We will support our innovators -Minister Rishad

“Sri Lanka thanks its innovators and wants them to continue their efforts,said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce addressing the gala Star Awards 2011,the international scale packaging awards event in Sri Lanka held at the Cinnamon Grand on May 27 to felicitate top innovators in the $ one billion

packaging industry of Sri Lanka. The event was sponsored by Sri Lanka Telecom “I thank the packaging award winners today for their innovative contributions to our industry and urge them to continue their good work. My Ministry will strengthen our assistance to the industry in training and development in future,” he said. The event was organised by Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging and the Packaging Development Centre and was attended by top corporate personalities of packaging and other firms.

Having given the gold awards away, among many others, notably to Moratuwa University student Sulekshana Mendis for her 45 piece ceramic design(World Star Award), the SLIP President’s Award to Midaya Ceremics (for innovative package designs that created a see through point of purchase design as well as an E flute holder to secure the packed product), and Piramal Glass Ceylon PLC. Piramal’s KIK COLA bottle design led to a specially designed bottle that generated 1 million litres of Kik Cola sales within a few weeks of launch for the local cola brand. “As we are all aware, in today’s competitive marketing efforts, packaging is what differentiates the product and what draws consumer’s attention.

Therefore it is no secret that packaging has become as important as the product itself. This situation has also led to packaging taking the lead in the growth of certain industries. In addition the emerging supermarket trend in the country has made packaging the key driver of sales. All these factors show we need to further develop the Industry. It is a worldwide packaging norm that a country’s packaging industry usually consists of 2 to 3% of its GDP.

This benchmark alone shows us that our packaging industry value is a minimum of 1.5 billion US $, given that our GDP now stands at US $ 50 billion mark thanks to the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As such our packaging industry needs to gear up in its innovations front. This is why that an awards ceremony of this nature stands out as a critical input of its own. In fact, packaging creates a platform for industrialists for their novel ideas, researchers and university students to exhibit their innovations and even receive recognition” Minister Bathiudeen said.