Future of Pack, Brainstorming Retreat May 2026

<a href="https://harveersahni.blogspot.com/2026/05/future-of-pack-brainstorming-retreat.html">Future of Pack, Brainstorming Retreat May 2026</a>

India’s geniuses in packaging development, initiated a thought process to define the roadmap to “Future of Pack”, providing amazing inputs. Recently 40 to 45 heads of packaging or senior managers of leading brands in India across a diverse range of segments, came together at a unique event, “Future of Pack, Brainstorming Retreat”. The event was conceptualised, curated and amazingly moderated by Pawandeep Sahni Managing Director, Omet India Pvt. Ltd., subsidiary of OMET Srl Italy. I have supported the event and am overwhelmed by the huge response of brands to my invite.

Akanksha Meena the global brands editor at Labels & Labeling, focusing on brand owner insights and design stories across international markets, has covered the event. Initial part of her story is reproduced below. The full story can be accessed at the link provided at the end of the first part of her writeup. 

Unpacking Future of Pack

The recent Future of Pack event that took place at Aravali Marriott Resort & Spa in Faridabad, Delhi NCR, on May 8 and 9 was attended by more than 40 brands. The event explored key challenges around sustainability, regulation, packaging and label technology infrastructure, consumer expectations and collaboration across the packaging value chain. 

Through discussions and workshops led by companies including Omet, Avery Dennison, UPM, Holostik, Kurz and Zircon, attendees explored packaging innovations and emerging technologies shaping the future of the industry. 

Harveer Sahni, chairman, Weldon Celloplast, commented: ‘Pawan and I wished to create a platform for “Future of Pack”, which was not a regular stage and audience event, where speeches are made from a stage, and the questions to the audience are largely met with silence. I am happy we created this very interactive platform, brainstorming at the same level in an open-mic format  with those geniuses who define the future of pack and solution providers who deliver capability in innovation, beautification, security, smart and sustainable packs. This endeavor is now recognized as the path to future. Pawandeep Sahni has been outstanding in keeping the packaging fraternity thoroughly engaged and moving within  their midst to create a collaborative session.’ 

Industry transformation 

The event began with discussion on industry’s transformation over the last two years. Attendees noted that the packaging industry has undergone significant changes, evolving from a simple protective container to an integral part of the consumer experience and brand engagement journey. Today, packaging acts as a digital touchpoint, enabling brands to connect directly with consumers through technologies such as QR codes and NFCs that enhance interaction and storytelling.  

Brand owners are increasingly adopting a consumer-centric approach, focusing not only on aesthetics but also on functionality, convenience and emotional connection. The speed to market has also accelerated, driven by new decoration technologies and the growing need for rapid product launches. At the same time, sustainability has moved to the forefront, with consumers becoming far more aware of environmental impact and pushing brands toward minimal, responsible packaging. This shift is particularly influenced by Gen Z consumers, who value sustainability, authenticity and minimalist design.  

Pawandeep Sahni, managing director of Omet India

The rise of e-commerce has further reshaped packaging requirements, making logistics efficiency, durability and the unboxing experience more important than ever. Additionally, startups are leveraging premium packaging to differentiate themselves in crowded markets and create stronger brand identities.  

The full story is available at https://www.labelsandlabeling.com/features/brand-owners-design/unpacking-future-pack

Click the link to watch the video: 

Feedback and comments of some of the participating Brands besides those mentioned in above article:

Priyanka Singh, Head Packaging Development, Lotus Herbals: Grateful to have been part of such a refreshing and meaningful industry interaction. Really appreciate Harveer Sahni ji and Pawan Sahni for creating a platform that encourages open, honest, and collaborative conversations across the packaging ecosystem. Looking forward to many more such discussions shaping the future of packaging together.

Jyotsana Tripathi, Cluster Packaging Head, SoA, Reckitt: It was an enriching experience attending the Future of Pack. Special thanks for facilitating an engaging and interactive forum between brand owners and packaging partners. The thoughtful discussions on current packaging challenges provided meaningful insights and highlighted exciting opportunities for a brighter, more sustainable packaging future. Looking forward to more such platforms like Future of Pack where packaging professionals can collaborate and shape a better future!

Geetal Mahajan Choudhari, Ph.D. (Tech.), Global Sustainable Packaging Lead, Kenvue: I am sure, like me, many of us reading here would have thought, how much effort can one do alone than doing it all together – but no one took that first step to drive collective effort to find a directional way forward for Sustainable Innovation in Packaging until Harveer Sahni ji, Pawan Sahni, and the entire team showed us how it is done! The retreat wasn’t just something truly new but also meaningful, and in true sense collaborative. Building connections, crosspollinating that immense ocean of knowledge amongst industry peers and also bringing forth some aspects of what solutions may be was amazing to see! Pawan Sahni, you have set the benchmark too high and I am routing to see the great impact this needs to create and efforts continued..
This event stood out for me not because something extraordinary was discussed but basic & most common questions that we address/ are looking for solutions in our everyday and for the future unlike just the same set of QnA in conferences these days! “The power of collaboration and combined efforts can truly build value even across industry and eventually bring collective impact!”

Swati Gupta, Senior Manager Open Innovation and Packaging Development, Amway: Thank you Future of Pack for providing the opportunity to be part of these wonderful sessions with fellow Packaging Professionals across categories. The collective wisdom, the infectious energy and passion for packaging is worth the time and effort to brainstorm on future of packaging. Looking forward to the focused areas for Industry to initiate and ignite the wholistic collaboration between brands and Packaging Solution Industry.

Varun Bajaj,  Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Senior Manager Packaging: Had the privilege of being part of the “Future of Pack – Brainstorming Retreat” an incredible journey filled with unfiltered ideas, candid conversations, and collective thinking from some of the brightest packaging leaders in India.This wasn’t a typical conference. There were no presentations, no hierarchies — just honest, energetic dialogue  among peers passionate about reimagining packaging that is:
🔹 Sustainable – reducing impact while enhancing value
🔹 Smart – intelligent and connected through technology
🔹 Beautiful– elevating aesthetics and consumer delight
🔹 Secure – protecting brands and ensuring authenticity
What stood out for me was the depth of collaboration— brands, converters, and solution partners discussing real challenges and co-creating pathways for a better, more responsible packaging future.
A few takeaways:
✅ Innovation thrives in open conversations.
✅ The future of packaging is not built in silos — it’s built in synergy.
✅ Sustainability, technology and design must move together, not in isolation.
Grateful to Harveer Sahni for creating such a powerful platform for dialogue and to  Pawandeep Sahni for his outstanding vision and moderation that kept the energy high and ideas flowing.
Events like this reaffirm that our industry’s progress will come not from competition, but from Collaboration— where passion meets purpose.

Bhupesh Mittal, Technical Packaging Program Lead, Bayer: What happens when some of the sharpest minds in packaging sit together in one room – without hierarchy, without filters, and with complete openness?

– You don’t just get discussions.
– You get a glimpse into the real Future of Packaging.
“Future of Pack – Brainstorming Retreat” was one of the most intellectually enriching packaging forums I have attended in recent times.
What made this experience special was the quality of conversations happening inside the room?
✨ No passive audience
✨ No conventional presentations
✨ Just open brainstorming among packaging leaders, innovators, converters, and technology experts
The discussions covered critical themes shaping our industry:
🔹 Sustainable Packaging
🔹 Smart & Connected Packaging
🔹 Consumer Experience & Premiumization
🔹 Packaging Security
🔹 Print & Technology Innovation
🔹 Supply Chain Challenges
🔹 Future role of packaging in business strategy
What personally stayed with me was the depth and honesty of the discussions.
When experienced professionals openly discuss real challenges, failures, innovation bottlenecks, and future opportunities, it becomes a masterclass beyond any presentation deck.
👏 A special thanks to Harveer Sahni for creating such a meaningful platform and bringing together the right minds under one roof.
👏 Congratulations also to Pawandeep Sahni for conceptualizing and moderating the retreat with tremendous energy and clarity.

Yogesh Bambal, Regional Category Lead – R&D Packaging, Asia Pacific Region – Chocolate Category, Mondelēz International: What happens when industry leaders come together with complete openness, intellectual honesty, and a shared intent to shape the future?
You don’t just exchange ideas — you create direction for the industry; It was a privilege to participate in the Future of Pack – Brainstorming Retreat, an exceptional gathering of some of the most forward-thinking minds across the packaging ecosystem. What stood out was not only the depth of discussion, but the quality of perspectives being shared across sustainability, smart packaging, consumer experience, supply chain resilience, technology integration, and the evolving strategic role of packaging in business growth. The conversations reflected a clear reality — the future of packaging will be driven by collaboration, innovation, agility, and collective intelligence.
My sincere gratitude to Harveer Sahni for envisioning and building such a high-impact platform that encourages meaningful industry dialogue beyond conventional conferences. Special appreciation Pawan Sahni for curating and moderating the retreat with remarkable clarity, energy, and purpose. Forums like these are critical for accelerating transformation across the packaging industry and inspiring the next wave of innovation-led growth. Proud to be part of an ecosystem that continues to challenge convention and collectively shape the future of packaging.

Compiled and put together from individual messages received and Linkedin posts, by Harveer Sahni, Chairman Weldon Celloplast Ltd. New Delhi with support from Labels and Labeling UK. May 2026

 Some images from the event: 

Compiled and put together from individual messages received and Linkedin posts, by Harveer Sahni, Chairman Weldon Celloplast Ltd. New Delhi with support from Labels and Labeling UK. May 2026

Trigon Digital Solutions, successful in digital printing of labels

Trigon Digital Solutions, successful in digital printing of labels
On the 22nd of November 2018 at the LMAI Avery Dennison Awards night, held on the side lines of Labelexpo India, the winner announced in digital printing category-Wine and Spirits was Trigon Digital Solutions, Mumbai. Just over a week later, on the 29th of November 2018, Trigon was declared the Printweek India “Digital Printer of the year”. This was Trigon’s fourth award; the first two were Printweek “Pre-press Company of the year” awards won in 2015 and 2017. It is an incredible performance by a company promoted by first generation entrepreneurs just 10 years ago, with no previous experience in running a manufacturing company. They moved into roll form digital printing of labels merely 3 years ago. They have invested in a digital printing press at a time when we are witnessing the evolutionary shift of label production in India from conventional processes to digital. Digital printing is a segment of label industry that leading label manufacturing companies have been extremely hesitant to invest in, due to high cost of equipment and consumables. Anil  Namugade the co-founder, along with partner Milind Deshpande, have promoted Trigon Digital and successfully led it on its digital label journey.

 

After graduating in Economics from Mumbai University Anil Namugade, also a Printing Technologist from the Government Institute of Printing Technology, took up jobs as a scanner operator from 1994 to 1997 in few of the leading pre-press houses in Mumbai. Here he acquired immense knowledge in repro-colour separation and prepress. In 1998 he joined Heidelberg as a software specialist and continued to work there until 2003. Anil joined Kodak as packaging and proofing specialist in 2003. It was a purely technical job where he developed his passion for proofing, learnt the nuances of colour management and the imperative need of good prepress for excellence in final print. During his stint with Kodak he was also handling technical and sales support which helped him gain experience in selling as well. Unfortunately, by 2007 Kodak was seeing a decline in business and as restructuring process was being put in place, he had to exit Kodak. Suddenly that one day he found himself jobless, away from a stable job in an MNC(Multi National Company). He firmly believed in and followed a simple mantra of success and excellence; “Look at problem as an opportunity and learn to grow and excel”. Drawing inspiration from this mantra, he along with partner Milind Deshpande who is also a printing technologist, set up their maiden start-up venture Trigon Digital Solutions. 

 

From past experience and knowledge he had acquired from working in the previous jobs, Anil knew that customers needing packaging, wanted to see how their product would look, before they opted for actual printing and production. He saw the opportunity in this need, so Trigon was set up as a proofing and mock-up producing company. His knowledge of prepress and colour management helped him to achieve his goal. Earlier it used to be the creative agencies that visualised and created a format for packaging, Trigon creating an actual marketable mock up for the companies was a new and welcome development for brand owner companies. The first equipment they invested in was Kodak Approval NX that printed in sheet format and started to take up proofing and mock-up creation for customers. Finding success in their endeavors he soon realised that being closer to the customer is an imperative.  In 2010 Trigon opened a facility in Bangalore and followed it up by setting up a unit in Delhi in 2012. In 2015 they went international by setting shop in Dubai and later an office in Singapore. All the units except the office in Singapore are equipped with Kodak Approval NX.

 

In 2015 they saw the opportunity in customers demanding label mock-ups in roll form, so in their Mumbai facility they invested in an Epson Surepress to produce samples including Flexibles, Laminates and Labels by digital printing in roll form. Moreover, the production on Kodak was turning out to be expensive and limited to sheet format. Soon their customers upgraded from demanding just mock-ups to ordering short runs for their specialised marketing needs.  They also started to see business emanating from the shrink sleeve segment as also a growing demand for other roll form variants. The slow speed of Surepress could not cater to the demand they were getting and also there was a limitation that it could not produce shrink sleeves. At this time in 2017 Trigon decided to take a major step of investing in an HP Indigo 6000 digital press and enhance their capability to produce a larger range of products. A year down the line in 2018 Trigon yet again upgraded their HP Indigo 6000 to HP Indigo 6900 which had enhanced features. On this HP 6900 they could do inline primer coating saving them the time and valuable space, print metallic inks and florescent inks. With a widened customer base and enhanced capabilities they now cater to applications in FMCG, Liquor, Personalised labels, Variable Data labels, QR codes and a lot more. They now produce and sell a range besides labels, offering flexible packaging, complex laminates, lamitubes and shrink sleeves. Anil Namugade firmly believes that digital is the future of printing and innovative packaging. Dwelling on the general apprehension of label printers regarding ROI (Return on Investment), he feels that it becomes better from an expanded vision of providing specialised services to the customer. These services that Trigon offers include brand management, database management including validation, preparing the mock-ups for test marketing before indulging extensively, offering creativity to customers for their evaluation and aiding decision making, personalisation or customisation and incorporating variable information on each label or package at short notice. Their experience in pre-press has helped them greatly and he believes that by adding full post press setup Trigon has become a one stop shop for the needs of brand owners. The additional cost of digitally converted products needs to spell value for customers to justify the cost. Anil asserts that the vision for success of flexo graphic printing and Digital printing should be looked at separately and not as a comparison. 

 

Trigon Digital Solutions plans to remain focused in digital Printing. With already a facility in Dubai and an office in Singapore they are a global entity and they will be expanding their global reach by establishing a setup in U.K. in 2019-2020 as they already have customers in 18 countries including UK and Europe. They have endeavored to remain logistically close to customers to be able to provide service at their doorstep. Surprisingly due to their business model of being linked to packaging development, marketing and brand management, their revenues do not come from purchase budgets of customers but come from their marketing budgets. Trigon making optimum use of space operates out of around 1800 square feet shop floor area of all facilities put together. Headquartered in Andheri East, Mumbai they have a workforce of 102 persons. At Trigon every new creation is a challenge but developing it is not. Anil proudly says innovation, technology, extensive knowledge of prepress, and having “People with Passion” in their team has always been a winning force for Trigon. They are committed to improve upon what the customer wants or brings to them for creation of a label or package that will spell success for their products and brand. 

 

Written by Harveer Sahni Chairman WeldonCelloplast Limited New Delhi December 2018