As India’s USD 3.5 trillion economy fuels a packaging revolution, digital print coatings are unlocking the potential of smart packaging, transforming it into a dynamic platform for scannable, interactive consumer experiences.
The global smart packaging market, valued at USD 24.8 billion in 2024, is projected to reach USD 37.4 billion by 2032 at a 5.3% CAGR, per a 2025 Extrapolate report. In India’s ₹80,000 crore packaging sector, these coatings enable QR codes, NFC tags, and augmented reality (AR) features, enhancing engagement and sustainability.
However, import reliance and skill gaps challenge MSMEs in scaling a USD 2 billion domestic smart packaging market by 2030.
Digital print coatings, specialized layers applied during printing, ensure durability, scannability, and compatibility with smart technologies like QR codes and NFC tags, per a 2024 Mordor Intelligence report. Unlike traditional coatings, they support high-resolution prints, resist wear, and integrate with eco-friendly inks, reducing VOC emissions by 30%.
These coatings enable packaging to bridge physical and digital realms, offering traceability, anti-counterfeiting, and personalized experiences, per a 2024 CII report. India’s e-commerce boom, growing at a 25% CAGR, drives demand for interactive packaging, per a 2025 ET Packaging report.
Key Innovations in 2025:
- Scannable QR and NFC Coatings: Coatings like BASF’s photonic inks ensure QR codes and NFC tags remain scannable despite wear, boosting consumer trust by 20%, per a 2025 Packaging Europe report. Pidilite’s smart coatings, launched in April 2025, support contactless reordering, per a 2025 Business Standard report.
- AR-Enabled Coatings: Avery Dennison’s coatings integrate AR triggers, enabling immersive brand stories, like 19 Crimes’ AR wine labels, per a 2025 Printpack report. These enhance engagement by 15%, per a 2024 SIDBI report.
- Sustainable Coatings: Water-based coatings from Asian Paints reduce waste by 25% and support paperless packaging via QR codes, aligning with India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules, per a 2025 X post by @EcoPackNow.
These coatings support India’s packaging industry, led by players like Pidilite, Astral Adhesives, Sika India, and global giants BASF, Henkel, and Avery Dennison, per a 2025 Economic Times report. MSMEs, supplying 35% of materials, leverage the ₹50,000 crore PLI scheme and ONDC, increasing market access by 25%, per a 2024 SIDBI report. The sector supports 400,000 jobs, reducing import reliance on high-tech coatings by 15% since 2020, per a 2024 UNCTAD report.
Economically, smart packaging coatings cut Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance costs by 20% and boost exports to sustainability-focused markets, per a 2025 Hindustan Times report.
They align with Make in India and Swachh Bharat, advancing SDG goals, per a 2025 MoEFCC report. MSME-led innovations create new markets, fostering a circular economy, per a 2024 CII report.
Challenges include regulatory approvals taking 4–6 years versus China’s 2, MSME compliance costs of ₹1–2 lakh monthly, and power disruptions affecting 20% of units, per a 2024 Nasscom report. Only 5% of Skill India’s 2 million workers are trained in digital coating tech, and ONDC adoption lags at 15%, per a 2024 Nasscom report.
Experts propose Technology Upgradation Scheme subsidies, Skill India training, PM Gati Shakti’s 5G enhancements, and IIT R&D partnerships, per a 2025 LatestLY report. CII campaigns can drive ONDC adoption and consumer awareness.
Digital print coatings are redefining smart packaging, positioning India as a global innovation hub. Overcoming regulatory and skill barriers will ensure this technology shapes a Viksit Bharat by 2030.