The Power List — A–E

With more than 30 years of experience in the FMCG industry, Kripalu joined EPL in 2021. The world's largest lamitube manufacturer is bullish on sustainability with a growing repertoire of certificates, products and processes. Also growing on the bourse based on strong results in 2024, touching a high. EPL employs over 5,300 people from 25 nationalities and serves 80 countries across five continents. The group manufactures eight billion tubes in a year. That's one tube per person on this planet. Read the EPL case study on page 16 for more.

Ankit Doshi is associated with 11 companies and is the director of Vishakha Polyfab, a flagship company of the Vishakha Group. The group has a lineup of proprietary film products and applications, which enables the Ahmedabad-based flexible packaging converter to differentiate its offerings. In addition to Ahmedabad, Doshi has overseen flexible packaging and pouch-making clout in two new factories in Kolkata and Indonesia. When WhatPackaging? met Jigish Doshi, the chairman and managing director at VPPL, he told us, “The Indian plastic industry is on a growth path. The industry will benefit from India's journey from USD 5-trillion in 2025 to USD 25-trillion by 2045.” And that's what Vishaka is aiming to do.

Gurgaon, Haryana-based GLS Films Industries, a part of the GLS Group, has created a brand for in-house manufacturing of films and aluminium foil and packaging materials. Recently, GLS has made a CI flexo move. The group has added a kit to its portfolio to boost its stand-up pouch production with a variety of gussets and panels. Founded by Sandeep and Rajesh Goyal, the company has seen a reboot in the past five years with Arpit Goyal. A plan is in which means a JV with Elpoak, a Norwegian specialist in aseptic packaging. Trivia: The GLS-Elopak plant is a green building.

Ashok Kulkarni has been the managing director of Kaira Can since 2007. Everyone knows his 35 years of experience in the metal container manufacturing industry. Very few know, he started his career with Poysha Industrial as a rookie engineer. His USP: More than 25 years of experience in project implementation at the management level in the can-making industry. An avid supporter of the Indian cricket team. (As of March 2024, Utsav Kapadia is a non-executive and non-independent director in Kaira Can.)

Ashwani Sharma has been driving large organisations globally with an experience of 28 years. At UFlex, Ashwani steers the aseptic liquid packaging business under the brand name Asepto, the first aseptic packaging materials manufacturer in India. With a production capacity of seven billion packs per annum, the plant is spread over 21 acres of the sprawling 72-acre land parcel that UFlex bought at Sanand, Gujarat. Its liquid packaging product portfolio of pillow packs, trio packs, and brick packs caters to 90% of the total domestic demand. It is a zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) plant that reuses its complete wastewater. It also recycles almost all its industrial waste and converts it into utility items.

Cassio Simoes has been the managing director at Tetra Pak for the South Asia market since 1 June 2023. He moved from Brazil to Pune for the role. What will warm the hearts of the readers of WhatPackaging? is what he shared on Independence Day. Simoes said, “India is a country that truly captures your soul, and makes you her own, and today I call India my home away from home.” Simões has held multiple roles at Tetra Pak over the past two decades and what we admire about him is he is passionate about reading and loves to share the takeaways from his readings.

A second-generation entrepreneur and an expert in shrink-sleeves and BOPP label printing, Chetan Jain joined his father’s business and elevated shrink-sleeve printing with his HIP framework. The 23-year-old company and Jain’s 12 years of experience bolstered Taurus’ presence in the market. With facilities across the country, Taurus has a team of 400 employees. Jain among other things is a regular columnist with WhatPackaging? magazine.

Kanodia set up the company in 1995 and has over three decades of experience in the flexible packaging industry. The group has expertise in handling hazardous chemical packaging material. Kanodia had installed India’s first seven-layer barrier-cast polypropylene line from W&H at its Sonepat factory. Trivia about Chetan Kanodia: he is armed with a raft of degrees — MSc, DBM, ATA and LLB.

Deepak Ganjoo is a hard worker and a people person. He needed both qualities ever since the joint venture between SB Packagings and Constantia Flexibles, and Premji Invest became shareholders. The big challenge which Ganjoo faced with SB-Constantia was the “integration” of all the acquired units housed under the company. Among other things, the group specialises in the food and hygiene markets, offering medium to high-barrier packaging solutions.

Salunkhe is a seasoned leader with over 28 years of experience. At Huhtamaki, he oversees manufacturing ops for flexible laminates, films, specialised pouches, cartons, tube laminates, labels, and shrink sleeves, among other things. Presently, the packaging major converts approximately 10,000-mt. The biggest challenge for Salunkhe is, to continue to be profitable and ensure the Huhtamaki method of global-standard manufacturing practices and service delivery across all the plants.

Fiber Foils is one of the leading composite container manufacturers in India. 35% of its supplies cater to Europe and the Middle East. Diwakar Shetty also set up Shetron in 1983, and today, it is one of the largest metal container producers in India. Trivia: Loves a good game of tennis. Recently, Shetty set up a temple in his village in Mangalore and participated in the activities at the temple.