharing a

reliable, and repeatable performance.

business

will continue to evolve and impact

However, our approach to business

European suppliers, provided consistent,

but they cannot add value to sustain

technologies that have dramatically improved and

human

communication

driven globalisation.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

interaction

that

has

December 2021 - January 2022

GROWTH STORY

India, With Its Youth

The Right Market to be In “On the process side,

having comprehension of the

characteristics of the raw materials

coupled with operating experiences on compounding would help

you achieve much better performance and, of course, right selection and

design of twin screw extruder plays a key role in its performance,”

highlights Jun Ho Park, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. How important is the India market to SM Platek and why?

Given population composition in India, we expect that our potential new customers keep starting their own

new businesses. In fact, in countries such as Japan,

China and South Korea, the number of young people

who would energise the economy is getting much

Jun Ho Park Overseas Manager, SM Platek Co, Ltd. (JSW Group), South Korea

98

less than before; but India still has a huge young To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Weekend Delights Friday night to Monday morning, a time to unwind, rejuvenate and be geared to face another grueling week. Each one of us use this ‘my time’ is different ways. And why not, weekend is a time for expressing ourselves. We all have known the personalities featured here as astute business stalwarts; as life is more than just business, we at POLYMERS Communiqué, have started this section called ‘WEEKEND DELIGHTS’. Live life...

Puneet Agarwal Director

Manjushree Innovations Pvt. Ltd.

Weekend, for me, starts with an early morning trek to the beautiful hilly landscapes surrounding my pristine city of Guwahati. It helps me unwind from the eventful week gone by and connects me with nature and friends. It also recharges me for the week ahead.

Kishor Kumar Warde Managing Director

Omega Plasto Ltd.

Weekend, for me, is to spend time with nature along with my family members doing activities such as swimming, cycling, barbequing, relaxing, among others.

Also, the weekend is a very important time of the week to have get-togethers with family and friends which is a memorable time of life.

It gives positive energy to prepare me for the coming week.

102

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Nisheeth Mehta CEO

Microsign Products

I am an art lover and would look to provide a platform for art performers. This is my hobby.

Practicing yoga harmonises the vital energy of the body, mind, heart and soul helping create the right equilibrium.

Naresh J. Joshipara Managing Director

Vihan Engineering Pvt. Ltd.

During weekends, I keep myself occupied reading fiction / non-fiction / science and spending time with family.

Anil Choudhary

Managing Director

Commercial Syn Bags Ltd.

After complete exhaustion due to six days of working, Sundays are a time off to unplug, disconnect and give myself space to think.

On a Sunday, I focus on family, friends, creative pursuits and hobbies. I start my day by going to the club for yoga, swimming and meeting friends at breakfast. I devote some time in my garden to check the health of my plants and veggies, while nourishing the soil.

Sunday ends with having dinner with friends and family.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

103

POLYTHINKING

Emerging Prospects of Dimethyl Ether

as Substitute for LPG and Diesel

DME appears to have the largest potential impact on society, and should be considered as the

fuel of choice for eliminating

the dependency on petroleum.

Government intervention is needed for a proper policy on DME. Prof. (Dr.) G. D. Yadav

Emeritus Professor of Eminence, and J. C. Bose National Fellow (GoI) Former Vice Chancellor & R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, and Tata Chemicals Darbari Seth Distinguished Professor of Leadership & Innovation Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

104

Abstract Conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals is a hot subject

in view of the ‘net zero goal’. In my previous POLYMERS Communiqué

articles, I have mentioned how green hydrogen can help us in achieving this grand objective. Dimethyl ether (DME) has many interesting characteristics as a fuel and it can be produced from carbon dioxide using innovative catalysts, reactors and separators. Roughly 5 - 10% of total

CO2 emission can be utilised for fuel and chemical production. Besides

sustainable use of natural energy resources, governments are mandating

the CO2 capture and storage (CCS) in the near future for specific locations,

but the economy of the CCS plant only can be sustainable when it is supported by DME synthesis plant with a capacity of 3,000 - 7,500 TPD.

DME is the cleanest high-efficiency compression ignition fuel as a substitute for diesel. DME’s autoignition property and high octane number (55 to

60) are favourable like LPG and allow DME to be used as a propane and

butane substitute in LPG as a cooking fuel. The well-established LPG industry infrastructure can be used for DME also. Compared to some of the

other leading alternative fuel candidates (i.e. methane, methanol, ethanol

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

Indigenous packaging machinery solutions for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Wad Inserting Machines Speed: 120 - 500 caps/min

Flip Top Cap Folding Machines Speed: 80 - 120 caps/min

Cap Assembly Machines Speed: 120 - 140 caps/min

Induction Cap Sealers Speed: 100 bottles/min

and Fischer-Tropsch fuels), DME appears

dramatically and their overuse will result

Until recently, DME was primarily used

society, and should be considered as

supply shortages. It is predicted that by

and in the production of ultra-pure

to have the largest potential impact on the fuel of choice for eliminating the

dependency on petroleum. Government intervention is needed for a proper policy on DME.

in the future generation facing energy

mid-2050s, we may not have a viable

means of extracting oil from the mother earth using current technologies. These problems along with GHG emissions, commitment to the Paris Agreement of

Introduction

2015, aiming at net zero carbon by 2050, of

and containing global temperature rise

demand due to the depletion of natural

development of a new clean energy

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

and can be utilised in the industry

coal and natural / shale gases, crude oil

present infrastructure. For any alternate

and the transportation industry happens

short period and that too economically,

roughly

petroleum

characteristics of the energy supply

from energy generation to its application

of energy infrastructure are the energy

and petrochemical products such as

well as utilisation. There are very few

oil production and pricing are influenced

three criteria.

New

renewable

alternatives

great

to below 1.5° C, have all propelled the

resources and the huge build-up of

alternative, which has to be renewable

Among the fossil fuels, namely, crude oil,

without any major modification of

is the fastest depleting carbon source,

source, building new infrastructure in a

to be the primary reason; it consumes

will be horrendous. The three main

production. Its wide array of uses range

chain which are essential for any type

as a feedstock for transportation fuels

generation, storage and distribution as

plastics, solvents and adhesives. Crude

options available which can fulfill all the

by geopolitics and the developments

In this regard, dimethyl ether (DME) is

conventional

57%

energy

of

are

total

in

in renewable energy sector. BP Energy

gives a figure of ~ 97.5 MMBPD of crude oil production. The Brent crude price on

11th January, 2022 was 79.45 USD/barrel.

The oil industry is one of the most

powerful sectors in the world economy and changes in benchmark oil prices have

great

implications

for

most

manufacturing sectors and consumers.

Decarbonisation of the transportation industry is a call of the day. The

new setting trend of the mode of hydrogen

is

electric

driven

vehicles;

ignition fuel. I had talked about the methanol article

of

economy

POLYMERS

in

a

previous

Communiqué,

but the associated fuel DME should be

cars

but

and

the

question is still unsolved as most of

characteristic

the simplest aliphatic ether and is not

mutagenic compound and corrosive.

The dimethyl ether market is projected

to grow from US$ 4.364 trillion in

2021 to US$ 8.755 trillion in 2028 at a CAGR of 10.5% during forecast period 2021 - 2028.

energy which releases a huge amount

have put strict emission rules for the

The 1990 Clean Air Act amendments

of greenhouse gases (COX, SOX, NOX)

industry of the release of volatile

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

emissions, no particulate matter (PM) emission; very low NOX; no SOX), low engine high

noise,

high

well-to-wheel

organic compounds as it depletes the ozone layer. Though DME is a volatile

organic compound, it is not hazardous.

December 2021 - January 2022

fuel

economy,

efficiency

and

engine thermal efficiency equal to or

better than diesel fuel. DME can be

employed in diesel engines without engine modification, but with minimal

modifications to the fuel supply and lubrications. with

propane

Mixed (30% 70%

To project DME

used in petrol engines.

for our society,

DME

and

as a future fuel

propane), it can also be DME can also be used

new studies

as fuel for gas turbines

encompassing

for power generation, without to

turbines

combustors; propane (20% 80%

process

modification and

optimisation and

or

as

scale-up study

blendstock

DME

of one-pot DME

and

propane)

synthesis and

for

cooking and heating,

economic aspects

modifications.

and practical DME

without

as

a

of an efficient

equipment

propellant and is used

combustion

petroleum as the primary source of

natural resources has been reduced

significant benefits: ultra-low exhaust

is its autoignition property. DME is

excellent

DME Industrial Uses

obvious reasons, the lifetime of these

transportation fuel because of its many

DME is well known

the power plants are using coal and

into the environment. Due to these

glass. However, DME is a favourable

looked at. The reason behind DME’s

toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, toxic,

The Market Scenario

transportation

the cleanest high-efficiency compression

as an ozone-friendly aerosol propellant

higher

synthesis plant

grade

must be explored.

for many healthcare

products. Its health and safety properties

are better than other conventional petroleum-based fuels. Thus, it can be used as a chemical precursor and multiutility

fuel.

A

comparison

of

the physical properties of different conventional fuels with DME is shown in Table 1. DME outperforms!

The substantial DME market is divided in mainly four categories:

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

105

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ARCHIVES

A New Orbit of Applications

P

olymers have evolved from being academic curiosity to an integral part of life over the last century. Polymers are affecting every sphere of life and

it is not an exaggeration when we say that we live in the polymer age.

At this day and age, it is very difficult to find products that do not depend directly or indirectly on the development of polymer science and technology.

Polymers have been traditionally developed for diverse applications such as

composite materials for high strength applications, insulating materials for

various optoelectronic applications, fibres and elastomers for various commodity products, hydrogels for sanitary as well as biomedical applications, as drug carrier for pharmaceutical applications, as paper substitutes, as catalyst support for industrial processes etc.

There is a lot of exciting research work going on around the globe to develop new polymers with unique properties for specialised applications. This article gives just a glimpse of some of the recent developments.

The recent trend in polymer science and technology is to develop multifunctional polymers wherein single material exhibits multiple properties. Some of the recent Prof. Ashok Misra Chairman-Emeritus India, Intellectual Ventures, Bengaluru

approaches include: NN

metals or inorganic semiconductors, which can result in development of flexible

large area products like displays, lighting, sensors, solar cells, super capacitors and batteries.

NN

Prof. Anil Kumar Chemistry Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai Some articles don’t have a shelf-life. We pick a select few for your ready-reference in our ‘Archives’ section.

112

Making polymers highly conducting or semiconducting to replace traditional

Combining high strength and flexibility with self-healing properties to create artificial muscles or substrates for stretchable and wearable devices.

NN

Combining energy storage with high temperature stability for future electronics.

NN

A colour changing artificial skin to mimic chameleon.

NN

Structurally

coloured

materials

mimickingbutterflies and peacocks.

to

replace

dyes

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

and

pigments

by

December 2021 - January 2022

NN NN

Smart paints and coatings.

Artificial

skin

with

integrated

optoelectronic devices.

NN

Synthetic membranes for chemical separation and purification.

Apart from this, there is a great deal of effort being directed towards the synthesis of polymers via continuous flow

processes

to

get

designer

unimolecular polymers with precise control over size, shape, functionality

and surface properties. In this article, some of these important developments are being described in brief.

Artificial Skin Imagine having youthful skin that hides all wrinkles, prevents sunburns, improve hydration, releasing drug on demand, protecting skin from rashes and treating

skin diseases. It may sounds like science fiction! Not any more. Researchers at MIT

have

developed

a

so-called

‘second skin’ which can be applied as thin coating as and when required. This

artificial skin mimics the mechanoelastic

properties of the natural skin and is

based

on

tunable

cross-linked

polysiloxanes. This artificial skin can

be applied without heat or exposure to UV light and can also be used for wound

dressing.

mechanoelastic

Furthermore,

properties

of

the

this

artificial skin can be fine-tuned to suit the desired properties of the natural skin

of the person using it. These properties do not change significantly with time resulting in durable and long-lasting artificial skin1.

Self-healing Synthetic Polymeric Muscles Combination of hard and soft segments

in polymer composites results in the

reversible stretchability and actuation.

A team from Stanford University led

coworkers from Stanford University have

solution wherein they have integrated

In this direction, Zhenan Bao and developed an elastomer that mimics synthetic muscles in mechanoelastic properties

including

self-healing

nature. They used a copolymer based on

poly(domethylsiloxane)

and

2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide ligand that

was crosslinked by Iron(III). The weaker iron-ligand bond results in self-healing

electrochromic

devices

and

highly

so

called

tunable resistive pressure sensor on stretchable

surface.

This

interactive e-skin can lead the way for development of wearable devices as well as smart robots4.

Sequence Specific Designer Polymers

of chains2.

Nature

Polymers for High Temperature Power Electronics

as size, shape and functionality of

in reversible unfolding and re-folding

power electronics for decades. Though

polymers are known to be light weight, flexible, scalable and easy to fabricate

in complex geometries, their use in high temperature dielectric for extreme

applications such as aerospace and exploration

remained

elusive. Recently, Wang and his team Pennsylvania

State

University

developed a hybrid material based on

cross-linked

polymer

nano-

resulting

nano-

composite reinforced with boron nitride nanosheets.

The

composite exhibits excellent breakdown strength

and

discharged

energy

density even at a temperature of as high as 250° C. This paves the way

for applications of organic materials

for flexible high temperature energy storage and power electronic devices3.

Chameleon-inspired Colour Changing Stretchable Electronic Skin

In fact, these elastomers behave like

direction, one of the fascinations is to

properties of muscles such as self healing

stretchable as well as it changes colour

wide ranging applications in daily life.

standing dream of scientists. In this

natural muscles but lack many other

mimic chameleon skin wherein it is

power, high dielectric strength, large

with the variation in applied pressure as well as duration of applied pressure.

December 2021 - January 2022

control

macromolecules

by clever design of sequence of just

main backbone of high temperature

from

excellent

unimolecularbio

Traditionally, ceramics have been the

underground

exhibits

over critical design parameters such

Mimicking nature has been a long-

l

organic conjugated polymers based

as it can break and re-form, which results

formation of elastomers, those have

POLYMERS Communiqué

by Zhenan Bao have come out with a

twenty odd monomers (amino acids).

However,

this

remains

an

elusive

dream for synthetic polymer chemists.

Furthermore,

reproducibility

of

sequence specific polymers at various volume scales (from small batches

for research to large volumes for commercial

applications)

proves

to

be another stumbling block. In this direction,

continuous

flow

process

provides a potential solution wherein machine-assisted lead

to

synthesis

sequence-specific

can

designer

macromolecules with excellent batchto-batch

reproducibility.

Recently,

a

group from MIT reported the synthesis

of unimolecular macromolecules with precise control over sequence and architecture.

They

used

continuous

flow multistep synthesis coupled with iterative

exponential

process

as

christened

their

Flow-IEG.

growth.

They

semi-automated They

further

demonstrated the ease of synthesis

coupled with scalability of their process.

This

system

can

provide

designer

unimolecular polymers that can help

explore the sequence-specific structureproperty

relationship

for

futuristic

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

113

A GRASSROOTS APPROACH

Bringing Awareness Among Students

ICPE’s Initiative on Responsible Management of Plastics

ICPE receives overwhelming response to their All India School Contest - 2021 for

students. This younger generation shared their views and suggestions on how we

could achieve a cleaner environment with

responsible use of plastics and management of waste. A virtual felicitation programme was conducted for the winners.

116

Source: Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE)

I

ndian Centre for Plastics in the

Environment (ICPE) is a voluntary ‘Not for Profit’ organisation set up

on the recommendation of a Task

Force constituted by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government

of India in January, 1999 to formulate strategies matters

and

related

action

to

plans

plastics

in

on

the

environment. The centre is registered

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

under the societies act and is supported by

that sent largest number of participants in

The ICPE Initiative

The welcome address and introduction were

the industry.

ICPE has been conducting various awareness campaigns specifically been

among

among

the

organising

the

students.

students

‘All

younger In

India

inviting

this,

generation,

School

their

ICPE

has

Contest’

views

and

suggestions on how we could achieve a cleaner

environment with responsible use of plastics and management of waste. ICPE has received overwhelming responses to such contests held in the past.

the contest.

given by S. K. Ray, Hon. Secretary and Member Governing

Council,

ICPE,

followed

by

an

address to the audience by K. G. Ramanathan, President, ICPE. The methodology of selecting the winners was shared by Dr. D. D. Kale,

Ex- Head of the Department, Polymer Engineering, UDCT, Mumbai and Chairman of the Jury of Selectors of the All India School Contest - 2021.

Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor of

Somaiya

Vidyavihar

University

and

Prof. S. T. Mhaske, Head of the Department,

The 2021 Event

Polymer

Likewise, ICPE organised an All India School

the industry spoke to the students and teachers.

Contest - 2021; results of which have been declared through a virtual felicitation programme that was organised on 24th December, 2021 to

encourage the young students and honouring their mentoring teachers as well as acknowledging the

cooperation

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

received

from

December 2021 - January 2022

the

schools

&

Surface

Engineering,

Institute

of

Chemical Technology, Mumbai and experts from The programme was concluded with the vote of

thanks given by T. K. Bandopadhyay, Technical Director, ICPE. Well

done,

the winners!

participants!

Congratulations

to

117

IN SHOTS

IPLEX’20 Kochi Makes Its Mark

Held in Kochi between 3rd and

5th December, 2021, IPLEX’20 saw

participation from over 100 exhibitors, while generating crores of rupees worth of business.

P. J. Mathew Convenor, IPLEX’20, Kochi

118

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

The exhibitors were very happy as they got an opportunity to meet their customers face-to-face after a long break. They also garnered very positive responses and enquiries.

The

first

major

physical

exhibition

after

Plastivision India 2020, Mumbai, IPLEX’20 was

held successfully between 3rd and 5th December, 2021, at the Adlux Exhibition Centre, Kochi.

Inaugurated by V. D. Satheesan, MLA, Hon’ble Leader

of

Opposition,

Kerala

Legislative

Assembly, the ceremony was presided over by Prof. (Dr.) Shishir Sinha, Director General of CIPET

and Kishore P. Sampat, President, AIPMA was the Guest of Honour.

Despite the prevailing pandemic situation, over 100 exhibitors from all over India participated in

IPLEX’20, Kochi. Live demonstrations of a number of machines including injection moulding, blow

moulding, extrusions and recycling added value to the expo. Distributors of leading raw materials;

The Kerala Plastics Manufacturers’ Association

and additives, and bio- and oxo-biodegradable

Recyclers’

manufacturers of colour masterbatches, fillers raw materials; and manufacturers of ancillary equipment

and

spares

products at the show.

all

showcased

their

A large number of business delegates from all over India, a majority of them from the south,

visited IPLEX’20. Technical experts from CIPET

played a vital role in clearing the delegates’

doubts and explaining to them new technical developments in the polymers industry. We are

happy

to

note

that

many

prospective

entrepreneurs visited the exposition and evinced interest in initiating start-ups.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

(KPMA) in collaboration with the Kerala Plastic Association

organised

a

public

awareness programme on various plastics waste management techniques.

The three-day physical exhibition generated crores of rupees worth business. The exhibitors were

very happy as they got an opportunity to meet their customers face-to-face after a long break.

They also garnered very positive responses and enquiries. We are getting a lot of appreciation from

the exhibitors who participated in IPLEX’20 Kochi.

The excellent arrangements made here in Kochi

have been well-appreciated by both, exhibitors and visitors.

119

IN TRUE SENSE

Plastics

and Climate Change As one such example in this regard, use of plastic parts in automotive

and airplanes substantially reduce the deadloads and make these

more fuel efficient. Design flexibility

with plastics for more aerodynamic

design further improves efficiencies

by reducing the drag coefficient. Less

fuel consumption leads to lower GHG

emissions and, hence, lower contribution to

climate change potential.

T

he COP26 United Nation’s Climate Change Conference held at Glasgow in November last year once again brought under sharp focus the unsustainable development path being followed by

humanity. Clarion calls to address the looming global warming crisis,

glaciers melting, sea level rise and biodiversity losses were sounded by vulnerable communities and countries from across the world. There was an implicit acknowledgement of missing the target of limiting global S. K. Ray Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee, Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), Mumbai

120

average temperature rise within 1.5° C at the end of this century,

compared to preindustrial era, as set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meet in Paris in April, 2016.

The average global temperature has already risen by 1.1° C, and we seem to have limited maneuverability to significantly decelerate the future rise and meet the target. One optimistic estimate was limiting the possible

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

December 2021 - January 2022

To mitigate climate change, it is imperative that we reduce the demand for all materials, including plastics. Since all plastics can either be recycled or the energy / material content recovered, greater focus should be placed on recycling technology, improving waste management infrastructure and making behavioural changes to lift-up plastic recycling rates.

Greenhouse (GHG)

Gas

emission,

the root cause of

global warming and hence the

climate change.

Degree

of

affluence is closely

linked

emission.

to

Higher

GHG the

level of affluence, larger are

energy, material, water and other

natural resource footprints. The energy

rise within 2.0° C. This rise might still

potentially submerge few island nations bringing

in

unprecedented

through

collective

human

misery. It can possibly be averted and

concerted

efforts on multiple fronts by individuals,

communities and developed nations. The

role of the developed world would be critical

in

substantially

averting

cutting

this

crisis

back

by

on

sector is estimated to account for nearly

75% of GHG emission. While moving

away from fossil fuel and shifting to

alternative

energy

might

help,

but it is unlikely to be adequate. An

effective step would be to drastically reduce energy use and demand for all

goods and services at the individual level. Overconsumption of goods and services are not only the major source

of GHG emissions, but are also of other

health and social malaises that are afflicting societies.

It’s Our Responsibility...

To begin with, we, as consumers, need to cut down on consumption and eliminate food,

wastages.

water,

energy

Wastages

and

of

materials.

Consumption of these is also closely interrelated.

paradoxically,

In

all

plastics

these can

areas,

play

a

beneficial role. When we are cutting

down on excessive food intake, we are also cutting down on associated resources

that

are

required

for

growing those foods, their packaging, transportation and retailing. Cutting

down on food wastage saves all the above plus inputs required for growing.

Thus, the most powerful levers to To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

Your Partner for High-Performance Plastics The Ensinger Group is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of compounds, semi-finished materials, composites, technical parts and profiles made of engineering and high-performance plastics. To process the thermoplastic polymers, Ensinger uses a wide range of production techniques, such as extrusion, machining, injection moulding, casting, sintering and pressing.

Ensinger India Engineering Plastics Pvt Ltd. · 2205, 22nd Floor, SOLUS Building Hiranandani Estate · Thane West – 400607, India · sales.in@ensingerplastics.com 2021_High-performace-plastic-180x110-print.indd 1

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December 2021 - January 2022

ensingerplastics.com 02.12.2021 14:26:01

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December 2021 - January 2022

BUCKLE-UP

Import Substitution and ‘Make in India’ Way Forward to Strengthen the Plastics Industry

AIPMA presented on how to reduce the sizeable

plastic products’ annual imports into India at the Indian Chemical and Petrochemical

Conference (ICPC) 2021 held on 16 and th

17th December, 2021.

A

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) panel discussion on ‘Unlocking Capacity and Capability: Opportunity for Investment in the Downstream Industry’ was held as a part of the Indian Chemical and Petrochemical

Conference (ICPC) 2021. Under the session, one of the main topics discussed was how to reduce Rs. 45,000 crore worth of plastic products’ annual imports into

India with the help of import substitution and ‘Make in India’. This discussion was led by The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA).

Prevailing Scenario The existing size of the plastics industry in the country is Rs. 3 lakh crore, and it

employs over 5 million people. There are approximately 50,000 converting units, of which 90% are under the MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium

Enterprises) having 1,75,000 plastics processing machines for the production of

a diverse range of plastic products. The processing capacity is estimated to be 55 million tonne per

Focusing on

annum, which has been growing @8.8% CAGR over the past four years. The processing industry

import substitution

is expected to invest US$ 10 billion over the

through the use of latest

next five years to increase the processing

will unlock the capability

in India becoming a US$ 5 trillion economy.

technologies and innovation of downstream plastics

Arvind Mehta

Chairman - Governing Council, AIPMA; Past President - AIPMA and Plastindia Foundation; Mumbai

POLYMERS Communiqué

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December 2021 - January 2022

industry.

capacity to 86 million tonnes by 2024-25.

The sector is set to play an important role

India is importing finished plastic goods

worth Rs. 45,000 crore per year, whereas China

is exporting a large quantity of cheap finished To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

123

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n Ancillary Equipment

and Recycling

n Colour Pigments & Masterbatches

Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd.

Rakesh Chandra Jha, National Sales Manager

419-420 Udyog Vihar Phase 1, Gurgaon-122016, Haryana.

T: +91-124-4184444 E: rcjha@pahwa.com W: www.bryair.com

Blend Colours Pvt. Ltd. Sharad Rathi, Director

Plot No.35, IDA Kattedan, Hyderabad-500077, Telangana.

T: +91-40-24361499 / 24360887 M: +91-9885118511 E: info@blendcolours.com W: www.blendcolours.com

Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd.

Pradeep Chudasama, Asst. Manager - Marketing Plot No. 147, 148 & 154, Devraj Industrial Park, Piplaj-Pirana Road, Piplaj, Ahmedabad-382405, Gujarat.

T: +91-79-29708147 M: +91-9712928201 E: marketingindia@conairgroup.com W: www.conairgroup.com/india

Deep Plast Industries Ramesh Patel, Partner

Block No.553, Rakanpur (Santej), Kalol, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad-382721, Gujarat.

T: +91-2764-286032 / 286450 M: +91-9825035472 E: rameshpatel@deepplast.com W: www.deepplast.com

n Blow Moulding Machines Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

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December 2021 - January 2022

Sonali Polymers Pvt Ltd

Suresh Bajaj, Managing Director

G1/17, H21, H22, RIICO Industrial Area Bassi, Jaipur - 303301, Rajasthan, India M: +91-9001093913 E: jaipur@sonaligroup.in W: www.sonaligroup.in

125

n Extruders & Extrusion Lines

n Machines & Equipment for Preprocessing and Recycling

Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator

A-One Enterprise

Dilip Prajapati, Proprietor

49, Gajanan Indl. Park, Ambica Mill Compound, Vatva, GIDC, Ahmedabad - 382445, Gujarat T: +91-79-29628850 M: +91-9724308850 E: dilip@bladesandblowers.net W: www.bladesandblowers.net

1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Moulds and Dies

Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Injection Moulding Machines Yizumi Precision Machinery India Pvt. Ltd. Pramil Das, Sales Manager

No.7, Mahagujarat Ind. Est., Moraiya Patiya, Village Moraiya, Ahmedabad-382210, Gujarat.

M: +91-7575009363 E: sales.india1@yizumi.com W: www.yizumi.com

n Integrated Automation

Hitech Moulds

Alwin Joshi , Managing Partner

Bldg No. 3, Unit No. 3, Sampada Sagar Manthan Ind. Estate, Sativali Road, Bhoidapada, Vasai (East), Thane-401208, Maharashtra.

M: +91-9619932480 E: sales@hitechmoulds.com W: www.hitechmoulds.com

n Parts and Components Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Raw Materials

Mifa Systems Pvt. Ltd. Abhay Upadhye, Director

703, Akik, S. G. Highway, Opp. Rajpath Club, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad-380015, Gujarat.

T: +91-79-26870825 M: +91-9327220008 E: au@mifasystems.com W: www.mifasystems.com

n Machinery for Foam, Reactive or Reinforced Resins

APAR Industries Limited

Kamal Sharma , GM- Business Development

No 303, Welworth Regency, S. No. 24/3, Near Shivaji Nagar Bus Stand, Shivaji Nagar Pune-411005, Maharashtra.

T: +91-20-25514720 M: +91-9823311662 E: agency.polymers@apar.com W: www.apar.com

Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

126

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December 2021 - January 2022

Events Propak Africa 2022

12th Die & Mould India International Exhibition

8th - 11th March, 2022

27th - 30th April, 2022

Johannesburg Expo Centre, South Africa

Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India

TAIPEI PLAS 2022

T-PLAS 2023

27th September 1st October, 2022

20th – 23rd September, 2023

28th Fakuma

Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1, Taipei, Taiwan

6th Oman Plast 2022

Plast Alger

K 2022

27th - 29th March, 2022

16th – 18th May, 2022

19th - 26th October, 2022

Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

International Conference Center of Algiers Abdelatif Rahal CIC, Algier, Algerien

IPLAS International Plastics Exhibition 2022

7th Plastasia 2022 20th - 23rd April, 2022

BITEC - Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre, Bangkok, Thailand

17th – 21st October, 2023

Düsseldorf, Germany

Messe Friedrichshafen, Germany

VietnamPlas

PLASTIVISION 2023

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Chennai

10th - 13th June, 2022

23rd - 26th November, 2022

Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India

CHINAPLAS 2022

Indoplas

PLASTINDIA 2023

Plastfocus 2024

25th – 28th April, 2022

31st August - 3rd September, 2022

National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), PR China

Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo), Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia

1st - 5th February, 2023

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

07th - 11th December, 2023

1st - 5th February, 2024

India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, India

*Status as on 15th Jan., 2022

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December 2021 - January 2022

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