Gandhinagar, Feb 7 (IANS) The 10th edition of an international plastics exhibition, PlastIndia, began in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
The six-day expo-cum-conference hopes to garner a business of around Rs 5,500 crore as buyers and sellers from around 28 countries meet at the event.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated the event at the exhibition ground here.
“While plastic consumption per person is 9.7 kg in India, the figure stands at 109 kg per person in the US. Over 10,000 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are engaged in plastic industry in the state. An institution dedicated to research and study in plastics is on the way. Gujarat is one of the largest producers of plastics in the country with an investment of Rs 1,400 crore. MSMEs have received a policy push in the Budget 2018-19,” he said.
Nearly 33 lakh person have been employed in the state plastics industry. An additional 30 lakh jobs are expected to be created. Considering the immense potential, the Gujarat government has formulated a dedicated policy for this sector, the Chief Minister said.
Energy Minister Saurabh Dalal said: “A Plastindia International University will be set up in Vapi on 50 acres of land and offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses.”
India is the 7th largest plastics manufacturing base in the world. With an investment of $2 trillion in infrastructure in the industry, 90 million jobs are expected to be created in the next decade.
Over 150 countries import plastics from India. By 2020, India is expected to become the third largest plastic consumer in the world, with doubling of consumption of plastic packaging in five years.
–IANS
desai/tsb