With a vision to be a market leader offering best-in-class innovative packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, IMA-PG India Pvt. Ltd., a leading Indian company in the Pharma Machinery and Packaging industry, was formed.
For over 5 decades, IMA-PG has built a name not only by sheer engineering excellence and its long standing commitment to customers, but also for serving mankind by providing safe packaging of drugs.
The company stands committed to its mission to develop and deliver innovative, cost effective products and solutions with the help of a professional team that proactively and consistently meets its customer needs and creates a mutual beneficial engagement, operational excellence, customer delight and building a great place to work.
With presence in over 70 countries across the globe, work force of over 400 people, and having more than 4 manufacturing locations, there is a long way to go for IMA-PG India Pvt. Ltd. It is unwaveringly committed towards providing simple solutions to the complex requirements which is reflected in machines that have worked for realizing novel packaging for innovative products, which at times is critical for product stability and its success in the market.
In an interview with Insights Success, Mahadevan Iyer, the Managing Director of the company shares his valuable insights on how the company is poised to spread its wings strong and high in the Packaging world.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief us about the Founder/CEO, and what was the source of inspiration for your company to be in the Packaging sector.
Mr. P G Rao, an engineer by profession founded Precision Gears in the year 1963 in Indore.
Later, Mr. Satish Rao with experience in Blister Packaging commenced the manufacturing of Rotary Motion Vacuum Forming, Blister Packing Machines for the Pharmaceutical Industry in 1978 under Technical Collaboration of Hassia Verpackung Maschinen GmBH of West Germany and PG became the first company in India to offer Blister Packing machines.
In June 1995, Precision Gears Limited became a subsidiary of IMA, and was named as IMA-PG. Collaboration with IMA SpA, recognized PG as the world’s leading company in the field of the pharmaceutical processing and packaging equipment suppliers today.
Mr. Rao’s passion and experience in handling Blister Packaging technology, Team support, innovation, demand, and support from customers became source of inspiration for IMA-PG to be in the Packaging Sector.
What are the different products and services provided by your company, setting you apart from your competitors?
With each year passing by since our inception, IMA-PG has diversified its product portfolio. We offer Blister Packing machines, Cartoning machines, Tube Filling, Case Pacers, Stretch Banding, and automation of assembly and Packaging of Pre Filled syringes.
It is not merely our products that set us apart from our competitors but the solutions that we offer to our customers. For us, customers are our partners and we opt to provide them the best solution for their product.
What are the key attributes that helped your company overcome the challenges that it faced during its establishment?
A Team that had passion for Packaging and technology and customers who had trust in our ability that we will present our best to them helped us as a company to overcome all challenges that were thrown on us.
With the massive advancements in the Packaging space, what are the opportunities and challenges evolving with it?
There are advancements in every field and Packaging world is no different. In Pharma or Food sector, considering the consumer needs, behaviour and expectations various different products are launched, and Packaging has been an integral part of such launches. I would say our customers i.e. Pharmaceutical companies make us innovative. Every time they come up with some different products or applications.
So, the massive advancements in Packaging space are is in terms of upgrading technologies, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0. Opportunities will surely be customer delight and our growth. As far as challenges are concerned, to revamp organization to follow new Technologies that is not only going to affect our output but also require skills and consumer insights.
 Share with us your company’s contribution to its sector in the industry and how it is helping its clients in their business growth.
IMA-PG has immensely contributed to Packaging Industry as a whole. Our expertise of nearly over 5 decades in Packaging Business is something that we are really proud of and we cherish our achievements. With our long experience of supplying our machines across the globe with focus to enhance our product technology, offer various products, and customer service.
We are one point solution to our customers where we can offer Blister, cartoning, Tube Filling, Stretch Banding, Case Packing, Counting, PFS Integration & Packaging. We at IMA feel and follow the mantra that we can only grow if we could make our customers successful. Customer does not only look at us as a vendor but as solution provider.
How do you motivate creativity and innovation in the workspace while maintaining a healthy work environment?
Creativity and Innovation is integral part of IMA-PG. Our employees put up great efforts and come up with amazing solutions for our customers and that is also one reason our customer perceive us as a solution provider as compared to just a mere supplier.
In our organization we have created a kind of work environment where each individual can feel that freedom to innovate or improve any internal process. We also encourage our people to come out with suggestions on technical improvements in solutions that we develop. We have young minds working in our research and development team that move hand in hand with the experienced teammates and come up with innovative solutions for our esteemed customers.
As an organization we participate in various Packaging contests. Recently we received SIES SOP STAR AWARDS 2019 (under the category of Packaging Machinery Equipment and System) from honourable Governor of Maharashtra Honourable Shri. Bhagat Singh Koshyari. These recognitions, customer delight, freedom at workplace and innovation challenges motivate our team to be more creative and innovative.
Brief us about the current scenario of Packaging sector and your company’s future plans.
Pharmaceutical Industries have been following customer centric approach lately and with the onset of COVID 19 their focus has surely not diverted. We feel that automation will be a key driver towards social distancing, which is going to be the new norm even after pandemic worse phase is over. Our solutions go a long way in supporting our customers in social distancing by actually reducing manpower required to run the packaging lines.
We are also focusing more on Pre Filled syringes business as Pharma market is moving towards PFS. There is still vast PFS market and Food Packaging market that is yet to be explored. Having said all this, we also have to make sure not to lose market share for on our other products
ABOUT THE LEADER
A passionate and value driven professional, Mr. Mahadevan Iyer has been trans forming the packaging industry in his current role as Managing Director of IMA PG India Pvt. Lt d. Under his leadership, over last decade, he has been instrumental in doubling the turnover and profits. He has successfully implemented several change management initiatives like Lean Manufacturing, Balanced Scorecard, TQM etc.
Mr. Mahadevan has earlier held leadership roles at Parker Hannifin (India) and Ingersoll Rand (India) Pvt. Ltd. He completed his engineering from AC College of Technology (Chennai) and is a postgraduate in management from Jamnalal Bajaj.
His hobbies include reading non-fiction and teaching management subjects in leading schools around Mumbai.
