New Delhi, April 24: The opening of drink technology Delhi powered by drinktec India alongside the first edition of IFAT Delhi points to a shift that has been building quietly across industries: sustainability is no longer a parallel conversation, it is starting to shape core business decisions.
Held at Bharat Mandapam, the co-located shows bring together beverage manufacturing and environmental technologies on a shared platform. This convergence is becoming increasingly relevant as manufacturers across segments—including carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, juices, dairy and alcoholic beverages—face growing pressure to manage resource use, maintain product quality and adapt to evolving regulatory standards.
The inauguration on Tuesday, held under the theme “Our Power, Our Planet”, brought together a cross-section of government, industry and international stakeholders. Among the key government and institutional representatives present were Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, IAS (Retd), Former Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Chairperson, IFAT India National Advisory Committee; Dr Sabita Madhvi Singh, Director, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India and V K Chaurasia, Joint Adviser (PHEE), CPHEEO, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
International and development organisations were represented by Christian Kapfensteiner, Director Sustainable Urban Development and SUID Cluster Coordinator, GIZ GmbH, and Ms Dyckhoff, Head of Division for Climate and Environment.
From the research and institutional ecosystem, attendees included Dr Ajit Salvi, Director, All India Institute of Local Self Government; Dr Satbir Singh Kadian, CEO, Haryana Water Resources Authority and Nitin Bassi, Fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water.
Industry and organiser representation included C K Jaipuria, President, Indian Beverage Association and Chairman, Pearl Beverages; Dr. Gunveena Chadha, Secretary General, Indian Beverage Association; Haranjan Singh, Managing Director & SEO, Ontario Trade and Investment Office; Ashish Jain, Founder, Indian Pollution Control Association; Robin Fernandes, Executive Director, Messe Muenchen India and Ruby Makhija, Founder and Director, Why Waste Wednesdays.
The presence of stakeholders across policy, infrastructure and industry reflects a growing alignment around sustainability and resource management.
For beverage and liquid food companies, this shift is increasingly operational. While water remains a critical input, the focus is expanding to include energy use, carbon footprint, packaging materials and production efficiency. For segments such as carbonated beverages and high-volume bottling operations, this translates into optimising energy-intensive processes like carbonation, cooling and high-speed filling, while also addressing packaging choices and recycling obligations.
This broader shift is visible on the exhibition floor at drink technology Delhi powered by drinktec India, where solutions span processing, carbonation systems, filling lines, packaging innovation and quality control technologies. In parallel, IFAT Delhi brings in the environmental dimension, with a focus on water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, recycling and resource recovery. Together, the platforms allow companies to evaluate how production systems, environmental technologies and packaging solutions can work together to improve efficiency and reduce overall impact.
The Day 1 plenary at the Innovation Exchange Forum reflected this integrated approach, covering urban infrastructure, circular economy models and the role of industry in resource efficiency—extending the conversation beyond water to include waste, energy and materials management. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is showcasing its Jindal Waste-to-Energy plant model along with the Alfa Therm Trommel Machine for efficient waste segregation, while CIED is presenting Compressed Biogas (CBG) solutions that convert organic waste into renewable energy and Ever Enviro is demonstrating the conversion of municipal solid waste into construction-grade bricks. Together, these technologies highlight a more integrated approach to waste management in Delhi, combining sorting, recycling and energy recovery to support a circular economy and more sustainable urban systems.
The shows run until 24 April. On Day 2, drink technology Delhi will host a conference titled “Decoding India’s sustainable drive in beverage production,” bringing together industry leaders from companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Pernod Ricard India and Bisleri International.
As regulatory frameworks tighten and input costs remain uncertain, companies are being pushed to rethink how they operate. Efficiency is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage, not just a compliance requirement. The direction is clear: sustainability is moving into the core of industrial decision-making, and platforms like drink technology Delhi and IFAT Delhi are beginning to reflect that shift in a more integrated and industry-relevant way.
