The 2025 editions of drinktec India and PackMach Asia Expo successfully concluded after three days of intensive business conversations, technology evaluation, and cross-sector collaboration at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai. Held from 13–15 November 2025, the dual fairs demonstrated a sector ready to modernise at scale, backed by strong turnout from domestic and international buyers.

This year’s edition brought together over 20,099 visitors from 49+ countries connecting with 300+ exhibitors showcasing over 3,000 solutions across beverage processing, liquid and solid food technologies, packaging machinery, automation, sustainability systems, and quality management tools. The event spanned 23,000 square metres of exhibition space, giving visitors a comprehensive view of operational, plant-level, and supply-chain innovations shaping the next decade.

Industry leadership reinforces India’s growing role in global value chains

Bhupinder Singh, president IMEA (India, Middle East, Africa), Messe München CEO, Messe Muenchen India, said, “What stood out this year was the depth of conversations. Companies came with clear priorities—strengthen reliability, reduce operational risk, and build capacity with long-term competitiveness in mind. The strong domestic and international participation reflects India’s growing relevance in the global beverage and packaging landscape. Our focus now is to help the industry carry this momentum into real implementation.”

Markus Kosak, executive director, drinktec Cluster at YONTEX GmbH & Co., added, “It was the right decision to rebrand the show last year, the decision underlines the maturity of the platform, as drinktec India has come to represent the full bandwidth and depth of the beverage and liquid food industry. India is becoming a critical market for global technology partnerships. This 2025 edition of drinktec India demonstrated strong appetite for modernisation and an openness to adopt global best practices. We see a clear opportunity to build deeper connections between Indian manufacturers and international technology leaders.”

Vivek Chinoy, vice president of IPMMI and co-organiser of PackMach Asia Expo, shared, “The PackMach Asia Expo once again proved its impact, drawing strong participation from brand owners nationwide—especially from South India, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and North India. Exhibitors reported focused, meaningful discussions that translated into valuable business leads. As I shared during the event, the engagement across the three days reflects how the packaging and processing industries are recalibrating for the next phase of growth. Companies are looking closely at technologies that deliver measurable operational gains, and the conversations this week point to a sector that is maturing in both expectations and execution. PackMach Asia Expo continues to rise as a platform where clarity, intent, and growth converge.

Support Program Drive Extensive Visitor Engagement

The individual conference halls of both shows created a strong knowledge backbone for the three-day fair. The conference program brought together founders, CXOs, R&D leaders, supply-chain experts, sustainability practitioners, and packaging technologists. Discussions explored the rise of functional and nutritional beverages, advances in high-efficiency processing, the growing relevance of RPET and circularity, new thinking on flexible packaging and recyclability, supply-chain digitisation, regulatory developments, automated factory readiness, and global packaging trends shaping India’s competitiveness.

This year’s Buyer–Seller Lounge delivered 500+ structured, high-quality interactions. Pre-scheduled meetings allowed procurement heads, plant leaders, and project teams to engage directly with solution providers in a focused setting. Many buyers reported that the closed-door format helped them assess commercial, technical, and implementation requirements in depth. Exhibitors highlighted that conversations were more specific, often project-linked, and involved decision-makers who had come prepared with clarity on budgets, timelines, and operational challenges.

The place2beer pavilion drew a continuous stream of professionals from the brewing and craft beverage community. Brewers and equipment suppliers used the space to demonstrate new brewing techniques, discuss ingredient innovation, and showcase small-batch formulations.

The Start-up Pavilion brought a fresh perspective to the show with early-stage companies introducing agile solutions in packaging materials, hygiene systems, automation aids, quality inspection, and beverage innovation. The pavilion created a visible convergence between established manufacturers seeking incremental improvements and start-ups offering nimble, cost-effective innovations. Several exhibitors in the pavilion reported strong interest from mid-sized plants looking to adopt targeted solutions without undertaking full-line overhauls.

Industry Feedback and Market Signals

Across both fairs, exhibitors noted a clear shift in the quality of discussions and the readiness of visitors to engage at a deeper technical level. drinktec India exhibitor Hari Menon, Partner, Ace Technologies said, “Ace Technologies first participated in drinktec India in 2008 and have been part of every edition since. It’s remarkable to see how the show has grown. Industry participation has been excellent, with strong representation from both the beverage and packaging sectors. Over the years, visitor quality and quantity have consistently improved, and the 2025 edition has delivered one of the best footfalls we have experienced. The enthusiasm has been overwhelming, and we’re delighted to be part of an event that continues to raise the bar.”

Similarly, R. J. Oswal, director, Hilden Packaging Machines Pvt. Ltd. added, “It’s inspiring to see drinktec India grow stronger every year. From its early days till date, the progress has been tremendous. This year’s footfall has been impressive, and I’m confident it will continue to rise. Overall, the event’s prospects look very promising.”

At PackMach Asia Expo, exhibitors echoed similar sentiments. S.S. Cooper, MD at Minipack said, “As someone who has deep experience of installing over 10,500 machines across the world since 1969, I can only say one thing that PackMach Asia Expo is a one stop solution for all your packaging needs.”

Another exhibitor, Karishma Mehta of Bricspac India Pvt. Ltd. stated, “This year’s footfall was outstanding. We participate in multiple shows annually but have never received such a positive response anywhere else. There was not a single dull moment across all three days of the show and the team’s effort clearly shows.”

VIP buyers reflected the same maturity in engagement. Subhra Sankha Nandi, packaging head, Wipro Consumer Care stated, “Leaders from the recycling and polymer sectors are thinking seriously about how to make sustainability accessible and practical. True sustainability goes beyond product or packaging innovation. It must run through the supply chain and support a circular economy to become cost effective. Any sustainable solution has to be economically viable. The exhibition provided a strong platform for these conversations and brought the right people together.” While Dipak Sanghavi, CMD, Nilon’s Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. said, “The conference experience was excellent. The questions were insightful, pushed us to think deeper, and sparked fresh ideas. The discussions were truly enriching. The exhibition as a whole offered great value and a strong exchange of industry perspectives.”

Looking Ahead to 2026

The next edition of drinktec India and PackMach Asia Expo will return to the Bombay Exhibition Centre in 2026, expanding the ecosystem for the Dairy, Beverage, Liquid Food, Processing, FMCG, Pharma and Cosmetics sectors — all under one roof, enabling businesses to evaluate technologies, build partnerships, and plan future investments with greater coherence and scale.