Growth story
It is with this passion that SG helms Huhtamaki PPL Ltd (HPPL), India's leading manufacturer of primary consumer packaging and labelling materials. And it is this passion that has enabled SG and his team to transform HPPL into the largest manufacturer in volume of finished flexible packaging in the larger Africa - India - Asia Pacific region excluding Japan.
Today, HPPL is a Rs.2000 crore plus company growing with an impressive CAGR of 16.3 percent over 29 years. The company's annual income for the FY 2015 was Rs.2009.75 crore and its income for the nine months ending September 30, 2016 was Rs.1636.92 crore.
"Well, we are a Rs.2000 crore company but it is important to note that our packages carry in them products worth more than Rs.40,000 crore," SG says with pride. He also suggests that when you look at a packaging company, you do not look at just the sales side. "You need to understand what that sale comprises of in terms of the variety of clients, their requirements and the product complexities," he says.
HPPL's client list includes Britannia, Coca Cola, Ferrero, Glaxo Smithkline, Marico, Mondelez, Nestle, PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever and so on. "And we provide packaging solutions both for the B2B segment as well as the B2C segment. Importantly, we make packaging solutions that address specific requirements of our customers. Our products are tailor-made to cater individual client's needs. And we use the highest level of technology to provide the right solution for our customers." SG adds.
Speaking more about the capabilities of his organisation, SG shares that HPPL offers a wide portfolio of packaging solutions that include flexible packaging, including a variety of pouching solutions, labelling technologies, shrink sleeve solutions, specialised cartons, packaging machines, tube laminates, promotional, holographic and security solutions, cylinders and specialised films for high barrier.
Driven by innovation
SG believes that innovation has played a key role in the success of HPPL. In fact, he has been personally involved in the design and conception of many innovative packaging solutions. "Well, it's all about team work so the credit goes to everyone but I love to personally contribute wherever possible with my creative inputs," he says.
The last big product that SG has been personally involved with has been the packaging that HPPL did for Paper Boat. "Seven years ago I started working on this with Neeraj Kakkar (of Paper Boat) and I am quite proud of this one. Then, I was also the first one in the world to package alcohol in a pouch," he reminisces fondly.
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