Chennai,  August 2023

The All-India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association’s AMTEC is pleased to announce the upcoming 5^th Technology Conference for Growth of Plastic Industry, which will take place on August 18 in Chennai at Hotel Hyatt Regency. This technology conference is part of AIPMA’s efforts to promote import substitution of plastic goods and support the government’s Make in India initiative.

According to a comprehensive study conducted by AIPMA, plastic goods worth ₹37,500 crore were imported into India in the fiscal year 2021-22, with China accounting for 48% of the imports. In response to the call for reducing import dependence and becoming self-reliant, AIPMA has identified 553 plastic products for import substitution. The estimated import substitution of plastic goods worth ₹37,500 crore is expected to create a demand for approximately 4 million tons of raw materials per annum, along with over 16,000 plastics processing machines and tools. Moreover, this initiative is projected to generate 5, 00,000 additional jobs in the country.

This technology conference is supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. It aims to facilitate the manufacturing of “Make in India – Make for the World” plastic products.

Building on the success of the 1^st Technology Conference held in Delhi on May 26, the 2^ndTechnology Conference held in Mumbai on July 7 in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri. Piyush Goyal, the 3^rdTechnology Conference in Ahmedabad on 28^thJuly with 450+ attendees and the 4^th Technology Conference in Bangalore on 10^th August with 600+ attendees and now the 5^th conference is expected to attract over 650 industry professionals, government officials, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. The Guest of Honor for the conference will be Prof Dr. Shishir Sinha, DG, CIPET (Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology) who will be addressing the conference on Policy as enabler to the growth of Plastic Industry.

AIPMA President Mayur D Shah emphasized that India can become the world’s premium plastic supply hub, given its annual manufacturing output of goods worth Rs. 7 lakh crore. He highlighted the industry’s significant role in India’s economy, employing over 5 million people through 50,000 processing units, of which 90% are small and medium enterprises.

“The plastic industry is poised to play a vital role in India’s ambition to become a $ 5 trillion economy. We are confident that the upcoming conference in Chennai will serve as a platform for direct dialogue between manufacturers and importers. It will also showcase various technologies and innovations to facilitate import replacement,” Mr. Shah said.

Arvind Mehta, Chairman of AIPMA’s Governing Council, and AIPMA’s Arvind Mehta Technology and Entrepreneurship Centre (AMTEC), and Past President of AIPMA and PlastIndia Foundation acknowledged initiatives such as Digital India, Make in India, and Skill India as catalysts for India’s plastic industry. He highlighted the conference’s focus on technology and business opportunities for local plastic goods manufacturers resulting from import substitution. He said that the conference would feature exhibits and samples of imported plastic products, providing insights into the potential for accelerated development in import substitution plastic products. He emphasized the importance of the industry’s self-reliance and the exchange of the latest technologies and innovations. Mr. Mehta further explained that the purpose of this conference is to exchange latest technologies and innovations so that the accelerated development of import substitution plastic products could be promoted.

The 5^th conference will showcase exhibits and samples of imported plastic products, offering a technical and business roadmap to the plastic processing industry for manufacturing these products in India. The final edition of the conference is scheduled to take place in Kolkata on August 31.