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BUSINESS NEWS
Second, the CAPEX trap. Globally, biopolymer them particularly relevant for India’s fragmented
production has followed a model centred on but high-growth market structure.
large, centralised polymerisation plants requiring
very high capital investment. This structure limits Technology alone will not close the gap. Policy
participation and slows capacity expansion. Re- support must evolve alongside it. Capital in-
lying on a handful of mega-plants will not deliver centives should encourage modular and de-
the scale or flexibility required for India’s diverse centralised production, not just large plants. A
packaging, textile, and agricultural markets. dedicated technology upgradation framework
is needed to help processors modernise legacy
Third, incompatible legacy infrastructure. Most infrastructure. Clear certification and standards
Indian plastic processors operate equipment op- are crucial for distinguishing genuine biopoly-
timised for high-temperature, high-shear fossil mers from greenwashed alternatives and for
plastics such as PE and PP. Biopolymers are far building market confidence.
more sensitive. When processed on legacy ma-
chinery, they suffer from lower throughput, high- Conclusion
er rejection rates, and increased costs, eroding India cannot ban its way to sustainability. It must
competitiveness. manufacture its way there. As the global bio-
The Policy Imperative based economy accelerates and bioplastics
capacity moves toward the 4.7 million-tonne
What is missing in India is not intent or demand, mark by 2030, the countries that succeed will
but a scalable manufacturing bridge between be those that combine policy intent with scala-
biomass availability and finished biopolymer ble manufacturing systems. For India, this means
products. Globally, this gap is increasingly being embracing modular, technology-enabled pro-
addressed through modular continuous manu- duction models, where twin-screw–driven con-
facturing approaches, where twin-screw-based tinuous processing serves as a critical enabler of
reactive processing enables polymerisation and decentralised, cost-efficient biopolymer manu-
compounding at smaller, distributed scales. Un- facturing, supported by modern downstream
like conventional mega-polymerisation plants processing infrastructure. With the right align-
that require heavy upfront capital and long com- ment of technology, policy, and capital, India
missioning cycles, these modular systems allow can move decisively from being a net importer
for faster deployment, lower entry barriers, and of biopolymers to becoming a globally competi-
the flexibility to operate closer to biomass sourc- tive hub for sustainable materials. The demand is
es. Twin-screw platforms, when used as ena- real. The resources are abundant. The moment
bling infrastructure rather than as stand-alone to act is now.
equipment, support decentralised production, Source – economictimes
customised grades, and faster scale-up, making
March 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 53
