Mr. Mukul Somany, Joint Managing Director, Hindusthan National Glass

o Removal of customs duty on soda ash which accounts to 10 to 12% of production costs
o Zero import duty on packaging machinery
o Lower excise duty to be continued on glass packaging to boost employment
o Lower input costs on capital goods, infrastructure development, new technology, etc for the domestic packaging industry
“Packaging materials is one area where most FMCG companies have expectations from this year’s
budget. The reduction in excise duties on commodities, removal of customs duty on soda ash
and lowering of inputs costs for packaging companies would drive the growth in the processed foods
sector for domestic consumption as well as exports.”
- Mukul Somany, Joint Managing Director, Hindusthan National Glass
INDIA PACKAGING INDUSTRY
The Indian packaging industry is estimated at Rs 65,000 cr. and is growing at the rate of 15% per annum, which is almost double the growth of the global packaging industry, reflecting tremendous potential of the segment in the country.
To provide further thrust to the packaging segment in India especially the untapped glass packaging sector, HNG expects central government to continue lowering excise duty on various commodities, similar to FY 09-10. We also look forward to removal of customs duty on soda ash which accounts for 10 to 12% of cost of production of the glass products. The import duty on packaging machinery should be nil as well.
FOCUS ON GLASS PACKAGING
o India is amongst the top 15 markets for glass packaging globally
o It is the third fastest growing market after Turkey and Brazil
According to World Packaging Organization report

The glass packaging industry continues to grow remarkably, especially with the increased awareness and demand amongst consumers for eco-friendly and hygienic solutions. While the glass industry is currently experiencing a tremendous upswing, the untapped potential of the Indian market is reflected in the per capita glass consumption of around 1.40 kgs as compared to 5.9 kgs in China, 4.8 kgs in Brazil, 10.2 kgs in Japan and around 27.5 kgs in the developed countries of the West.
The highest demand for packaging and the associated equipments come from the food processing sector that accounts for more than 50% of India’s total packaging demand. To keep in line with the ever growing demand in the sector, the industry has witnessed a series of innovation in its best form especially with glass packaging, such as shape, light weighting, technology development etc. Alongwith providing thrust to the overall potential of the packaging sector, central government should also promote better eco-friendly packaging

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About Hindusthan National Glass
Hindusthan National Glass (HNG) is the forerunner in the packaging industry in India and the market leaders in the Indian glass packaging sector with a 60% plus market share and an annual income of more than Rs. 1440 Cr., as recorded in FY 09. HNG was founded by Mr. C.K. Somany - a visionary entrepreneur in 1952 with the inauguration of India’s first fully automatic glass container manufacturing plant at Rishra, near Calcutta. Headquartered in Kolkata, HNG’s pan-India manufacturing operations are spread over six centres Rishra, Bahadurgarh, Rishikesh, Puducherry, Nashik and Neemrana and its products are available in more than 20 countries. The company possesses an operational capacity of 11 furnaces and 44 production lines with fully-automated IS machines, sourced from reputed global technology providers of glass industry from Europe and US.