125 Years of the Corrugated Packaging Industry

The booming Indian economy and a flourishing organised retail have raised the expectations that consumption of corrugated packaging will begin to expand again as the number and volume of goods packaged in corrugated increases. MNCs are demanding corrugated boxes of international standards and the pattern of buying the packaging is changing.

Prices of corrugated sheet and converted boxes have remained low due to the over-capacity, manual operations and low productivity. Besides, transport constraints and high freight costs have meant that small to medium sized corrugated box plants are located near the customers.

The over 4,000 corrugated board and sheet plants are highly labour-intensive, employing over half a million people – both directly and indirectly. The industry is converting about 2 million tons of Kraft paper into corrugated boxes. Factories are spreadout in all parts of India, even in the remote industrially backward areas.

This present scenario is already being challenged by the sweeping changes that are beginning to take shape. More and more in-line automatic plants are being set up, as corrugated box makers gear up to meet the new demands for high precision boxes with attractive graphics and large integrated production capacities.

Future Trends

• Increasing demand and high volumes will trigger consolidation and setting up of large automatic plants.
• Inline Automatic Board and Box making plants will ease out the present semi automatic production processes.
• Deployment of Folder Gluers, Rotary Diecutters will be on the increase.
• Use of corrugated for display/promotional packs, POPs and dispensers.
• Advances in multicolour, flexo printing will facilitate in-house flexo printing and do away with screen printing, contract printing on offset presses.
• The emergence of e-commerce, reverse bidding, concept of First Pak will give large scale units the advantage of competitiveness and the concept of locating corrugated box units nearer to user locations will become obsolete.
• Large Corporates and Bulk users of corrugated boxes looking for single/multiple alternative vendors – capable of meeting stringent specifications, offering alternative designs, test-in-time deliveries at optimum cost.
• Growing interest in machines made in China, Taiwan and other Asian countries.
• Many machinery manufacturers entering into alliances with Chinese, Taiwanese manufacturers for manufacturing/marketing.

CHAIRMEN OF FCBM SUB - COMMITTEES  2021-22

CHAIRMEN OF FCBM SUB - COMMITTEES  2022-23

CHAIRMEN OF FCBM SUB - COMMITTEES  2023-24

CHAIRMEN OF FCBM SUB - COMMITTEES  2019-20

FCBM-ICCMA Co-ordination Members

Dear Friends,

It is my immense pleasure to address you as President of the Federation of Corrugated Box Mfrs of India. My heartfelt thanks to all who made this possible.

Our Federation is one of the best-performing Associations, excellently conceptualized and administered by our Seniors over the past 52 years. Our Federation offers collective representation, fosters great fellowship and promotes knowledge sharing. Taking over as President is an honour, and I assume this office with humility.

We recently conducted the 52nd FCBM Conference in Bangalore, very successfully and received outstanding feedback. I thank my KACBMA colleagues for this achievement.

VISION 2025:

FCBM is represented by subcommittees that add value through their activities. Our dedicated chairmen actively engage in activities that benefit members.

The R&D chairman will conduct the 2nd course on Corrugation 2.0 in all regions. Regional Presidents, please inform us of suitable dates for the course.

Addressing the dearth of trained manpower, the Skill Development Subcommittee will conduct training programs with the National Productivity Council's assistance. Our Taxation Chairman continues to provide daily updates and timely inputs.

Other chairmen, including NMDC, PMCC, and Membership Drive, will plan activities in their respective domains.

FCBM delegates will be visiting the Sino Corrugated exhibition (WEPACK) in Shanghai, China, from April 8th to 10th, 2025. We are also planning a delegation to the ICCA Global Summit in Japan, where our senior member and Past President, Sri M.L. Agarwal, will take over the Presidentship.

In summary, I aim to leave this Federation in a better place for my successor.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025

Warm Regards,

T.M. RAGHAVAN
PRESIDENT

• Act as a spokesperson of the industry and effectively represent issues to concerned authorities
• To work for the betterment and growth of the industry
• Encourage and initiate Research & Development in corrugated packaging and related areas
• Organise Conference and Seminars
• Participate and Support Industry exhibition in India and abroad
• Support the growth of Regional Associations
• Work for a healthy fraternal feeling among members
• Establish FCBM Standards and Publish Technical Booklet
• Publish Quarterly Magazine.

Besides acting as a spokesperson for the industry, the Federation organizes seminars, annual conferences and other meets and brings out a quarterly magazine – “The Corrugator”, which has attained immense popularity as a vehicle of information on corrugated packaging.

In order to instill a feeling of healthy competition and to encourage innovation the Federation has instituted ‘Corrustar’ Awards, which are presented annually for excellence in corrugated packaging in India.

Some of these packages have gained international recognition by winning the Asiastar and Worldstar Awards.

The Federation has brought out several books on practical Standards, Test Methods and Technical Booklets for the benefit of both manufacturers and users of corrugated boxes.

The Federation and its Regional Associations have been conducting Training and Education programmes at various centres, in order to ensure that technically qualified personnel are available for the industry and to keep them abreast with the latest developments.

Testing laboratories, equipped with sophisticated equipments, have been set up at regional centres to assist both the manufacturers and consumers of corrugated boxes in developing packaging of standard quality.

The Regional Associations of the Federation also organize on regular basis, packaging exhibitions, which provide a platform for display and demonstration of latest developments in the field.

The Federation conduct ‘Survey of the Industry’, every year, to prepare a data base which will serve as a guideline for the direction the industry needs to take for future growth. Computer programmes and software packages have been developed by the Federation for the benefit of the members.

Dear Friends,

Another year gone. Another one beckons, I wish all of you Happy New Year. New Year always brings hope and aspirations and let us start our efforts to fulfill our hope.

First of all let me sincerely thank you for the trust you bestowed in electing me to the highest office of our Federation. My predecessors have done wonderful job. We bear witness to the enduring strength of our Fraternity in Federation.

Lot many changes are taking place everyday and very positive and a matter to boost the economy, the stable government is formed, after the lapses of several years, and addressing the need to shape up India’s industrial prominence, our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s agenda for development started with the unveil of “MAKE IN INDIA” a global phenomenon focusing on transforming the country into the world’s largest manufacturing hub.

The Make in India campaign is going to bring the packaging industry into limelight. When you “Make in India” you are going to “Pack in India”. Almost all products are being packed in corrugated Boxes. Today we continue a never ending journey to bridge the requirement of consumer by constantly innovating to keep up with changing demand as well as to stand out in increasingly competitive environment. If we update ourselves with the time, with circumstances and with new generation, having new ideas, we will have an opportunity to be more creative than ever before.

As the time has changed let us change ourselves too and pledge faithfully that we can meet any unmet demand of consumer by our innovative ideas and creations.

A number of steps have been taken by government to speed up green clearances but the government is also considering the suggestions to achieve its twin goals of economic growth and environmental protection. Save the trees, Save the planet. In order to save the trees, wooden boxes will have to be substituted by Corrugated Boxes. No doubt in most of the cases wooden boxes have already been replaced by Corrugated Boxes. But let us try to replace the same totally in the interest of balancing ecology as well as economic growth and hence it is vital that innovative ideas will only help achieve the goal.

As the “MAKE IN INDIA” campaign will trigger the manufacturing Industries, which will further trigger the consumption of packaging material this in turn will bring direct demand for techno-experts in packaging. Indian Institute of Packaging is going to start degree course is most welcome step. But the demand for qualified-technical experts cannot be met, unless- more and more academical institutions are opened up throughout the nation. Atleast all the region should organise technical sessions and educational institutes should offer the course in packaging in all regions.

E-commerce is now a booming sector in India and depends on corrugated packages, which is expected to further aid the growth in the packaging Industry. Growth of manufacturing segment in India will itself increase the need for packaging and related opportunities. There are number of companies that need packaging professionals in the country.

With the changing of time and habits of consumer we will have to think and innovate to meet consumer’s unmet needs to be successful. Incase of fruits and vegetables etc. We can definitely innovate the packaging which may help us to sell our boxes as product item instead of tailor-type item. We have already witnessed and seen the boxes of same type which can be used as product item in case of grapes, apple and mangoes packaging. It is a matter of persuasion and innovation for us to develop the boxes as product item for Lemon, Tomatoes and other variety of Vegetable & Fruits. I am more than confident and sure that our industry can and will develop such packings without fail. There are genius and innovative minds in our industry backed by the experience and highly technical seniors services at our disposal-all having welfare about the packaging industry at heart and keen to help, which has taken our Federation to such high esteemed level. So all my predecessors have offered their helping hand to me for the betterment of industry.

Even the Chairman of New Market Development- Committee Mr. Milan Dey is working very hard on all such issues-and will be happy to share the views expressed by any of our friends in FCBM. He is keen that this is the joint efforts of all the regions and all regional president has to come forward with the ideas and views for the betterment of industry. Friends let us join hands together & pave a way to tape the venues for corrugated boxes so long remaining untapped.

The team GCBMA were working day and night for the successful implementation of 43rd conference of FCBM at Udaipur in December 2014. Their admirable efficiency and warm hospitality ensure that delegates from all over India & abroad enjoyed themselves and got the most they can from the conference. The conference was filled with fellowship, fun & enrichment. I am sure those who have attended the conference carry sweet memories of the pinnacle experience at Conference in Udaipur.

To conclude I look forward to your suggestions and co-operation and support to take FCBM to further height of glory. I also seek the guidance and advise from past presidents and my seniors to steer the way to progress & glory of FCBM.

With warm Regards,

Sincerely Yours
P. S. Shah
Ex. Officio FCBM

Welcome to FCBM - the Federation of Corrugated Box Manufacturers of India.

FCBM - the apex body of India’s corrugated packaging industry is regarded as one of the most active and well organized trade bodies in the country.

Activities of the FCBM include: Research & Development; Establishing and Publishing Standards and Technical Booklets; Encouraging excellence through CORRUSTAR Awards. Publishing “THE CORRUGATOR” magazine and organizing Technical Seminars.

This website www.fcbm.org keeps you informed of the activities and events of the Federation besides highlighting statutory regulations for Corrugated box makers from time to time.

We have also introduced Classified sectionfor members to make use of.

The Annual Conference of FCBM is organized and hosted by one of the Regional Associations – every year. Last year’s conference - was organized by Madhya Pradesh Association.

We do hope you’ll browse through the various pages and give us your feedback to enable us to update and improve the content.

Shri Rahul Dewan
Chairman
Website Committee

The Federation of Corrugated Box Manufacturers (FCBM) of India is the apex body of India’s corrugated packaging industry with a membership of over 2000 corrugated box manufacturers.

FCBM is regarded as one of the most active and well organize trade bodies in the country.

Established in 1971, the Federation comprises of 13 Associations, each representing a geographical area of the country. Membership of the Federation can be gained through membership of any of these regional associations.

Over the years, FCBM has significantly expanded its scope and its broad aims include:
1. Represent and safeguard the interests of the industry
2. Explore and create new markets for the corrugated boxes
3. Create awareness on the advantages of corrugated boxes as a means of packaging.
4. Provide a common forum for the entire corrugated industry to promote exchange of ideas in all areas of interest
5. Take up research and development activities to continuously upgrade the technology and skills required to grow and compete
6. Promote a fraternal feeling amongst members of the industry

FEDERATION’S MEMBERSHIP IN OTHER ORGANISATIONS
1. Federation of Association of Small Industries in India (FASII)
2. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
3. International Corrugated Case Association(ICCA) www.iccanet.org