India Packaging Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The India packaging market size is valued at USD 101.12 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 169.73 billion by 2030, advancing at a 10.73% CAGR. The India packaging market is shifting from commodity containers to technology-enabled solutions as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules demand 30% recycled content in rigid plastics by 2025 and 60% by 2029. Quick-commerce operators in tier-1 cities, rising exports of generic medicines, and consumer preference for sustainably sourced materials are expanding the India packaging market into new substrates, barrier coatings, and distribution models. Capital flows are accelerating as private equity groups finance consolidations that help converters fund automation, closed-loop recycling, and advanced analytics. Paperboard and compostable films are winning share as multinationals align procurement with global decarbonization targets, while domestic brands adapt pack formats for rural cold-chain gaps and multilingual labelling. Competition is also intensifying in bottle-to-bottle PET where joint ventures between global resin majors and local recyclers are scaling facilities close to Western and Southern manufacturing hubs.
Key Report Takeaways
- By packaging type, plastic held 42.12% of India packaging market share in 2024, while paperboard grew at the fastest 12.21% CAGR through 2030.
- By packaging format, flexible solutions led with 54.32% of the India packaging market size in 2024 and expanded at an 11.51% CAGR.
- By end-use industry, food accounted for 48.54% of India packaging market size in 2024, whereas e-commerce packaging is projected to grow at 15.1% CAGR to 2030.
- By business activity, over 900 paper mills collectively supplied less than one-third of national demand, highlighting consolidation potential encouraged by PAG’s USD 1.2 billion series of acquisitions.
India Packaging Market Trends and Insights
Drivers Impact Analysis
Driver | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
---|---|---|---|
Surge in Quick-Commerce Fulfilment Demands from Tier-1 Indian Cities | +2.1% | Tier-1 cities with spillover to Tier-2 urban centers | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
Government EPR Mandate Accelerating Recycled-Content Adoption | +1.8% | National, with early compliance in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Rapid Capacity Addition in PET Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling Facilities | +1.4% | Western and Southern India manufacturing hubs | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Ready-to-Eat Food Penetration in Rural Markets Boosting Flexible Pouches | +1.2% | Rural markets across North and Central India | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
Rise of 100% Compostable Agro-Residue Mailers among D2C Brands | +0.9% | Urban centers with D2C concentration | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
Record Pharma Export Growth Requiring Sterile Vial & Ampoule Supply | +1.5% | Export-oriented pharmaceutical clusters in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
Source: Mordor Intelligence
Surge in Quick-Commerce Fulfilment Demands from Tier-1 Indian Cities
Quick-commerce promises delivery in 10-30 minutes, pushing the India packaging market toward hybrid materials that cushion, insulate, and prove tamper evidence within densely packed rider bags. Corrugated mini-shippers are replacing conventional mailers to reduce scuffing across multiple hand-offs, while micro-perforated polymer windows regulate moisture for fresh produce. Temperature stability is critical for last-mile pharmacy and dairy packs; hence converters promote phase-change gel liners compatible with municipal recycling streams. UFlex noted early rural adoption of these designs, hinting that scale benefits will soon reach tier-2 cities as last-mile networks densify. [1]UFlex Limited, “Q4 FY24 Investor Presentation,” uflexltd.comInvestors view the segment as a gateway to double-digit growth because high-velocity SKUs deliver repeat volumes that offset the cost of premium substrates, reinforcing the India packaging market’s shift toward performance-driven value propositions.
Government EPR Mandate Accelerating Recycled-Content Adoption
The April 2025 deadline for 30% post-consumer resin in rigid plastics forces producers to redesign packs and secure food-grade rPET in a supply-constrained environment. Only five licensed Indian recyclers can supply compliant material, so beverage and dairy brands are vertically integrating or locking multi-year contracts to guarantee feedstock. Investments exceeding INR 10,000 crore since 2022 have upgraded wash lines, extruders, and de-contamination units, making recycling capacity a competitive moat rather than a statutory burden. As the target ratchets to 60% by 2029, the India packaging market anticipates accelerated mergers between resin suppliers and fillers, establishing integrated ecosystems that lower reverse logistics costs and buoy margins through extended producer credits.
Rapid Capacity Addition in PET Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling Facilities
Ganesha Ecopet tripled its bottle-grade rPET output to 42,000 tpa using Starlinger systems, positioning to capture 25% of national PET waste by 2026. Parallel ventures by Indorama Ventures, Dhunseri, and Varun Beverages will add 100 kt by 2025, clustering plants near port-proximate Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu for export flexibility. [2]Indorama Ventures, “Joint Venture Plans Multiple Recycling Facilities,” indoramaventures.com Concentrated hubs shorten bale haul distances, cut greenhouse emissions, and enable traceability through digital bale tags. These efficiencies anchor the India packaging market’s circular economy trajectory, enticing global CPGs to pre-book recycled resin quotas for ASEAN and Middle-East supply chains handled from India.
Ready-to-Eat Food Penetration in Rural Markets Boosting Flexible Pouches
Rising disposable income and all-weather rural roads are broadening the addressable base for ambient snacks, millet mixes, and fortified dairy drinks. Flexible pouches thrive because they deliver gas and light barriers at low gram-weight and fit “sachet economics” that encourage trial purchases. Amul’s organic line and ITC’s multigrain launches rely on retort-ready laminates compatible with kerbside collection programs. Pakka’s agro-residue compostable films add biodegradability, enabling direct field compost when municipal services lag. Over the long term, the India packaging market will see value migrate toward flexible pack innovators who balance performance, affordability, and certified compostability.
Restraints Impact Analysis
Restraint | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
---|---|---|---|
Intermittent Moratoriums on Single-Use Plastics | -1.3% | National, with varying enforcement across states | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
Volatile Kraft Paper Prices on Imported Waste-Paper Disruptions | -0.8% | Paper manufacturing clusters in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Limited Cold-Chain Infrastructure Constraining Active Packaging | -0.6% | Rural markets and Tier-2/3 cities with infrastructure gaps | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
Fragmented Converter Base Curtailing Automation Investments | -0.9% | National, particularly affecting small-scale converters | Medium term (2-4 years) |
Source: Mordor Intelligence
Intermittent Moratoriums on Single-Use Plastics
Disparate state bans on straws, stirrers, and certain bags regulate roughly 11% of India’s single-use output, leaving producers juggling dual production lines and inventory buffers. Because enforcement vacillates, small converters hesitate to finance new molds, lowering capacity utilization and inflating unit costs. Exclusions covering multi-layered food wraps and beverage bottles distort competitive parity between flexible and rigid formats, injecting uncertainty into the India packaging market’s capital-planning cycles. Brands hedge by designing mono-material structures that could meet future bans yet stay price competitive, but uncertain policy cadence still compresses ROI horizons.
Volatile Kraft Paper Prices on Imported Waste-Paper Disruptions
Shipping surcharges and supply gaps for recovered fiber from Europe and North America trigger double-digit swings in kraft prices. Domestic mills lobby for anti-dumping tariffs on virgin board imports, adding another variable for converters. Margin pressure slows paper substitution despite sustainability targets.
Segment Analysis
By Packaging Type: Plastic Dominance Faces Sustainable Disruption
Plastic retained 42.12% share of the India packaging market in 2024 thanks to unmatched versatility in food, pharma, and industrial chains. Paperboard, though smaller, expanded fastest at a 12.21% CAGR through 2030 as e-commerce, QSRs, and government procurement teams demanded visibly recyclable options. Container glass held niche strength in premium spirits and parenteral drugs, while metal cans secured longer shelf life for processed foods under rural ambient temperatures. The plastic segment’s shift toward recycled content is redefining supply contracts, with UFlex recycling 6,600 t of post-consumer PET in FY 2024 as part of its backward integration plan. ITC earmarked 30-35% of its INR 20,000 crore capex to paperboards and packaging, reinforcing the trajectory toward fiber-based alternatives.
The India packaging market size for rigid plastics linked to beverages and household cleaning is projected to grow alongside recycled-content mandates that encourage stable offtake agreements for rHDPE and rPP pellets. Conversely, virgin multilayer laminates face down-trades toward paper-poly hybrid wraps that can delaminate in mainstream recycling. The India packaging industry continues to pilot enzymatic depolymerization and solvent purification to push recycled-content ceilings above 70% without compromising food contact safety. Firms that integrate mechanical and chemical recycling at scale are expected to command a premium, shifting competitive advantage from extrusion throughput to resin reclamation proficiency.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Packaging Format: Flexible Solutions Drive Market Evolution
Flexible packs captured 54.32% share of the India packaging market in 2024 and advanced at an 11.51% CAGR as converters substituted rigid tubs with lightweight pouches that cut freight costs by up to 70%. Demand surged from ready-to-eat grains, nutraceutical sachets, and single-dose agrochemicals, each benefitting from hermetic seals and easy tear-open features. Mono-material PE-PE and PP-PP laminates are gaining traction under design-for-recycling protocols, while EVOH barriers extend shelf life for retorted products without aluminium foils. Innovations such as digital watermarks allow automatic sortation in material recovery facilities, enhancing circularity credentials.
Rigid formats still dominate carbonated beverages, detergents, and premium skincare, where rigidity, drop resistance, and shelf impact outweigh weight penalties. Growth opportunities persist in thin-wall injection-molded PP tubs fortified with talc fillers that enable 20% weight savings. Aseptic cartons received a boost when SIG invested EUR 90 million in an Ahmedabad plant able to supply 4 billion packs annually, reflecting confidence that the India packaging market will accelerate the shift from open pouches to shelf-stable milk systems. Overall, converters are recalibrating machinery portfolios, hedging between flexographic presses for high-mix SKUs and injection lines configured for post-consumer resin blends.

By End-Use Industry: Food Sector Leadership Amid E-commerce Disruption
The food industry held 48.54% share of the India packaging market in 2024, driven by consumption of packaged snacks, staples, and dairy products that require controlled-atmosphere seals. Urban nuclear households favor portioned packs, pushing brands toward stand-up pouches with re-closable zippers. Rural uptake of fortified staples positions flexible laminates as the preferred choice due to their moisture and pest resistance during long transits. The beverage sector straddles PET and glass, but premium craft spirits increasingly deploy anodized aluminium tins to reinforce brand narratives around sustainability.
E-commerce packaging, expanding at a 15.1% CAGR, is reshaping designs around dimensional weight pricing and returns-ready constructions. Paper-based void fillers and corrugated B-flute shippers are replacing bubble wrap, but brands remain cautious about paper dust contamination for electronics and cosmetics. Pharmaceutical exports demand Type I borosilicate glass vials, clean-room molded HDPE bottles, and tamper-evident closures, all of which command higher margins and strict certification. Industrial bulk packs, from IBCs to woven PP FIBCs, rely on UV-stabilized films suited to tropical outdoor storage. Segment diversification underscores the India packaging industry’s need for modular production lines that pivot quickly across downstream categories without incurring prolonged changeover downtime.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
Geography Analysis
Western and Southern India dominate the India packaging market thanks to integrated petrochemical complexes, port access, and agri-processing clusters. Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu host multilayer film lines, recycled-PET pelletizers, and corrugated mega-plants that leverage export-oriented logistics. These states also rolled out EPR registries early, giving local converters a head start in certifying traceability and reclaim rates. Joint ventures, such as Varun Beverages–Indorama, chose industrial estates near Ahmedabad for proximity to bottle-grade resin buyers.
Northern and Eastern corridors, while historically under-served, are emerging opportunity nodes. Government-backed industrial zones in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal provide tax incentives for flexible pouch and folding carton units targeting horticulture and aquaculture value chains. Cold-chain deficiencies still inhibit active packaging adoption, but rising smartphone penetration fuels demand for tamper-evident e-commerce cartons in tier-2 towns. The India packaging market expects these regions to absorb capacity overflow from Western clusters, balancing the national footprint and easing freight bottlenecks.
Export-centric pharma hubs in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam amplify demand for Type I glass ampoules and coated aluminium blisters that meet EU and US Pharmacopeia. SGD Pharma’s collaboration with Corning to produce Velocity Vials in Telangana exemplifies how regional specialization secures compliant supply for high-value biologics. Across zones, municipal policies on plastic waste segregation vary, influencing feedstock availability for localized recycling plants and shaping supply-chain resilience for the India packaging market.
Competitive Landscape
The India packaging market is fragmented. PAG’s USD 1.2 billion spree, including stakes in Manjushree Technopack and Pravesha Industries, signals an ongoing roll-up strategy targeting high-margin pharma and food niches. Consolidators prioritize assets with in-house recycling, sterile molding capacity, and multi-color flexo presses to serve diversified FMCG and healthcare pipelines. Smaller units, often family-run paper mills, find it difficult to finance AI-equipped inspection systems or robotic palletizers, widening the productivity gap.
Sustainability anchoring drives technology races: UFlex integrates AI for predictive maintenance, waste-heat recovery, and needle-sharp register control on gravure lines to cut ink wastage. [3]UFlex Limited, “Latest News & Insights,” uflexltd.comStart-ups such as Bambrew switch bamboo and bagasse into molded mailers, having displaced more than 1,000 t of plastic while serving 170 enterprise clients. International suppliers respond by localizing; SIG’s new aseptic carton plant reduces lead times for dairy co-ops shifting to shelf-stable packs. Meanwhile, ITC leverages forestry stewardship to secure virgin fiber, balancing commodity risk with certified paperboard used in growing quick-service channels. Strategic alliances that pair design labs with material scientists will likely decide future leadership in the India packaging market.
India Packaging Industry Leaders
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Schott Poonawalla Private Limited
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Gerresheimer AG
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Agi Glaspac (HSIL Limited)
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PGP Glass Private Limited (Piramal Glass)
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Hindustan National Glass & Industries Limited (HNGIL)
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

Recent Industry Developments
- February 2025: SIG opened its first Indian aseptic carton plant in Ahmedabad, investing EUR 90 million with 4 billion-pack capacity and earmarking another EUR 50 million for an extrusion line by 2027.
- February 2025: Ganesha Ecopet lifted bottle-grade rPET capacity to 42,000 tpa through two Starlinger systems, aiming to recycle 25% of national PET bottle waste by 2026.
- January 2025: PAG acquired Pravesha Industries at an enterprise value of INR 1,700 crore, strengthening its position in sterile pharma packaging.
- January 2025: Canpac Trends purchased Saptagiri Packagings’ Silvassa facility, adding blister backer cards to its consumer portfolio.
India Packaging Market Report Scope
Packaging is defined as the process of providing a protective and informative covering to the product such that it protects the product during material handling, storage, and movement and also provides useful information to all the related supply chain partners about the content of the package. Its application can extend from primary, secondary, and tertiary to ancillary packaging.
The Indian packaging market is segmented by material (plastic, paper, container glass, metal can, and container) and end users (food and beverage, retail and e-commerce, paints and chemicals, industrial, personal care and cosmetics, and other end users). The market sizes and forecasts regarding value (USD) for all the above segments are provided.
By Packaging Type | Plastic Packaging | By Type | Rigid Plastic Packaging | By Material Type | Polyethylene (PE) |
Polypropylene (PP) | |||||
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) | |||||
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | |||||
Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) | |||||
Other Material Types | |||||
By Product Type | Bottles and Jars | ||||
Caps and Closures | |||||
Trays and Containers | |||||
Other Product Types | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Pharmaceutical | |||||
Cosmetics and Personal Care | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
Flexible Plastic Packaging | By Material Type | Polyethylene (PE) | |||
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) | |||||
Cast Polypropylene (CPP) | |||||
Other Material Types | |||||
By Product Type | Pouches and Bags | ||||
Films and Wraps | |||||
Other Product Types | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Pharmaceutical | |||||
Cosmetics and Personal Care | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
By Product Type | Bottles and Jars | ||||
Pouches and Bags | |||||
Bulk-Grade Products | |||||
Other Product Types | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverages | |||||
Cosmetics and Personal Care | |||||
Pharamceuticals | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
Paper Packaging | By Product Type | Folding Carton | |||
Corrugated Boxes | |||||
Liquid Paperboard | |||||
Other Product Type | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverages | |||||
E-commerce | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
Container Glass | By Color | Green | |||
Amber | |||||
Flint | |||||
Other Colors | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Alcoholic | |||||
Non-Alcoholic | |||||
Personal Care and Cosmetics | |||||
Pharmaceuticals (excluding Vials and Ampoules) | |||||
Perfumery | |||||
Metal Cans and Containers | By Material Type | Steel | |||
Aluminum | |||||
By Product Type | Cans | ||||
Drums and Barrels | |||||
Caps and Closures | |||||
Other Product Type | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Chemicals and Petroleum | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Paints and coatings | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
By Packaging Format | Flexible | ||||
Rigid | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare | |||||
Personal Care and Cosmetics | |||||
Industrial | |||||
E-commerce | |||||
Other End-use Industry |
Plastic Packaging | By Type | Rigid Plastic Packaging | By Material Type | Polyethylene (PE) | |
Polypropylene (PP) | |||||
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) | |||||
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | |||||
Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) | |||||
Other Material Types | |||||
By Product Type | Bottles and Jars | ||||
Caps and Closures | |||||
Trays and Containers | |||||
Other Product Types | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Pharmaceutical | |||||
Cosmetics and Personal Care | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
Flexible Plastic Packaging | By Material Type | Polyethylene (PE) | |||
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) | |||||
Cast Polypropylene (CPP) | |||||
Other Material Types | |||||
By Product Type | Pouches and Bags | ||||
Films and Wraps | |||||
Other Product Types | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Pharmaceutical | |||||
Cosmetics and Personal Care | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
By Product Type | Bottles and Jars | ||||
Pouches and Bags | |||||
Bulk-Grade Products | |||||
Other Product Types | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverages | |||||
Cosmetics and Personal Care | |||||
Pharamceuticals | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
Paper Packaging | By Product Type | Folding Carton | |||
Corrugated Boxes | |||||
Liquid Paperboard | |||||
Other Product Type | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverages | |||||
E-commerce | |||||
Other End-use Industry | |||||
Container Glass | By Color | Green | |||
Amber | |||||
Flint | |||||
Other Colors | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Alcoholic | |||||
Non-Alcoholic | |||||
Personal Care and Cosmetics | |||||
Pharmaceuticals (excluding Vials and Ampoules) | |||||
Perfumery | |||||
Metal Cans and Containers | By Material Type | Steel | |||
Aluminum | |||||
By Product Type | Cans | ||||
Drums and Barrels | |||||
Caps and Closures | |||||
Other Product Type | |||||
By End-use Industry | Food | ||||
Beverage | |||||
Chemicals and Petroleum | |||||
Industrial | |||||
Paints and coatings | |||||
Other End-use Industry |
Flexible |
Rigid |
Food |
Beverage |
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare |
Personal Care and Cosmetics |
Industrial |
E-commerce |
Other End-use Industry |
Key Questions Answered in the Report
What is the current value of the India packaging market?
It stands at USD 101.12 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 169.73 billion by 2030.
Which packaging format holds the largest share in India?
Flexible packs lead with 54.32% of India packaging market share in 2024 due to their light weight and versatility.
How is the EPR mandate influencing material choices?
Brands must incorporate 30% recycled content by 2025, steering significant investment into rPET and rHDPE supply chains.
Why are quick-commerce platforms important for packaging suppliers?
Ten-minute delivery promises demand impact-resistant, tamper-evident packs that withstand multiple handling points without compromising product integrity.
Which end-use segment is growing fastest?
E-commerce packaging is forecast to expand at a 15.1% CAGR through 2030 as online retail penetrates tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Page last updated on: July 10, 2025