India is a significant market for aseptic packaging: SIG’s Samuel Sigrist
SIG Combibloc wants to make a difference.
Last year, the Swiss firm — with a India clientele of brands like Amul, KMF, MilkyMist, Heritage Dairy, Coca-Cola, Parle Agro — began constructing its 10th global aseptic packaging plant in Ahmedabad, which will create over 300 jobs. In a conversation with ET Digital, Samuel Sigrist, CEO, SIG Group, talks about aseptic packaging technology and how India is the right market for it. Edited excepts:
Economic Times (ET): What kind of potential is SIG looking to cater to in India when it comes to sustainable dairy packaging or sustainable packaging? Samuel Sigrist (SS): This is an amazing starting point, because in some markets in Asia, we first need to teach people to like milk. But that is not the challenge here. So the problem statement here starts with an opportunity statement. It is the largest milk market in the world and less than 10% is processed and packaged; and even a smaller part is in the safest form in the aseptic beverage carton. Now that just shows you the upside that we see. What drives this upside is not just the population growth, but also rising disposable income growth, a growing middle class and urbanisation.
ET: SIG’s Ahmedabad plant began its construction last year. How is that going?
SS: As a matter of fact, we were in Ahmedabad recently with the team. We are on schedule to open at the end of this year and ramp up commercial production in Q1 next year. That is our initial phase. We have made a 100 million euro investment in it. I have already signed
