Plastic worth 37,500 cr imported in 2021-22, 48% from China

Bengaluru: Plastic worth Rs 37,500 crores has been imported and it is high time that the industrialists focus on manufacturing plastic as there is tremendous scope, said Arvind Mehta, chairman of Governing Council of the All India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA), in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Speaking at the 4th technical conference, Mehta said according to a recent survey conducted by the Plastic Manufacturers Association, plastic worth Rs 37,500 crores was imported in the year 2021 - 22 with 48 per cent coming from China.

“We need to stop this dependence and focus now on indigenous manufacturing of plastic in the country. Towards this end, AIPMA will create awareness among the people by holding seminars and workshops in six zones of the country,” Mehta added.

Stating that Skill India, Digital India and Make in India are a great fillip for the manufacturing of plastic, Mehta said the on-going conference is expected to throw light on the technical aspects and marketing potential of plastic. “The exhibition, in fact, emphasizes the need to go indigenous in plastic manufacturing by using technology. There has been an exchange of technological know-how in this regard,” Mehta explained.

In his address, AIPMA President Mayur D Shah, asserted that there is enormous scope in the plastic industry having the potential to manufacture plastic worth Rs 7 lakh crore. India is playing a significant role in plastic production in the world, we are capable of reaching this potential through 50,000 entrepreneurs. This constitute 90 percent of the total industry,” Shah said.

Maintaining that the plastic industry has immense potential to contribute in taking the country towards a 5 trillion economy, Mayur D Shah said the Ahmedabad conclave had brought together the manufacturers and consumers on the same platform. “Such arrangement will enable the manufacturers to get an insight into the variety in products and latest technology,” he said.

C A Shashidhar Shetty, President of Small Scale Industries Association, said the manufacturers are facing a lot of difficulties due to a number of misconceptions. “Single use plastic has been banned but this has created a lot of confusion in the minds of consumers. The state government must take steps to bring in clarity on re-use and multiple-use of plastic. There is no reference to the plastic industry in the Industrial Policy announced by the government. It is also imperative cluster-based industrial units. This will also help other industries,” he explained.

In his speech, Karnataka Udyog Mitra Managing Director Doddabasavaraju said the state government has given enough thrust to the plastic industry in the form of subsidies and logistics. I appeal to the plastic manufacturers to approach Udyoga Mitra for any guidance and assistance.

Plastic Manufacturers from Karnataka and other parts of the country took part in the conference. The 4th 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 upcoming editions of the conferences are scheduled to take place in Chennai on August 18 and in Kolkata on August 31.