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"If global recession reverses in the coming year all our projects will get fast track attention" - K Anand President - Global Quality Assurance, Glenmark Biopharmaceuticals Role of pharma machinery suppliers is important Pharma Machinery suppliers play a very important role in the success of any aggressive and fast growing company like Glenmark. High speed packaging lines operating in a cost efficient manner with least down time with ability to switch products quickly has helped us a great deal in optimising our resources. Key demands Greater automation with CFR part compliant operation and validations should be met. Besides, fool-proof security systems should be made integral part of these machines and compare well with what are available in US and in EU. Global recession trends, economic slow down will decide packaging spend If global recession trends and economic slowdown reverse in the coming year, all our new projects will get fast track attention. This could result in spend of approximately Rs 5 to 6 crore in FY 09-10 on packaging machinery across Glenmark. As of now recession has not impacted on our immediate projects If recession persists for longer duration, some of the projects will get deferred, or slowed down. As of now, this has not impacted on our immediate projects. However, if recession continues, packaging machinery suppliers will have to be prepared to slash prices without compromising quality of equipments, and also relax the terms of purchase agreement for a year or two till normalcy is restored.

"Packaging solution providers should do their own R&D to improve the packaging technology" - Pulin Shroff Managing Director, Charak Pharma Branded ayurvedic packaged products on par with allopathic ones There is a built-in assumption in the question in as much as conventional medicines are taken to equate with allopathic ones while ayurveda is taken to be 'non-conventional'. This premise itself is untenable in modern times. We have any number of sophisticated oral and topical formulations in today's ayurvedic practice, especially in the branded sector, that are not only packaged on par with allopathic ones but even surpass the latter in terms of quality of packaging material, elegance of design, overall aesthetic appeal and so on. True, ayurveda does not have certain specialised dosage forms such as intravenous injections or aerosols or nebulisers, but in the major segment of oral solids and liquids and in topical preparations there is absolutely no difference in the packaging requirements of allopathic vis-à-vis ayurvedic medicines. Tax relief will help improve packaging A major area relates to product stability during transport. India is a vast country and there are extreme variations in temperature and humidity when a finished formulation is transported over thousands of kilometers on bumpy roads with exposure to the elements of nature. These problems get compounded on the export front when consignments are delivered to remote tropical countries around the world, with transit time extending into weeks or even months. Packaging solution providers should do their own R&D to improve the packaging technology as well as the material used for packaging to address these issues if Indian products are to stay competitive in the world market. Moreover, any improvement in the packaging technology to meet with these stringent requirements should not be misconstrued as unnecessary spend on mere visual appeal or for luxury. The authorities should provide enough tax relief on such packaging material so that most manufacturers can take advantage of the lowered cost to improve their packaging. Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers should pay more attention to packaging Over the years, ayurvedic manufacturers have not paid as much attention to the packaging needs of their products as they should have. The reasons for this are many, the most significant one being psychological. The 'us' versus 'them' mindset often made ayurvedic manufacturers consider themselves a shade below the level of their allopathic counterparts thereby putting themselves in a defensive position when it came to packaging. At times, this mindset has even led to a 'chalta hai' situation which is not at all desirable in today's professional environment. I would divide the packaging trends into two major ballparks. One, to catch up and keep pace with the modern packaging technologies applicable to all products, be they allopathic or any other. Two, to constantly innovate and think 'out of the box' when it comes to new packaging solutions for existing as well as new products, so that ayurvedic medicines come out of the shadow forever and hold a place of their own in India and abroad. Does not foresee any negative impact of recession on the purchase of packaging I do not see any specific reason for recession affecting the purchase of packaging material. As long as production is going on to meet increasing market needs, the question of recession does not arise. And we have good reason to believe that the market demand for ayurvedic products will only go up in these troubled times when people opt for holistic, ayurvedic ways of managing lifestyle issues that get aggravated during any economic downturn. In short, Charak does not foresee any negative impact of recession on the purchase of packaging materials and technology.

In 2009, Intas Biopharmaceuticals would like to add more sophisticated machineries for packaging of pre-filled syringes and vials - Ravindra Wagh General Manager, Formulations, Intas Biopharmaceuticals The first six months of 2008, saw a very low recessionary trend, the machines were available at high cost Pharma packaging machinery manufacturers have a key role in bringing about the new technology and offering the same at low price. The first six months of 2008, saw a very low recessionary trend, the machines were available at high cost. But, after September 2008, when the prices of stainless steel collapsed, the machineries were again available at lower cost. By virtue of removal of rubber stereo and replacing the same using electronic systems helped the company in fewer rejections on the machine and have helped in maintaining a proper GMP without lengthier procedures. Online printing will ensure no stock of labels and cartons in the warehouse and so no probability of its pilferage and misuse Pharma machinery manufacturers should now think of whiteline concept in which a plane sticker is printed online with the product's name, its manufacturer's and manufacturing details and warnings and other regulatory requirements, if any. Such development ensures that there is no stock of labels and cartons in the warehouse and hence there is no probability of its pilferage and misuse. Such labels get stuck to the containers online and hence only the required quantity gets printed. During change of product, only the new product details are required to be encoded and hence no change over of labels is required. Also, development of solvent free inks for printing on plastic labels is highly desirable. Better look of the product at lower cost will get attention In 2009, Intas Biopharmaceuticals would like to add more sophisticated machineries for packaging of pre-filled syringes and vials. Such introduction will be for better looks of the product at lower cost. For example, introduction of blister packing machine with PVC and peel-off able foil for PFS will have lower cost and better looks/presentation of the product. Acceptable brand's sale will remain more or less constant In pharma industry, the recessionary trends are less severe than the machine manufacturers or the engineering industry as the total number of patients purchasing your drugs always remains constant. The brand, if is acceptable, by the consumer, its sale remains more or less constant. For overcoming such problem of recession, the major solution remains in productivity improvement by reduction of wastages and manpower. The main expectations from machinery suppliers are that every automation they suggest should benefit the company by saving of manpower and increase in production, reduction in machine rejects and simpler requirements of packaging materials and user-friendly systems on machines. Main expectation from packaging solution providers a) Providing packaging solutions at lower cost b) In spite of lower cost, there should be no transitional damages to the product. c) Copying your product should not be easy. d) There should be no compromise on GMP to any extent. e) There should be no quality compromise of any extent.

"Packaging machineries manufacturers need to focus on offering total automation" - Rajesh Subramaniam Chief Executive Officer, Vectacraft Machineries Complete automation is required to follow cGMP standards. Although the biggest expo in packaging—Interpack—was held in 2008 and everyone was buoyant with the responses, news of the financial breakdown curbed the optimism. I am sure everyone will breathe a sigh of relief when 2008 goes under and hope for a better '09. According to me, there is no need for a makeover and things will have to be kept as it is. Companies catering to the international market (which are many today) will surely need to slow down and at the same time start looking at newer avenues. There are quite a few growing economies in the world which might not slow down as much as the developed countries. That is where the resources should be pointed at. The world over, pharma companies are looking to manufacture products with minimum of human interference, not just for reducing dependence on labour but also to strictly follow current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) standards. This calls for the need of 'complete automation'. Packaging machineries manufacturers need to focus on offering total automation, especially in primary packaging but not restricted to it. Further, small batches with faster runs are also the need of the hour. This necessitates the availability of high-speed machines. Hence, higher output machines will attract more consideration. Cancellation of P-MEC was a huge loss to many companies I personally do not think mistakes were made. Having said this, we cannot be flamboyant, considering the current state, and need to take into account the smallest of effects before committing on things. If the recession was not bad enough, many companies had to bear a huge loss due to the cancellation of P-MEC India. Of course, these are some things which are not in our hands and cannot be factored in. We just have to get on with it, hoping that the best is ahead. Constant technology upgradation required Vectacraft believes in delighting pharma companies with constant technology upgradation. Hence, pressure is not something we fear and we are raring to work on newer stuff, besides the ones which we have already planned. Recession will affect everyone and no one can claim to be impervious from it We are in the process of validating trials on our casepacker. This will be one of our major new offerings in 2009. And of course we are keen on revving up speeds of all existing cartoners and bundlers. As you know, Vectacraft offers the fastest cartoner as well as the fastest bundler in the country, and we dare say in Asia as well. Yes, the recession will affect everyone and no one can claim to be impervious from it. But as far as India is concerned, we are the ones who will be less susceptible considering our growth rate and our non-dependence on a single country or region for our exports. We have our own vast country to supply to first, and although there is a slowdown, things will improve much faster than others for sure.

"The pharma industry and the packaging solution providers must continue to look at better and more cost effective solutions, in order to enhance viability of the product" - Debabrata Gupta Director and Chief Operating Officer, USV Packaging industry has been providing consistent quality The pharma packaging industry has not seen changes so as to have a significant effect on the quality of the product in the recent past. However, having said that, I must add that the quality of deliveries from the packaging industry has been very consistent—both in terms of quality as well as supply reliability. Call for better technology solutions The key demands in 2009 can be summarised as follows— a. Packaging solutions which are in tandem with, and at par with those available in the developed economies. b. Cost effective packaging media, which can deliver similar or better user properties as the current products. Better technology solutions for better modes of packaging. Our spends on packaging are between seven- 10 percent of the material costs. Enhance viability of the product demands cost effective solutions At this point in time, it seems unlikely that the pharma industry is going to be affected substantially due to the recession. However, the pharma industry and the packaging solution providers must continue to look at better and more cost effective solutions, in order to enhance viability of the product.