M L Agarwal elected ICCA chairman: Historic Indian leadership milestone

For the first time in the 64 years it has been in existence, an Indian has been elected as the Chairman of the International Corrugated Case Association (ICCA) Board of Directors, said M L Agarwal, who assumed the prestigious global role at the recently concluded ICCA Global Summit in Osaka, Japan.

“ICCA, a USA-based global body founded in 1961, represents the worldwide corrugated packaging industry and promotes sustainable, recyclable packaging solutions. Historically, its leadership has come from North America, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and Canada,” said Agarwal, Chairman of Hyderabad-based Central India Packaging.

Ankit Agarwal, his son and the Managing Director of Central India Packaging, who has also been appointed as the India Director on the ICCA Board, conducive policies in the south, especially Hyderabad, has resulted in the flourishing of the corrugated packaging sector.

“We are expecting a growth rate of 9.5 to 10 per cent going forward. The Indian market is currently valued at USD 7.8 billion and is expected to reach USD 18.6 billion by 2033,” Ankit told PTI on Wednesday.

In contrast, the global corrugated box packaging market, valued at USD 170.96 billion in 2024, is projected to reach USD 179.5 billion in 2025, is growing at a CAGR of 5.1 per cent through 2030, he pointed out.

According to him, corrugated packaging is the future, as it is an eco-friendly solution with discarded cardboard packaging like shipping boxes and containers being recycled into paper, making it a sustainable packaging option for a wide range of industries.

One of the biggest advantages of heading the ICCA is the chance to host the biennial Global Summit of the Corrugated Box Industry here in India.

“Hyderabad has been chosen to host the summit in January 2027. This will place Telangana and India firmly on the global industrial map, particularly in the eco-friendly packaging sector,” added Ankit, who is also the Vice President of the Federation of Corrugated Box Manufacturers of India (FCBM).

Agarwal, who has been in the packaging business for 45 years now, said there has been a steady growth in the last 10 years with many international players entering the market.

“We have the numbers, our Indian members alone are over 3,000. So, I expect the real numbers to be in the range of 5,000 to 6,000,” said Agarwal.

Solid eco systems for food & beverage, electronics, pharmaceuticals, engineering and automobiles, as well as the tremendous growth of the e-commerce sector post Covid pandemic, have spurred the growth of the packaging industries too, added Ankit.

He said big players, particularly from Japan, have already set up shops in South India.

“For instance, Rengo, Japan’s biggest, which incidentally hosted the recently-concluded summit in Osaka, has set up a plant in Chennai, as a joint venture with an Indian company,” said Ankit.

Other Japanese companies include Tri-Wall Limited, which has set up a plant in Bengaluru for Toyota and Oji Holdings Corp, which is the latest to set up a facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, added Agarwal.

American company Smurfit Westrock had acquired a paper mill in Vapi, Gujarat in 2013, he added.

The father-son duo is expecting a lot of consolidations and acquisitions going forward.

"We are planning to host the seminar in January 2027, although traditionally ICCA summits are held in May, keeping in mind the Indian summer. This will be a golden opportunity to showcase India and its capabilities. We are expecting around 250 global delegates to participate," added Ankit.