INDIAN PLASTICS INSTITUTE

IPI SILVER JUBILEE FUNCTION

ADDRESS OF MR J R SHAH AT IPI SILVER JUBILEE ON 18TH JUNE, 2010

Chief Guest Shri M. P. Taparia
Keynote Speaker Padmavibhushan Prof. M. M. Sharma
President Shri G. K. Srinivasan
Governing Council Chairman Mr. Francis Pinto
Shri V. B. Lall
Life Time Awardees,  Mr. Nirmal Thakkar & Mr. Kamal Nanavati
Other Fellow Awardees
Fellow members of IPI
Invited Guests and Friends,
Ladies & Gentlemen

Dear Friends,

It is indeed a great privilege and good fortune to be with all of you this evening to celebrate Silver Jubilee of Indian Plastic Institute, an organization which is so dear and close as if it is a part of my family. When I was addressing a similar gathering 25 years ago, at the IPI Inaugural function, little did I imagine that I will have the good fortune to address on its Silver Jubilee celebrations also. So Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel extremely happy and honoured.

Formation of IPI was the landmark event in the history of Indian Polymer Industry.

There were many individuals who helped in establishing IPI and just to name a few, I must recall excellent advice and guidance from Dr. Hiru Patel, Mr. Raman Patel, Dr. Ramesh Thakkar, Mr. Arvind Athalye and Late S. K. Verma and late N. Shrinivasan, Late N. K. Patel and others. I am grateful to all of them I must also acknowledge the support and functional freedom provided by my former employer M/s. Chika Ltd during that period.

If I recall the time of inauguration IPI,  great expectations were in the minds of those who were forming First Governing Council and President’s Board. Being a witness of all these years, IPI has traveled a long way with the Plastic Industry and has attained maturity. I can say with all initial expectations and objectives have been largely fulfilled and some of these are:

• Firstly:To play an effective role in Education & Training– This had been achieved by regularly organizing Refresher courses and Diploma programs and now the IPI migrating to E-Learning. All Diploma holders have been well settled in their profession.

• Secondly: To provide a platform to Plastic Professionals all over the country. Today  IPI has 19 Chapters and Sub Chapters with a membership of 1700 spread all over  the country.

• Thirdly: To play a useful role in the overall development of the Plastic Industry. IPI  has been actively  participating in various forums i.e. PlastIndia Foundation, CIPET,  ICPE, Bureau of Indian standards and interacting with several institutions and is  making valuable Contribution at all these bodies.

• Fourthly: To disseminate information far and wide. This is being done through lectures, seminars and conferences, numbering above 100 every year at different locations in the country. Besides publication of IPI Journal and other monograms.

• Fifthly:To upgrade the status of Plastic Professionals and improve their standing in the Industry. In this regard IPI has a system of recognition and upgradation  through Professional Memberships or Fellowship and large noumber of its members have  attained this status.

• Sixthly: To have closer interaction with the Corporates. Here IPI has 15 permanent  annual endowment lectures sponsored by Plastic Corporates, besides net working      support for other programs with the Industry.

• And finally, unlike many other bodies in the Plastic Industry, IPI has steadfastly maintained tradition to have its office bearers drawn from all parts of India thereby giving opportunity to all chapters to lead the organization and play decisive role.

Achieving all this is not an easy task. It has been possible due to hard work of successive administration and participation of its membership together with support of the larger Plastic fraternity

Ladies and Gentlemen, what IPI has done so far has been well documented in my interview published in the volume being released today. However, I strongly feel that IPI has to play a still greater role both extensively and intensively commensurate to the growth of the Plastic Industry.

Although the Future Plans and programs of IPI have been adopted through a document “Mission 2015”, there are a few thoughts in my mind that I would like to share with you.

• IPI it has to increase its membership to at least 3 times than what it is today. It has to work hard to fulfill this objective.

• IPI has to reach out to Polymer Students Community in a special way to provide platform for their growth and avenue to enter the industry.

• IPI to provide facility for Education and on job learning via E-learning program so that people upgrade their knowledge and skills anywhere in the country and in the neighborhood.

• Further, IPI has to device and execute programs and to convey message far and wide about the eco friendliness and sustainability through the use of plastics

• It has to attract young minds to be part of Administrative set up at HQ and chapters and sub-chapters and maintain its vibrancy.

I am confident that IPI will work in this direction.

I am not sure whether I will be there or not but I take the liberty to extend an invitation to all of you to come and join IPI Golden Jubilee celebration in the year 2035

Friends, I am once again grateful to IPI President Mr. G. K. Srinivasan and Governing Council Chairman Mr. Francis Pinto for giving me this opportunity ….

I wish IPI a great success.