Metal can packaging caters to a wide range of food, beverage and non-food products in India where the integrity, durability, shelf life and visual appeal take priority over other functional and economic factors determining the choice of packaging. Broadly, in India, metal packaging can be divided as tinplate (including TFS & CRCA) and aluminium packaging. While the tinplate packaging industry offers packaging solutions to the entire gamut of applications, aluminium serves niche segments such as beverage cans, aerosols, bottles and collapsible tubes.
The metal can packaging market in India including tinplate and aluminium packaging is estimated at around INR 33.2 billion in 2012-13. Demand for aluminium in consumer packaging, driven by the expanding market for aluminium beverage cans, is expected to witness rapid growth of around 20% per year during the period.
Tinplate packaging caters to several end-use applications across foodand non-food category. While some segments have witnessed increased threat of substitution against metal can packaging, there are a few that have registered good growth rates. The high price of tinplate cans is a key reason for increased substitution in a number of end-use segments. Aerosols segment has witnessed high double digit growth in the recent years. While tinplate aerosol cans are mainly used for household (insecticides, room freshener) and industrial purposes, personal care applications including deodorant sprays as well as pharmaceutical products are packaged in aluminium aerosols. 3-piece tinplate beverage cans were introduced for packaging beer in the Indian market as early as the 1980s. However, the trend towards beverage consumption in cans did not catch on for almost 2 decades. With the introduction of 2-piece aluminium beverage cans, the market has gained in the last decade. Increased consumer acceptance and willingness to pay a premium are set to drive the 2-piece aluminium beverage can in the coming years. Indian tinplate can manufacturing sector has a number of medium-size domestic players as well as a large number of small players. Hindustan Tin Works Ltd, Kaira Cans, Shetron Ltd., India Tin Industries, Raja Crown & Cans Pvt. Ltd., Western Cans Pvt. Ltd., Deccan Cans & Printers Pvt. Ltd. and Manaksia are the leading players in the industry. Aluminium can packaging is a relatively new industry in India and multinational companies such as Rexam and Can-Pack have entered this space either through direct investments or through joint ventures.

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