The food and beverage industry is at a pivotal moment, where the challenges of sustainability, automation, and consumer demand require bold, innovative solutions. Tetra Pak is at the forefront of this transformation, redefining how the industry navigates these complexities.
On November 19th, the company hosted Innovation Starts Here, a landmark event in Gurugram that brought together around 100 top leaders from the F&B sector. The gathering served as a platform for strategic discussions, collaboration, and an up-close look at how Tetra Pak is driving innovation to make food safer, healthier, and more accessible.
Kicking off the day, Cassio Simoes, Managing Director of Tetra Pak South Asia, set the tone by reflecting on the company’s journey in India over the past four decades. He emphasized the critical role of customer collaboration in shaping Tetra Pak’s vision. “Innovation starts with an idea and a challenge, but for us, it starts with our customers — their ambition and mission. Their success inspires and guides us,” Simoes shared.
He also highlighted Tetra Pak’s Chakan facility in Maharashtra, a cornerstone of its South Asian operations. This state-of-the-art site is not only the largest and most advanced Tetra Pak facility outside Sweden but also a testament to the company’s commitment to Make in India, Make for the World. With its integrated capabilities spanning manufacturing, product formulation, and sustainability initiatives, Chakan embodies the company’s dedication to excellence and innovation.
Insights from Global and Local Experts
The plenary sessions that followed were a masterclass in understanding the future of F&B. Jillian Chen, Senior Consultant at Mintel, delivered a compelling presentation on the “3% Club” — a sobering statistic that highlights how only 3% of innovations find long-term success. She shared global examples of what sets successful innovations apart, like Tuk-Tuk Chai from the United Kingdom and the differentiated protein drink – YoPro by Danone, and offered invaluable lessons for Indian businesses. Her insights sparked meaningful conversations among attendees, laying the groundwork for the day’s discussions.
Next, Julia Luscher, Vice President of Marketing at Tetra Pak, explored consumer trends that are shaping the market. She emphasized the importance of “demand spaces” and shared how Tetra Pak is now using AI-driven insights to decode consumer preferences. She also spoke about the importance of ‘context’ when it comes to making decisions for selection of a product for consumption. “While the demographic factors and aspirations matter, this only contributes to only about 25% of the weight in decision making. Almost 75% percent of the decision is dictated by our immediate emotions and context,” she added.
From bringing packaged chai for Indian market to helping a brand ‘reverse’ a decline in juices space in Spain, Luscher’s presentation showcased how Tetra Pak stays ahead by understanding what consumers truly value.
Suprakash Chaudhuri, Head of Digital Industries at Siemens India, delved into the transformative role of AI and automation in the F&B sector. He underscored the critical need for digitalization in driving sustainability and innovation, while also addressing the challenges posed by the industrial metaverse. Chaudhuri also stressed the need to develop innovative industrial plants and processes using artificial intelligence to achieve sustainability (net-zero target), product development, and flexibility in production lines in the F&B industry. He averred that automation & digitalization are helping organizations with better decision-making.
The final plenary session, led by Francesco Faella, Vice President of Ambient Solutions at Tetra Pak, brought the focus back to the company’s cutting-edge offerings. Tetra Pak helps its customers 360-degree in better decision-making through its end-to-end solution offering equipment. “Innovation is the key force keeping us (Tetra Pak) relevant for the future,” said Faella.
Faella highlighted innovations like the Tetra Pak® E3 Speed/Hyper, the world’s fastest filling machine for carton packages, which combines speed, efficiency, and sustainability to set new benchmarks in the industry, and the ‘Digital Bridge’ which is a groundbreaking R&D investment that connects the entire factory and all assets, transforming raw data into actionable insights to optimize production, quality, asset management, energy use, and traceability.
Beyond Concepts: The Future, Hands-On
The afternoon brought the event’s theme to life through four immersive walkabout stations. These stations offered attendees a hands-on exploration of Tetra Pak’s innovations and their real-world applications.
At the Solutions 2.0 station, Tetra Pak showcased its advancements in processing, packaging and services, from fermented de-sugared juice lines to ice cream solutions. This station underscored how the company ensures product consistency and operational excellence across its offerings.
Food was one station that did not need a language, which was tastefully called Taste The Future. The pavilion offered a sensory journey through Tetra Pak’s R&D breakthroughs that were mentioned in Solutions 2.0.
Attendees sampled de-sugared juices, ready-to-eat meals, and high-protein drinks, experiencing firsthand how Tetra Pak turns consumer preferences into scalable products.
The Connect for the Future station demonstrated how automation and digitalization are empowering F&B businesses. Through tools like Asset Health Monitoring and performance analytics, Tetra Pak illustrated how smart factories can drive efficiency and informed decision-making.
Sustainability took centre stage at the Design for Sustainability station, where Tetra Pak highlighted its innovations in cartons with higher renewable content, tethered caps, and a great showcase of recycled products that delighted the attendees.
A Shared Vision for the Future
The event was more than a showcase of Tetra Pak’s capabilities — it was a powerful demonstration of the power of partnership. With CEOs, C-suite leaders, and industry experts gathered under one roof, the discussions reflected a shared commitment to shaping the future of F&B. From sustainability to AI-driven innovation, the day reinforced Tetra Pak’s role as a trusted partner in addressing the challenges of tomorrow.
As the day concluded, one thing was clear: innovation doesn’t just start at Tetra Pak — it thrives here.
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