Tech, trust and traceability: Shaping India pharma’s future

The eighth edition of the Pharma Packaging & Labelling Conclave, organised by Express Pharma, brought together packaging heads, regulatory leaders, material scientists and technology providers from across India Pharma Inc. The conversations were not about discovering something entirely new. Instead, they focused on examining what is already unfolding across plants, R&D centres and boardrooms, and analysing it through sharper operational and strategic lenses.

Over two days, the conclave revisited familiar industry pressure points while layering them with new realities around artificial intelligence, connected systems, global compliance shifts and advances in material science. Across sessions, a common understanding emerged. Packaging is no longer a downstream activity that begins after formulation finalisation. It increasingly influences development pathways, regulatory submissions, cost structures, lifecycle management and patient experience.

Leadership priorities redefining packaging

From the outset, discussions were anchored in practical leadership priorities. The opening leadership session, moderated by Viveka Roychowdhury, Editor, Express Pharma, brought together Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals; M Gopi Reddy, Vice President and Head – Corporate Quality, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries; and Atul Shastri, President – Global Operations, Eugia Pharma Specialities, to examine what pharma leaders must get right about packaging today. The discussion highlighted four interlinked essentials: product protection, patient-centric usability, regulatory compliance and traceability. The panel emphasised that these are not parallel objectives but interconnected responsibilities. A weakness in one area can quickly create vulnerabilities in the others, particularly in tightly regulated and globally scrutinised markets.

Sustainability was presented not as a passing trend but as a responsibility linked to longterm industry viability. Measures such as reducing nonessential components, optimising pack configurations and evaluating material alternatives were discussed in relation to efficiency, cost control and regulatory preparedness. Counterfeiting was similarly examined as a systemic risk extending beyond supply-chain inconvenience to patient safety, brand credibility and regulatory standing.

Technology, the panel noted, must function as an enabler rather than a standalone solution. Robust design, careful material selection and cross-functional alignment remain essential for consistent packaging performance.

Packaging as strategic leverage

The same theme was explored in the keynote address on Day 2 of PPL Conclave 2026 by Chakravarthi AVPS, Chairman, Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs (FOPE), Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He positioned packaging not as operational support but as strategic leverage for India Pharma’s global ambitions.

As the industry strengthens its international footprint, the transition from volume-driven growth to value creation becomes critical. Packaging, he emphasised, cannot be appended at the final stage of development but must evolve alongside the drug itself. For complex and specialty therapies, packaging becomes part of the treatment ecosystem, influencing adherence, safeguarding patient safety and shaping patient experience. Sensor-enabled and AI-supported packaging systems are already enabling a shift from reactive recalls toward proactive quality assurance. Environmental obligations, carbon footprint considerations and compliance-linked trade mechanisms are also emerging as competitive variables influencing global market access.

From strategy to execution

With leadership clarity setting direction, discussions at the PPL Conclave 2026 addressed execution realities within manufacturing environments. Tripti Nakhare, VP – Regulatory Affairs and Packaging Development at FDC, highlighted that serialisation is no longer an addon compliance requirement. When integrated into core packaging operations, it strengthens stability, reduces line disruptions, improves throughput and enhances audit readiness.

Extending this operational perspective, Manjunath Nadella, AVP and Head – Packaging Development, Strides Pharma Science, stressed that sustainability must be engineered into packaging design from the outset. Right-sizing bottles and blister packs, simplifying closures and reducing polymer usage not only conserve materials but also improve logistics efficiency and warehousing performance.

What emerged was a systems-led view of packaging, where automation capability, material science and  strategy must align early in development. In such alignment, sustainability shifts from aspiration to measurable operational outcome.

Smart, digital, connected packaging systems

As operational discipline strengthens, digital intelligence is increasingly shaping packaging performance at scale. The session steered by Avinash Kumar Talwar, VP and Head – Strategic Procurement (Packaging), Global Procurement, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, brought together Manoj Kumar Pananchukunnath, Chief Scientific Officer, Biocon; Dr Tathagata Dutta, President, Jodas Expoim; Sekhar Babu Puli, AVP and Head – Packaging Development, MSN Laboratories; and Mahendra Kumar Sahu, GM, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. A clear consensus emerged that packaging is no longer confined to containment. Technologies such as QR codes, NFC, RFID and serialisation now enable unit-level authentication and track-and-trace capability. Each pack can be authenticated, monitored and verified, strengthening transparency across supply chains while building regulator and patient confidence.

 

Importantly, connected packaging systems generate data that feeds back into R&D, manufacturing and quality operations. These insights are accelerating development timelines, enabling predictive interventions and strengthening lifecycle control.

AI in action

As the focus turned toward future-ready operations, in a presentation, Jitesh Jadhav, Manager – Packaging and Medical Devices, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, highlighted how AI has moved from experimentation to practical application across packaging and device systems.

AI-powered vision systems now enable accurate tablet counting, real-time defect detection and smarter assembly processes, reducing variability while improving throughput and quality assurance. Digital tools are also accelerating development cycles through simulation based validation and streamlined documentation workflows. By analysing batch-level patterns, AI helps identify deviations early and supports root cause analysis, improving approval readiness and audit confidence. Across discussions, AI was consistently framed as an operational enabler embedded within existing systems rather than a replacement for human expertise.

Future-proofing packaging for advanced therapies

In parallel with intelligent and connected systems, the conclave also examined packaging challenges associated with biologics, injectables and drug–device combination products. This session, moderated by Dr Sajeev Chandran, Vice President, OOD – Pharma R&D, Lupin, brought together Loganathan S, AVP, Onesource Biopharma; Dr Vaibhav Dubey, Senior General Manager, Kashiv Biosciences; Dhananjay M Chaudhari, DGM – Packaging Development (Formulations), Indoco Remedies; and M Naresh, Technical Lead – Packaging and Drug Device Combination Products, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

 

The discussion highlighted that innovation delivers value only when it addresses real patient needs. Packaging and device systems must reflect realworld patient and caregiver behaviour, with design choices directly influencing usability, adherence and therapeutic outcomes.

Investments in packaging material science and device engineering were identified as critical as India moves toward complex biologics and specialty therapies, where packaging performance directly affects stability and safety.

Regulations redefining accountability

As innovation expands possibilities, regulatory expectations continue to evolve. Hence, this formed another critical focus area at the event through a session moderated by Praveen Kumar Narlanka, AVP – Packaging Development at Aurobindo Pharma. It also brought together Tridip Mazumder, AVP – Strategic Sourcing, Packaging Material, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories; Shivaji Chakraborty, Head – Packaging Development, Fresenius Kabi Oncology; Sailesh YHNB, Associate Director, Novo Nordisk; Dr Srikanth Reddy Sokkula, Head – Regulatory Affairs, Jodas Expoim; Narendhar Kavide, AGM and Head – Packaging and Device Development, Orbicular Pharmaceutical Technologies; Leena Padala, Senior Scientist II and Head, Eugia Pharma Research Centre; and Nagendra Kumar Mall, Associate Manager, Global Pharma R&D at Baxter Pharmaceuticals India.

 

Speakers emphasised that packaging sits at the heart of patient safety, sustainability and compliance. Global mandates related to traceability, Extended Producer Responsibility and environmental risk assessments are embedding lifecycle accountability into packaging design.

Compliance gaps increasingly arise from interpretation challenges and insufficient scientific justification rather than absence of regulation. Evidencebased, risk-driven validation is emerging as the new benchmark for defensible packaging systems.

Building a cohesive packaging ecosystem

Beyond technology and regulation, industry leaders highlighted the need for stronger ecosystem alignment. In his special address, Hari Kiran Chereddi, MD and CEO, HRV Pharma, observed that India Pharma is steadily moving toward high-value segments such as complex formulations, biologics and specialty therapies. Future growth will depend on innovation, advanced manufacturing capability and coordinated collaboration across industry and government stakeholders. 

 

This theme continued in the partner playbook session moderated by Ajay Bapat, Packaging Consultant. Prafull V Deshpande, Team Lead – Packaging Development (R&D), Lupin; Satyanarayana Nandula, AGM and Head – Packaging Development, Laurus Labs; Munindra Roy, AGM – Packaging Development, Gland Pharma; Amit Pathak, Group Manager, Inventia Healthcare; and Hari Prasad, Senior Manager – Packaging & Development, Jodas Expoim; were the other panelists in this session. They emphasised that India Pharma increasingly seeks long-term collaborators rather than transactional suppliers. Financial strength, technical capability, scalability and innovation readiness were identified as defining attributes of strategic partners.

Sustainability moves to the centre

While sustainability surfaced throughout the conclave, a dedicated session moderated by Dr Ravikumar N, President – Formulations R&D, MSN Laboratories, explored how eco-conscious packaging practices increasingly align environmental responsibility with business performance. 

He was joined by Prabir Das, Mentor and Advisor – Packaging & Labelling; Bhupesh Kumar Mittal, Technical Packaging Program Lead, Bayer Consumer Healthcare; Avadhesh Sarawagi, DGM and Head – Packaging Development, Amneal Pharmaceuticals; Ramesh Punnam, DGM, Aurobindo Pharma; Pradip Som, Head – Packaging Development, Aculife Healthcare; and Bhavesh A Shah, AGM – Packaging Development, Intas Pharmaceuticals.

 

The panelists emphasised that lightweighting, recyclable materials and responsible sourcing improve margins while strengthening regulatory preparedness and supply-chain resilience.

Sustainable packaging, the panel agreed, is no longer peripheral. When integrated with design and operations, it becomes a measurable value-generating component benefiting business, patients and the planet.

Packaging 2035: Preparing for the next decade

Looking ahead, the session on Packaging 2035: Technologies, Trends and Transformations Ahead, moderated by Soumyanath Mishra, AVP and Head – Packaging Development, Mankind Research Centre, explored how packaging systems will evolve over the coming decade.

 

Industry leaders like Chandi Prasad Ravipati, Head – Packaging Development, Aurobindo Pharma; Anahita Karande, General Manager, Alkem Laboratories; Dr Pradeep Kumar Vishwakarma, Associate Director, MSTG – Respiratory, Cipla; GV Srinivas, Associate Director – Packaging R&D, DifGen Pharmaceuticals; Anurag Chauhan, Assistant GM – Digitalisation, Automation & Analytics, Amneal Pharmaceuticals; and Dattatraya Batwal, Head – Packaging Development, Sandoz were the panelists for this session. 

The discussion projected a future defined by AI-driven inspection, predictive maintenance, flexible manufacturing systems and advanced anticounterfeiting technologies. The experts emphasised that sustainability claims will increasingly require measurable and auditable metrics, while connected ecosystems integrating cloud platforms and smart devices will redefine packaging performance.

Shaping the next era of India Pharma Inc

Across sessions, one conclusion became increasingly evident. Packaging now sits at the intersection of technology, regulation, sustainability and patient experience. From operational rigour and AI-enabled intelligence to ecosystem collaboration and readiness for advanced therapies, packaging decisions are shaping how India Pharma competes globally.

For an industry transitioning toward innovation-led growth, integrating foresight, digital capability and purpose into packaging strategy will define the next era of leadership. 

 

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