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Quick summary: Explore how India’s packaging exporters can achieve EUDR compliance through digital traceability, geolocation mapping, and blockchain verification. Learn how platforms like TraceX simplify Due Diligence Statement (DDS) creation, ensure deforestation-free sourcing, and future-proof packaging exports to the EU market.
EUDR Compliance for Packaging Exporters in India requires proof that all wood-, paper-, or fiber-based packaging materials are deforestation-free, legally sourced, and traceable to their origin. Exporters must implement Due Diligence Systems (DDS) capturing geolocation data, legality documentation, and supplier verification before shipping to the EU. The regulation affects cartons, boxes, corrugated sheets, and pulp-based packaging derived from wood fiber. To maintain EU market access, Indian packaging exporters must adopt digital traceability tools, blockchain-based proof of origin, and AI-driven compliance systems, ensuring transparent, sustainable, and regulation-ready supply chains.
India’s packaging industry has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors, driven by booming exports of paper-based, fiberboard, and eco-friendly packaging materials to markets such as the EU, the Middle East, and North America. Valued at over USD 3 billion in exports, India’s packaging sector includes a diverse range of products from corrugated boxes, cartons, and kraft liners to pulp-based and molded fiber packaging serving industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Major production hubs are located in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab, supported by integrated paper mills and recycled fiber networks.
However, India’s packaging value chain remains highly fragmented, with materials often sourced from multiple small and medium producers, making traceability and legality verification a growing challenge under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Since packaging products derived from wood pulp or paperboard fall under EUDR’s scope, exporters must now ensure deforestation-free, legally sourced raw materials and provide geolocation data for all wood-based inputs.
Key Harmonised System (HS) codes under EUDR for packaging include:
The regulation came into effect on 29 June 2023, with due diligence obligations applying from 30 December 2025 for large and medium enterprises and 30 June 2026 for small and micro enterprises.
To remain competitive and retain EU market access, Indian packaging exporters must embrace digital traceability, blockchain-backed proof of origin, and AI-driven deforestation monitoring. By implementing end-to-end digital Due Diligence Systems (DDS) and transparent supplier networks, India’s packaging sector can ensure EUDR compliance, enhance buyer confidence, and strengthen its position as a global leader in sustainable, deforestation-free packaging exports.
From fragmented supply chains to data gaps and legality verification discover practical solutions and digital strategies to simplify compliance for Indian exporters.
Read the full blog on [EUDR Compliance Challenges Faced by Indian Exporters]
Explore how India’s packaging exporters can navigate new deforestation-free sourcing mandates with digital traceability and due diligence automation.
Read the Full Blog on EUDR Packaging Compliance
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) introduces complex compliance requirements that pose significant challenges for India’s packaging exporters, especially those dealing in paper, pulp, and wood-based materials. While the regulation opens new opportunities for sustainability-driven trade, it also demands structural, operational, and digital readiness across fragmented value chains. Below are the key challenges:
India’s packaging industry is deeply interconnected with small and medium paper mills, agro-fiber processors, and wood suppliers, many of which operate informally. Raw materials such as kraft paper, corrugated sheets, and fiberboard are often sourced from multiple smallholders or recycled inputs without centralized data tracking. Mapping every origin point and ensuring deforestation-free verification across thousands of small suppliers presents a massive coordination and data integration challenge.
The EUDR mandates precise geolocation data (coordinates or polygons) for all forest-based raw material sources. However, most Indian mills and packaging units lack systems for farm or plantation-level mapping. Inputs from wood-based pulp, bamboo, or agro-residues are often blended, making it difficult to establish direct traceability. Without geospatial traceability systems, exporters risk non-compliance and potential shipment rejection by EU buyers.
To comply, exporters must generate Due Diligence Statements (DDS) containing verified legality, land-use rights, and deforestation-free data for each consignment. Many small and mid-sized enterprises still rely on paper-based records or fragmented ERP systems, making it difficult to consolidate data for EUDR submission. The manual process increases administrative costs, compliance errors, and delays.
A large segment of India’s paper and packaging ecosystem including rural fiber aggregators, contract mills, and local recyclers remains unaware of EUDR’s requirements. Low levels of digital literacy and documentation discipline at the supplier level hinder data collection and verification. Without supplier onboarding programs and digital training, exporters will struggle to build compliant sourcing networks.
Implementing digital traceability systems, satellite monitoring, and legality verification tools involves significant financial investment, particularly for small and medium exporters. Integrating blockchain, geolocation mapping, and AI-driven risk analytics into existing ERP or production workflows requires both capital and technical expertise. This creates an uneven playing field between large exporters and MSMEs.
Non-compliance or incomplete DDS documentation can lead to shipment rejection or delisting by EU importers, directly affecting export revenues. Since the EUDR sets strict liability on both operators and traders, EU buyers are expected to prefer digitally traceable and certified suppliers, which could sideline non-digitized Indian exporters from high-value European markets.
While many Indian exporters rely on FSC, PEFC, or recycled-content certifications, the EUDR demands data-backed traceability rather than just certification labels. This transition from certificate-based assurance to evidence-based compliance requires exporters to adopt new systems that integrate real-time data from origin to export a major cultural and operational shift.
EUDR compliance for India’s packaging exporters isn’t just a documentation challenge it’s a digital transformation mandate. To overcome these hurdles, companies must invest in traceability platforms, supplier digital onboarding, geospatial mapping, and AI-driven risk tools. By modernizing data flows and adopting blockchain-backed transparency, India’s packaging sector can not only meet EUDR standards but also differentiate itself as a trusted, sustainable supplier in the global market.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mandates that exporters of paper, pulp, and wood-based packaging demonstrate their products are deforestation-free, legally sourced, and fully traceable to their forest or fiber origin. For India’s packaging sector characterized by fragmented supply chains, small-scale mills, and multi-tier sourcing networks this marks a shift toward digital transformation and data-driven compliance. The TraceX EUDR Compliance Platform, powered by AI and blockchain, provides a unified digital ecosystem that automates due diligence, enhances transparency, and secures seamless access to EU markets.
TraceX connects raw material suppliers, paper mills, converters, and exporters within a single digital traceability network. Each packaging material from corrugated sheets to molded fiber boxes receives a unique digital ID, tied to verified geolocation, legality records, and supplier certifications. This creates a transparent, tamper-proof chain of custody from source fiber to finished packaging, fulfilling EUDR traceability mandates.
Field teams and suppliers can use mobile-enabled tools to capture GPS coordinates, legality proofs, and FSC/PEFC certifications directly from raw material sources. TraceX then automatically generates EUDR-compliant Due Diligence Statements (DDS) for every export batch and enables one-click submission to the EU’s reporting system cutting manual work and ensuring error-free compliance.
Every sourcing and conversion step from pulp procurement to packaging manufacturing and export is securely logged on the TraceX blockchain ledger, ensuring data immutability and transparency. This verifiable digital trail strengthens EU buyer trust and simplifies audits by offering tamper-proof evidence of deforestation-free sourcing.
Through mobile onboarding and geo-mapping tools, TraceX enables mills and packaging producers to digitally register thousands of small and medium raw material suppliers across regions like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Each supplier profile stores ownership data, production capacity, and sustainability documentation, ensuring inclusive compliance and visibility across the value chain.
TraceX’s AI and satellite-based monitoring system tracks sourcing areas for deforestation indicators, illegal land use, or high-risk regions. Exporters receive real-time risk alerts, enabling proactive mitigation and ensuring full EUDR audit-readiness at all times.
The platform acts as a secure digital hub where exporters, mills, regulators, and EU importers can share verified documentation and audit data seamlessly. This standardization of workflows accelerates EUDR validation, reduces duplication, and builds long-term buyer confidence.
By uniting AI-driven analytics, blockchain traceability, and automated DDS workflows, TraceX empowers India’s packaging exporters to transform compliance into opportunity. The result: faster audits, higher buyer trust, and stronger sustainability credentials in the global market. With TraceX, exporters can confidently demonstrate deforestation-free, legally sourced packaging materials, reinforcing India’s leadership in sustainable and traceable packaging exports.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) marks a pivotal shift for India’s packaging industry, compelling exporters to go beyond traditional certifications and embrace data-driven, verifiable sustainability. For a sector rooted in paper, pulp, and wood-based materials, EUDR compliance means every box, carton, and fiberboard must be deforestation-free, legally sourced, and traceable to its point of origin.
For Indian exporters, this translates to establishing a robust Due Diligence System (DDS) that captures supplier data, forest geolocations, and legality documentation ensuring each consignment meets EU’s environmental and legal standards. The regulation directly impacts manufacturers of corrugated packaging, kraft paper, pulp-based containers, and fiberboard products, demanding end-to-end transparency across sourcing, production, and export.
Beyond regulatory necessity, EUDR compliance presents a strategic opportunity for India’s packaging sector to elevate its global competitiveness and ESG credentials. By digitizing traceability through platforms like TraceX, exporters can build buyer confidence, access premium EU markets, and align with global sustainability goals.
In essence, EUDR compliance is no longer just a trade requirement it’s a transformation mandate that will redefine how India’s packaging exporters manage sourcing, prove sustainability, and future-proof their role in the global green economy.
EUDR compliance is reshaping the future of India’s packaging exports turning transparency, traceability, and technology into essential drivers of market growth. For exporters, aligning with the EU Deforestation Regulation is not just about meeting regulatory mandates but about building resilient, data-driven, and sustainable value chains. By adopting digital traceability, automated DDS systems, and blockchain-backed verification through platforms like TraceX, Indian packaging companies can ensure compliance, protect EU market access, and strengthen their reputation as trusted suppliers of deforestation-free, legally sourced packaging materials. The path forward is clear embrace digital sustainability today to lead tomorrow’s global packaging trade.
Understand the key components of EUDR compliance and how to streamline your DDS process efficiently.
Read the blog on EUDR Due Diligence
Learn how AI-driven automation and intelligent workflows simplify data collection, verification, and reporting.
Explore the blog on Agentic AI for EUDR
Discover how digital onboarding bridges the gap between smallholders and EUDR compliance.
Read our blog: Smallholder Onboarding for EUDR Compliance
EUDR compliance requires Indian exporters to prove that all packaging products are deforestation-free, legally sourced, and traceable to their plantation of origin before entering the EU market.
The EU is a major destination for India’s packaging exports. Compliance ensures continued market access, strengthens buyer trust, and positions exporters as sustainability leaders in the global value chain.
Indian exporters must map supply chains to the farm level, capture geolocation coordinates (GeoJSON), verify legal sourcing, and submit a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) via the EU portal before shipment.
Common challenges include fragmented smallholder networks, limited digital infrastructure, manual documentation, and lack of standardized traceability frameworks across the value chain.
Beyond meeting EU regulations, compliance drives supply chain transparency, builds brand credibility, enhances ESG performance, and opens access to premium global markets demanding sustainable packaging for the Indian exporters.
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