Print Summit 2019: Innovation and sustainability in packaging

He mentioned the changing taste of the consumer who has an increased awareness about the harmful impact of plastic. He highlighted two key trends: A move away from mass produced, generic products towards simplicity and natural products with a bit of personalisation. Plus, an uptick among rural consumers who are boosting growth and demand experiences similar to the urban trends like premiumisation and seeking smaller packs for convenience and affordability.

He shared AR&VR examples from Tata Motors' new vehicle - Tata Tiagoa. The campaign featured a DIY (Do It Yourself) with a VR headset and instructions about downloading an app. He shared an example from Tinkle, which integrated augmented reality. And so, one can do things like scan your copy of the comic book to play games on your phone, or see bonus content. To do this, Venky explained, you have to download the app, and then scan tags and images in the comic using the app.

He spoke at length about how ITC along with other stakeholders has worked in the area of sustainable forestry development. He shared data about FSC certifications for products plus the extent of wood plantations. The project size is impressive: Sustainably Managed Plantations FSC 100% - 83,000 acres whereas FSC CW - 6,00,000 acres.

He pointed out how ITC has a platinum rating for two units of PSPD under the CII-Greenco programme and how it is a leader in the virgin boards and premium recycled boards segments. He told the gathering, we plant 2200 trees / hectare that absorb 155mt of carbon dioxide for hundred tonnes of finished paper. Therefore, with each tonne of ITC’s paper, an end-user helps us sequester 1.55 tonnes of CO2.