Assocham group showcases products at S. African packaging expo

An Assocham trade delegation showcasing its packaging and printing products at the three- day South African Propak expo here has been well received with many participants expressing interest in the Indian products.
Assocham Assistant Director Kaushal Lal Gupta said that despite severe competition from many participant countries at the Propak expo, there had been a great interest in the packaging products and related manufacturing and printing equipment that was being offered by the Indian delegation.
"India is focusing strongly on the quality materials which South African companies demand, at competitive prices," Gupta told PTI today at the conclusion of the second day of the three- day expo.

"In order to give small enterprises an opportunity as well, we brought many of them here for the first time to give them some exposure through a space in a combined stall.
"We do not only want companies that have a turnover of over Rs 50 or 100 crore to get an opportunity to sell in this market. We want to provide opportunities for those in the five to 10 crore area as well," Gupta added.
Propak Africa is a marketing platform where anyone in the packaging, food processing and labelling industries can showcase their products and meet new customers.

Ramesh Nakhwa of Zen Engineering said he was pleased with the interest in its water treatment products.

"Water and waste water is something that is universal. All companies require it and we do it for beverages and pharmaceuticals.
"We have had a very good enquiry base from South Africa and a few from (the neighbouring states of) Mozambique, Botswana and Angola also," Nakhwa said as he expressed confidence in the leads developing into concrete agreements.
Uday Shah, Director of Vishwa Exim, said his company has been coming to various exhibitions in South Africa for every single year of the past two decades and had established a partnership with a local company to service its range of machines which had been bought by many companies in the southern African region.

"Our service guys are here every alternate month and I come myself every three months from our headquarters in Ahmedabad," Shah said.
Sieving and filtering solutions company Galaxy Sivtek has also established a local partnership to oversee sales of its equipment in South Africa for the past three years.
"They are promoting our equipment for the food, chemicals, ceramics and mining industries, with 24 units running in the field already; and we have come to Propak for the first time to market aggressively in the local market for the next two years, first in South Africa and then in East Africa," said Export Sales manager for the company Keyur Andhariya.