Hyderabad industrialist Anil Reddy Vennum elected President of AIPMA

Hyderabad-based industrialist Anil Reddy Vennum, currently Senior Vice President–Mumbai of The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA), has been unanimously elected President of AIPMA for a one-year term. He formally assumed charge now at the AIPMA office in Mumbai. He is the second Telugu man to head the plastics body of international reputation. 

Established in 1945, AIPMA is one of India’s oldest and largest apex non-profit organisations representing the plastics industry. Headquartered in Mumbai, with regional offices in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, the association represents more than 22,000 members across over 175 cities, through direct membership and 27 affiliated associations. Nearly 90% of its membership comprises Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

AIPMA represents a wide spectrum of the plastics sector, including polymer and machinery manufacturers, processors, mould and die makers, traders, exporters, consultants and other industry stakeholders. The association also engages with various government ministries and agencies on policy matters, trade issues, standards, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and other issues affecting the industry.

Announcing his priorities for the year, Anil Reddy Vennum said he intends to make his tenure “a year of action” for the Indian plastics industry.

“My aim is to make the coming year a year of action for the Indian plastics industry—with greater public awareness, stronger recycling and circularity, increased exports, improved MSME competitiveness and closer collaboration with governments. We need to demonstrate that plastics and environmental responsibility can go together,” he said.

As part of this agenda, AIPMA will focus on a national public awareness campaign to address misconceptions about plastics and promote responsible use, reuse and recycling.

“My immediate task will be to restore public confidence in plastics. There are good and bad uses of plastics. The future of the industry depends on encouraging the right applications, promoting recycling and finding productive uses for plastic waste,” he said.

AIPMA will also explore a Plastic Waste-to-Value Mission to promote technologies and applications that can convert plastic waste into useful products and economic value. The association will encourage the use of suitable recycled plastic in areas such as road construction and other applications, wherever technically and environmentally appropriate.

Another focus will be collaboration with municipalities and state governments on city-specific plastic waste management solutions. AIPMA plans to explore partnerships with cities to improve segregation, collection, recycling and responsible management of plastic waste.

Vennum also proposes a National Plastic Recycling and Circular Economy Challenge, bringing together startups, MSMEs, educational institutions, technology organisations and industry to develop innovative solutions for recycling and reuse of plastics.

With his experience in international markets, Vennum said increasing exports would be another important priority.

“We would like to work towards making India an international sourcing base for plastics. We will focus on increasing exports, improving global competitiveness and helping Indian manufacturers, particularly MSMEs, access international markets,” he said.

He also said AIPMA would work towards promoting the development of Plastic Parks and integrated industry clusters, with common infrastructure, testing facilities, recycling capabilities, skill development and technology support.

Vennum said special attention would be given to the competitiveness of the MSME sector through technology adoption, automation, quality improvement, skill development, energy efficiency and access to global markets.

AIPMA will also encourage wider adoption of national and international standards and certifications, including BIS and ISO, along with modern manufacturing and management practices such as Six Sigma and Lean Management, to enhance the competitiveness of Indian plastics companies.

Vennum said environmental responsibility would remain an important part of his agenda.

“It will be our endeavour to work closely with municipalities and governments on issues relating to municipal solid waste and plastic waste management. The industry has to be part of the solution,” he said.

He added that closer collaboration between industry, government, recyclers, municipalities, technology providers and consumers would be essential to building a more effective circular economy for plastics.

An Engineer in Mining from Osmania University, Anil Reddy Vennum is Technical Director of Nayastrap Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad. He is a former President of FTAPCCI (Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and served as its President during 2015–16. He has been associated with the organisation for more than two decades.

He has served as a Managing Committee Member of AIPMA and has been associated with several advisory committees of industry bodies and government organisations. He is also a guest lecturer for Entrepreneurship Development Programmes at Osmania University, JNTU and various engineering institutions.