Corrugated boxes and monocartons manufacturer Shree Devi Packaging operates from Jalesar Road in Agra. Started by Pramendra Sharma in 2009 in the Ram Bagh area, about four kilometers from its current location, the business is presently managed by Sharma and his son. In 2013, Sharma diversified into corrugated cartons in response to requests from existing clients.
Shree Devi Packaging recently installed a DGM Technocut 1050 automatic diecutter to enhance its converting quality and to automate operations. Sharma says the new diecutter has reduced the production time to one-fourth. After his positive experience with the diecutter, he plans to add a folder gluer from DGM.
Apart from the automated DGM Technocut 1050, Shree Devi Packaging has five manual diecutters from local manufacturers, a flute laminator from AB Global Tech, a single phaser for e-flute cartons from Cartonal Machinery in Bengaluru, and three folder-gluers from Vijay Graphics. It has eight manual die-cutters from Friends in Amritsar and one folder gluer from Boxtech in Bengaluru.
Shree Devi Packaging has a number of FMCG and pharma clients, including ITC Foods, Anik Ghee, Lactalis India, Dr Morepen, Q-Line Biotech and RB Dyechem. The FMCG, pharma and medical cartons as well as corrugated boxes are supplied to clients in Delhi-NCR, Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Surat, Roorkee, Haridwar, Sitarganj, Kashipur, Radrapur, Gwalior, Mumbai, Kundli and Saharanpur.
Speaking about the challenges in the packaging industry, Sharma says increased competition leads to reduced margins, adding that there are intense fluctuations in kraft (liner) paper prices, owing to the ongoing war in the Middle East. The packaging printer also faces challenges in trained manpower resources, and sometimes faces challenges in training. This seems to be a recurring theme in the packaging industry.
Sharma said the Gulf war has had a huge impact on the prices of major consumables with a 20-30% price hike in inks, 25-30% price hikes in UV coatings and chemicals, a 50-60% price hike in BOPP and lamination materials, a 15% price increase in corrugation liner papers and duplex board, and 6% price increase in SBS board. “The raw material prices will take at least a year to come down, even if the war ends soon. We are still working on the previous prices for packaging orders even though the market is completely shaken up,” he said.
While the SBS board is purchased from JK Paper and Emami, Shree Devi buys its duplex board from Tirthak Paper Mill and Morbi in Gujarat, and Devpriya Paper Mill in Meerut, and liners from Dynamic Paper Mill in Rajasthan and Genus Paper Mill in Moradabad.
Although the current production volume is divided equally between monocartons and corrugation, Sharma plans to get into printing and outer cartons, which he currently outsources. Significant investments are planned in the next year, including a 7-color inline coater HUV offset press, a 5-color flute laminator, a 5-ply automatic diecutter, and a single-phaser machine for b-flute cartons.
