Pure sciences to the challenges of packaging

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Testimonial

Packaging Connection is turning out to be good for the instrumentation professionals, want to provide their services to this

R P Joshi

Radhika Scientific, Haldwani (Uttarakhand)

A complete solution for packaging related testings and trainings. R&D /

R P Joshi

Radhika Scientific, Haldwani (Uttarakhand)

Hi Sandeep, packaging connection is great and has lots of articles on Indian market as well as what innovation is taking place in Indian packaging industry. I think this service you are providing

Dr. Raj Mehta

Standard Register, Dayton, Ohio, USA

Its unique platform for packaging professionals. It gives valuable information about packaging materials, machines, suppliers and manufacturers etc. As a pharma packaging professional I appreciate

Prafull V. Deshpande

Lupin Research Park, Aurangabad (M.S.)

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Venkatasubramanian Swaminathan

Paras Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad

This is really a good connect between suppliers and buyers for packaging needs. I could fetch out many references of packaging development head/professional to help my business. Thank you, I felt

Sachin Patil

Volpak Packaging Technology Pvt. Ltd.

A very good Platform to showcase the the recent development and innovation in the Packaging World on regular basis. All the best to the full team..keep it

Indranil Saha

Marico Ltd, Mumbai

Dear Sandeep sir! You efforts in making this website dedicated to the "Universe of Packaging" are really appreciable. In our busy schedule where we sometimes miss an important event or an

Chhavi Aggarwal

Reliance Industries Ltd. - Delhi

SANEX IS A REAL NEWSLETTER FOR UPDATING THE PACKAGING INNOVATIONS HAPPENING IN INDIA AND WORLD OVER AND IMMENSE HELP TO PACKAGING DEVELOPERS AND

RAJAN M NAIR

ITC LTD, SBU AGARBATTI BUSINESS, CHENNAI 600018

Dear Sandeep, 'Packaging Connections' is unique as it allows all stakeholders of packaging industry to collaborate without boundaries. My congratulations to you and your team for the same. I am

Davinder Singh

CavinKare Pvt. Ltd.

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Maneesh Sharma

Dabur India Limited

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Shilpa Mahale

Bayer Cropsciende Limited, India

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Anirban Mukherjee

P&G International Operations Pte. Ltd, Singapore

Dear Sandeep, Its great work from your end. It has helped in bring together all packaging manufacturers & users at one platform for betterment of every one. It gives an opportunity to all new

Kulvir Singh Rohil

Active Printpack Pvt. Ltd., Tronica City, Ghaziabad

Hi Thanks for the newsletter. Its a great read. Continue the good

Sukhdev Singh Saini

GlaxoSmithKline, Gurgaon

Comprehensive way to get updated.

kumar shekhar

jubilant organosys ltd. roorkee

Sandeep Sir, It's a great initiative taken by your team to connect various geographically spread packaging professionals to this dynamic packaging world. Packaging Connections keeps us updated about

Disha Aggarwal

Jubilant Organosys Ltd., R&D Centre - Noida

I had technical discussions with Sandeep Goyal in the distant past for Tata Group of Companies and found him to be very knowledgeable and an accreditted professional in the field of Packaging Industy

Sandeep Puri

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Packaging Connections is an Invaluable resource for Entreprenuers , Research & development Professionals into the Packaging The Industry Is Undergoing a rapid Transfomation phase, & experiencing

Sanal Kwatra

Siegwerk India ( New Delhi )

Packaging connection is the connector in between packaging professionals and company, it makes us one family to grow our progress and innovations. Build our countris economy by boosting our trade in

s.balaji iyer

crystal containers, mumbai

Dear Sandeep Goyal, It is heartening to know that Packagingconnections.com is now accredited with ISO certification. It is really a very useful portal for all organizations having a packaging

Krishna Kanta

Shriram Polytech, DCM Shriram Consolidated Limite, Kota

Its a great initiative to bring all packaging professionals together on a common plateform.Would like to thank Sandeep for providing such a valuable gift to packaging

Ajay Rohilla

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), Mumbai, India

I really appreciate the concept behind it which has made the website suitable for all packaging professionals whether they are into user / buyer / or a student. It’s a great combination of

Raman Sharda

ITW India Limited

Dear Sandeep; It’s an excellent exposure to the packaging concepts, experience and discoveries. ‘Let others learn and experience for

Saikat Acharya

R&D CENTRE, MARICO LTD, Mumbai, India

Packaging is a one of the important factor in every field and this site is useful to everyone. In short this is a complete and comprehensive site for all packaging

Bhavin Kachhia

Amneal Pharmaceuticals Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

"Packaging connections does justice to its name. Their expert technical support and prompt, courteous service make them The BEST choice for customers worldwide" Cheers Amita and Team For

valleesha

CICB-Chemicon, Bangalore, india

Hello PackagingConnections team, Excellent updates on recent packaging innovations on regular basis. This website is complete & comprehensive information resource for wide arena of packaging

KOUSIK SAHA

PANACEA BIOTEC LTD, INDIA

Comprehensive way to get updated.

Doshi Pragnesh

General Metallisers Limited

If any day you don't have time to search for updates in world packaging, you get the same from packagingconnections.com. Only you have to take out time to read those. Mr. Sandip Goyal has taken a

DEBASISH MANDAL

COLGATE PALMOLIVE (I) LTD., BADDI

Going through the site it appears to me that Sandeep and his team is actually at their best and I am pretty sure they are the happiest lot too. I am reminded of what I have read of Earl Nightingale

Rajiv Dhar

Indian Institute of Packaging

Packagingconnections website is great and its more useful for every packaging

Mallikarjuna

Visiontek, Hyderabad

Dear Sandeep, Packaging Connection is an excellent site, all information and services are easily available need not to see any where else, Good job, Looks impressive and purposeful, It is nice to

Ajay

HLFPPT

Sandeep, This is truly a very informative site that you have constructed. My heartiest congratulations. I know where to look for when I need information about packaging.Best Wishes!

Ajit

Samsung, Bangalore

Well i am SIES School of packaging,nerul packaging student....I have seen this website and its more useful for study/project/jobs/intership/ and lot more things...... I would like to thanks to

Vijay b Ghuge

Positive packaging ltd,khopoli/SIES SCHOOL OF PACKAGING,NERUL

Good job. Looks impressive and

Pramod Patni

GM Kapadia & Co. (Financial Consultants & Auditing Firm)

It is a good move and timely given the increasing complexity and focus on packaging. The website is comprehensive; though need to be made bit more user friendly. To ensure the utility of the

Anand Sarkar

Pepsi Foods

A Complete & Comprehensive site for all Packaging

Sameer Mehendale

Science and Technology Centre, Cadbury India Limited

It is quite an interesting and exhaustive site. It encompasses a wide range of packaging issues and I am certain it would benefit a cross-section of end-users. Packaging is gaining a significant

Dr Vinod Karnik

DR. V.V. KARNIK & ASSOCIATES

Packaging is one of the more neglected areas in a procurement function. In most of the industries, there are no robust specifications and the packaging is either over engineered or under engineered.

Hemant Kumar Ruia

Agro Tech Foods Limited, Secunderabad (India)

Good extracts which serve as easy

Ms. Neelam Lalwani

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Ahmedabad

Good Morning Packaging newsletter is very informative & keeps us updated about the research & developments in packaging field. It is very well said that: 1)Power does not comes from knowledge but

Priyanka Luthra

Indian Oil Corporation Limited

A great endeavour from Sandeep in bringing the global packaging community under one roof. Well done and keep up the good

Krishnamurthy Ramachandran

Positive Packaging Industries Ltd

Dear Mr. Sandeep Goyal, I am a regular reader of your " weekly news" and found them very informative and interesting.I think, this is the only site which is dedicated towards complete solution of

Ashutosh Agrawal

Obeetee Textiles P Ltd, New Delhi

Packaging connections newsletter has become a need for me. If I am out of the netlink on Tuesday, I feel something missing in my way of thinking. Packaging connections is the good electronic library

B K Karna

Indian Institute of Packaging, Hyderabad (India)

Dear Sandeep, This website wwww.packagingconnections.com is a new innovation in term of providing information (updated),professional advice, material resources for almost all the materials

Arvind Sharma

Pizzahut (Devyani International Limited )

Packagingconnenctions is becoming the encyclopedia for packaging professionals. Appreciate the effort of Sandeep to make it possible. The site design is excellent, user friendly and

Santosh Das

Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Hyderabad

Sanex means interactive ,informative, innovative and very useful Crystal ball to enter into facinating world of packaging. virtually to make difference in life of all the people this touches.In

Maneesh Sharma

Dabur India Ltd.,Ghaziabad

Sanex Packaging Website is a very interective, Motivative, Innovative and giving very excellent Idea for New Package Development Era.

Dhirendra Singh

INDIA GLYCOLS LIMITED, DELHI

I would like to thanks Sandeep, who share packaging connection information to me. Fantastic and creative initiative taken by him. Packaging connection is like we are sitting round the table and

Harish Kumar

Motorola India Ltd

"In the busy world of the packaging industry it is nice to know we have specialist in this subject on hand to help. Sandeep is a super-specialist in the subject who has always been able to come up

Vinod Agarwal

Ultra Motor India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi

Consumerism, Urbanisation , Globalisation, nuclear families, aging population, convenience etc etc are a few trends that we are all familiar with in varying degrees, depending on which part of

P.S.Lakshmanan

Unilever Plc. United Kingdom.

Packaging Connections provides a challenging, fun and fast-paced work environment that is very satisfying to the naturally inquisitive. The breadth of projects that I get to work on is fantastic. I'm

Parul Jain

Sanex Packaging Connections Pvt Ltd

more..

INTERVIEWS

Pure sciences to the challenges of packaging, 29 November 2008

Mr. A C R Chaitanya Managing Director - Eltete India TPC Pvt. Ltd.

“I would like to change the perception of the Packaging industry in the eyes of the consumer, electronics and other industries in India. Packaging is still given step-motherly treatment in India…”

PackagingConnections: What is your educational background? How did you get involved in the Packaging industry?

Mr. Chaitanya: I’m from a pure science and mathematics background and have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. After my basic degree, I was doing the routine thing most youngsters do, i.e., attempting entrance exams for MBA and other programs. It was my father who introduced me to the world of Packaging. My father was then working as Vice President of Marketing at Godrej Soaps and was well aware of the potential of Packaging as an industry and as a profession.

I took up the two-year master’s program in Packaging Technology at the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Mumbai. I am from the fourth batch at IIP.

After graduating from IIP, I worked as a management trainee for about a year with a new flexible packaging company in their Chennai office. Even while I was working in Chennai, I was simultaneously appearing for my GRE and TOEFL exams and applying for higher studies to universities in America.

I got admission for a M.S. Degree at University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA. I got my M.S. Degree in Management Technology with Packaging as my operational specialty.

PackagingConnections: Your key activities at work?What is the most rewarding part of your work?

Mr. Chaitanya:I am primarily responsible for the top line and bottom line of the entire business operations of Eltete India in South Asia and the Middle East. This includes setting up systems to stabilize existing operations and successfully drive expansion by building a team of professionals.

The most rewarding part of my work is the freedom to conceptualize, develop and implement strategies to drive growth and profitability.

Packaging Connections:What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?

Mr. Chaitanya:For sometime, we used to import some of our raw material when paper prices were cheaper to import. For this purpose we had to take an advance license and deposit huge sums of money as bank guarantees under export obligations. For one such import, our customs handling agent made a mistake in the shipping bill, which went unnoticed until we decided to close the advance license and get the bank guarantee revoked. After a lot of visits and discussions and paperwork, the DGFT decided not to issue EODC (Export Obligation Discharge Certificate), without which we could not close the license. Eventually the bank guarantee was encashed by the Customs department. Dealing with the Customs & Excise departments and also EPCGS and DGFT, has been troublesome and full of headaches as these departments are extremely slow and unfriendly. Instead of promoting business in India, these government departments slow down business and frustrate honest companies. This has hampered our business development and we have had to incur unexpected costs.

Packaging Connections: Your key achievements?

Mr. Chaitanya: Some of my key achievements at Eltete India are stabilizing operations after taking over as managing director and taking my company from a loss making entity to a profit making company. Building an excellent team and setting up a distributor network all over India, as well as in Sri Lanka, UAE & Oman is my other achievement.

Packaging Connections:what is one thing about the industry that you would change?

Mr. Chaitanya: I would like to change the perception of the Packaging industry in the eyes of the consumer, electronics and other industries in India. Packaging is still given step-motherly treatment in India. When it comes to cost-cutting, the first casualty is always packaging. User industry always tries to cut packaging costs, sometimes at the risk of their own product safety.

Secondary packaging is treated very badly in India and it is considered just a shade better than transporters. Secondary and tertiary packaging allows user industries to compete effectively in the export markets by ensuring that their goods reach their export markets/customers in the desired condition – damage free.

Packaging Connections:What are your views on the status of the packaging industry in India? What is the way forward?

Mr. Chaitanya:Packaging material converters get squeezed between the customers (end users) and their raw material suppliers and are sometimes made to sell at ridiculous prices. Companies should be willing to pay more for packaging as the consumers (end customers) are willing to pay a little more for the convenience and security offered by packaging.

Packaging awareness has to be created by having more seminars and exhibitions in India. More investments are needed by Indian companies to bring the latest packaging technologies to India.

Packaging Connections:Could you share with us your key plans for the future?

Mr. Chaitanya: We are planning to put up one more manufacturing facility in South India and manufacture more of our products besides edgeboards & flatboards currently being manufactured at our Vapi facility. We will have a complete line for making Cartonboard Pallets, Detach Boxes and U-profiles.

Packaging Connections: What has been your biggest challenge? How did you overcome?

Mr. Chaitanya:Building a good team and retaining talent has been my biggest challenge. We had to let go of a few team members who were not working effectively in the interest of the company. Learning and growing from past hiring mistakes and also by offering a good sales commission program and other incentives we are able to hire and retain good people. We also promote an informal and fun working atmosphere so that the working day is stress free.

Packaging Connections:What are three important tenets that you work by when beginning a new packaging project?

Mr. Chaitanya:By asking the following questions:

1) How much can the customer pay / willing to pay for this packaging solution?

The answer to this question helps us decide whether we are able to offer a cost effective solution or are we wasting our time and customer’s time.

2) What are the volumes (quantities) involved?

The answer to this question helps us decide whether we should devote any time at all for this project and if yes, how much time.

3) What value addition can we offer from the customer’s point of view?

This question helps us unleash creative inputs from our team members so that we are able to offer an optimum packaging solution.

Packaging Connections:Your packaging dream?

Mr. Chaitanya: To be able to start my own manufacturing facility for eco-friendly, new age packaging materials made out of natural, recyclable products., to see the whole world accept only eco-friendly packaging and to reject all non eco-friendly packaging.

To downlaod click http://www.packagingconnections.com/downloads/download194.pdf

For Disclaimer: http://www.packagingconnections.com/disclaimer.htm

"Here we bring the interviews from the packaging experts who have done something different at their workplace in packaging and ready to share their packaging challenges. You can also recommend people known to you or if you would like to be covered. Kindly email the details to info@packagingconnections.com with brief details about your recommendation/yourself and contact details, our P-interview team will then be in touch to take it forward."

If you would like to recommend someone important in packaging to be interviewed and his/her interview to be published here, then please email their contact details to interview@packagingconnections.com

"Here we bring the interviews from the packaging experts who have done something different at their workplace in packaging and ready to share their packaging challenges. You can also recommend people known to you or if you would like to be covered. Kindly email the details to info@packagingconnections.com with brief details about your recommendation/yourself and contact details, our P-interview team will then be in touch to take it forward."