Hyderabad, Aug.7 (RAHNUMA): Telangana is set to position itself as a leading hub for plastics and polymer manufacturing, Industries and Commerce Minister D. Sridhar Babu said on Friday, calling the sector a “salient engine of India’s economic growth”.
Inaugurating HIPLEX 2026, South and Central India’s largest plastics exhibition and India’s third-largest plastics expo, here at HITEX Exhibition Centre, the Minister urged industry stakeholders to partner with the government to accelerate investments, innovation and sustainable manufacturing in the state.
Organised by the Telangana and Andhra Plastics Manufacturers Association (TAAPMA), the four-day international exhibition features over 550 exhibitors and is expected to draw more than 55,000 business visitors from India and abroad.
Sridhar Babu said the plastics and polymers industry provides direct employment to nearly 50 lakh people and indirect employment to over one crore, while nearly two lakh families in Telangana depend on the sector for their livelihoods. “The Telangana Government is your partner in progress. Your success is our success”, he said, assuring the industry that the state government would support policy interventions needed for its growth.
Further, the Minister said Telangana, already a leader in IT, electronics, pharmaceuticals, GCCs, defence and aerospace, now aims to replicate that success in plastics and polymers, with a focus on innovation, sustainability and green manufacturing.
Plastindia foundation president Raju Desai said India’s plastics industry has grown into a Rs.4.5 lakh crore sector, expanding at 6–9 per cent annually. Exports are expected to cross Rs.1.4 lakh crore this year. India recycles nearly 60 per cent of the plastics it consumes, he noted.
AIPMA Chairman Arvind Mehta called for greater focus on exports, technology adoption, skill development and sustainability. AIPMA Senior Vice President Anil Reddy Vennam urged Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to establish a dedicated Plastics Park and a 250-acre recycling cluster with a Common Effluent Treatment Plant.
HIPLEX 2026 also features a dedicated Recycling Pavilion, live demonstrations of advanced machinery, recycling systems and next-generation polymer technologies, along with technical conferences and business networking sessions.
HIPLEX 2026 will remain open until August 10, from 10 am to 6 pm.
