Shifting to smart and sustainable packaging

The future of pharma packaging in India is shifting from simply protecting medicine to providing active, smart safety solutions while focusing on sustainability.

- Nikhil Sahu, Sr Group Leader – Packaging Development (R&D), Knovea Pharmaceuticals

To maintain its global status, India's pharma packaging must now balance strict international regulations with domestic priorities, such as improving medicine accessibility and combating the extensive threat of counterfeiting.

To address these demands, innovation in pharma packaging is emerging across three key pillars—Materials, Design, and Technology—with the most impactful changes happening where design intersects with technology.

Where innovation is coming from

Innovation in pharma packaging focuses on three areas: Materials, Design, and Technology. While material science is evolving, the application of digital technology to traditional packaging formats is driving the most immediate and transformative change in India's pharma landscape.

The anti-counterfeit and compliance revolution

The primary driver for new technology is safety, particularly compliance with serialisation (Track & Trace), which enables medicine tracking and authentication to fight counterfeits. Packaging is evolving from a simple container into a data-enabled tool.

• Anti-counterfeiting: QR codes, NFC (Near Field Communication) tags, tamper-evident stickers, tamper-evident printing, and holograms are integrated into primary and secondary packaging. These features allow instant, verifiable authentication by distributors and consumers, safeguarding the supply chain.

• Patient adherence (digital compliance): Intelligent caps, electronic blisters, and NFC-enabled labels track dose removal, send reminders via SMS or app, and provide data to healthcare providers, aiding chronic disease management.

• Cold chain monitoring: For biologics and vaccines, packaging now includes Time-Temperature Indicators (TTIs) and real-time smart sensors to ensure product integrity from production to patient, alerting personnel to any temperature excursions.