PLEXCONNECT 2026 Focuses on India’s Future in Plastics Exports
Chennai: The inaugural edition of PLEXCONNECT 2026, an industry conference organised by the Plastics Export Promotion Council (PLEXCONCIL) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, in association with the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), was held at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai on Friday.
Held under the theme “India’s Future in Polymers, Innovation & Export Growth,” the conference brought together more than 200 policymakers, industry leaders, exporters, technology providers, financial institutions, academic representatives and MSMEs to discuss strategies aimed at strengthening India’s competitiveness in the global plastics industry.
Tamil Nadu’s Export Potential Highlighted
Inaugurating the conference, Pradeep Yadav, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, said the state has the potential to become India’s leading exporter of value-added plastic products by focusing on engineering plastics, automotive components, medical plastics and electronics applications.
He said Tamil Nadu’s industrial ecosystem, port infrastructure and more than 23 lakh MSMEs provide a strong foundation for expanding exports.
India–France Cooperation and Trade Opportunities
Christophe Bramoulle, Deputy Consul General and Head of the Bureau of France in Chennai, highlighted the growing partnership between India and France. He said stronger India–European Union economic cooperation, including the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement, could create new opportunities for trade, technology collaboration, investment and sustainable industrial growth.
Exporters Encouraged to Leverage FTAs
Rajalakshmi Devaraj, IDAS, Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Chennai, encouraged exporters to make use of India’s recently concluded Free Trade Agreements by focusing on quality, value addition, regulatory compliance and innovation to improve global competitiveness.
Industry Discussions on Exports and Sustainability
The conference featured discussions on India’s recently signed Free Trade Agreements, export finance, the future of petrochemicals, engineering plastics and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
During the event, PLEXCONCIL and the Southern India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI) jointly released a publication titled “Unlocking Global Opportunities for India’s Plastics Industry,” highlighting opportunities created by India’s Free Trade Agreements for the plastics sector.
Industry Leaders Outline Growth Roadmap
Sribash Dasmohapatra, Executive Director, PLEXCONCIL, said India’s plastics industry has the potential to become a major contributor to the country’s export growth and noted that PLEXCONNECT 2026 was designed to facilitate collaboration among policymakers, industry, academia and financial institutions while promoting innovation and sustainability.
G. Chandrasekhar, Regional Chairman (South), PLEXCONCIL, said changing global supply chains, geopolitical developments and new Free Trade Agreements present significant opportunities for Indian exporters. He also announced that the second edition of PLEXCONNECT will be held in July 2027.
Prof. (Dr.) Shishir Sinha, Director General, CIPET, said innovation, advanced manufacturing, sustainability and skilled human resources will play a key role in improving the global competitiveness of India’s plastics industry. He added that industry platforms such as PLEXCONNECT encourage collaboration between government, academia and industry.
Key Conference Sessions
The conference included expert sessions on:
- India’s recently signed Free Trade Agreements – opportunities and challenges
- Trade finance and export credit solutions
- The future of petrochemicals
- Tamil Nadu’s engineering plastics sector as an emerging export segment
- Business recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and industry preparedness
Ruban Hobday, Regional Director (South), PLEXCONCIL, said Southern India has a rapidly growing plastics manufacturing ecosystem and that the conference aimed to strengthen industry engagement, improve export awareness and support MSMEs in accessing international markets through knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships.
