Tetra Pak brings smart packaging to India

Tetra Pak, the packaging and processing solutions provider, is now taking packaging to a new level by taking Smart Packaging from a concept to reality in India.

Indian brand owners will now have access to a complete smart packaging ecosystem built around Dynamic QR codes which allows each package to be tracked, monitored and interacted with throughout the supply chain, creating new opportunities for efficient stock management, distribution and automation. It creates new and exciting opportunities for consumer interaction too. The key to the technology is the ability to print a unique digital code on every package. In case of a Dynamic QR code, this can be scanned ordinary smartphones, allowing all kinds of innovative possibilities

Tetra Pak’s digital package offer for brand owners therefore includes three components: code generation and printing on packages, a secure cloud solution for managing the data collected, and a consumer-facing front-end in the form of an app or a microsite on the internet, or both.

India is one of three Tetra Pak markets to invest in specialised PICCO printing technology for printing the Dynamic QR codes, which will be done at Tetra Pak India’s manufacturing facility at Chakan, near Pune. Tetra Pak is building the ecosystem in-house, from developing the QR codes, to designing the related apps as well as helping brands gain deeper consumer insights through analytics.

The company is now ready to pilot this technology with two leading F&B brands. The brands will be able to deploy this revolutionary technology to not just engage with consumers in a unique and personalised way, but also to understand consumption patterns and unearth deeper consumer insights. For consumers, this technology allows potential use of augmented reality, real time promotions, downloadable content and more, making it a more exciting experience.

Commenting on the launch, Ashutosh Manohar, Managing Director, Tetra Pak South Asia says, “With the rising number of smart phones and internet penetration in the country, India provides a perfect opportunity for smart packaging technology that uses dynamic QR codes. While food safety and traceability, plant productivity and consumer engagement are the most obvious benefits, this technology can be used for many other benefits like sharing information about recycling, what happens to the carton after use etc. The possibilities are endless.”

“Smart Packaging will not only make the packaging more interactive and act as a medium to create conversations. It will also allow brands to trace each package throughout its lifecycle – from production, through the supply chain, all the way to the consumers, gathering valuable insights along the way, thereby making this a truly transformational technology,” he adds.