Page 7 - Plastics News September 2026

THE PRESIDENT SAYS

A Year of Advocacy, Resilience and Growth

Dear Members of the AIPMA Family,

As I complete my tenure as President of The All-India Plastics Manufacturers’ As-
sociation, I have a deep sense of gratitude to our members and colleagues across
the country for their continued support and confidence.

The past year has been a particularly challenging one for the Indian plastics in-
dustry. At the same time, it has been a year of purposeful action for AIPMA—
strengthening our engagement with Government, responding to emerging crises,
addressing the concerns of our members and, importantly, preparing the industry
for the opportunities that lie ahead.

Responding to an Unprecedented Crisis

One of the most difficult challenges during my tenure was the severe uncertainty
created by the geopolitical developments and the US–Iran-Israel West Asia crisis.
The plastics processing industry, being closely linked to the global petrochemi-
cal value chain, was directly exposed to the resulting volatility in crude oil and
polymer prices and availability and freight and logistics costs. For processors,
particularly MSMEs, the situation was extremely difficult. Raw material prices were
increasing several times every week with substantial increments never seen be-
fore while downstream customers were not in a position to absorb or adjust to
these increases.

AIPMA responded promptly. We placed the concerns of the plastics processing
industry before the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, MoPNG, Minis-
try of MSME, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and MoEF&CC.
We highlighted the difficulties being faced by processing units, the pressure on
working capital and the need to ensure adequate availability of polymers. AIPMA
also raised the concerns of MSME units with the MSME Ministry as they were un-
der stress because of the West Asia crisis

Advocacy – The Core Responsibility of AIPMA
During my tenure, AIPMA considerably strengthened its policy advocacy. Regular
interactions were held with senior officials of the Department of Chemicals and
Petrochemicals, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, DGFT, NITI Aayog and BIS.

During my tenure new Secretaries of DCPE and MSME took charge whom I met
personally. Our approach has been clear that Government and industry must work

September 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 7