Women to Watch: Priyata Raghavan

Born in Kanpur, Priyata Raghavan was a gold medallist at her school in Delhi, obtained a BCom (Hons) from Delhi University’s Venkateswara College, and a PGDM from IIM-Lucknow. She joined Sai Packaging in 2005 and is now the deputy CEO of the company. In 2023, the company grew by 30% in topline, with a consistent CAGR of 15% from 2020 to 2023. In 2022, Sai Packaging raised USD 8-million from marquee investors.

In addition to securing big deals, Raghavan has consistently been at the forefront of innovation. Her focus was on DRC brands. The company has partnered with brands like Mama Earth, Bombay Shaving Company, and Beardo, among others. Sai offers the Chain of Custody (CoC) certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) across labels and cartons to brands that value sustainability by having full traceability.

Raghavan was a panellist in an all-women discussion on gender diversity at the Bombay Master Printer’s Association’s (BMPA) Print Summit 2024. 

She said, “I got to see, first-hand, the impact that women in printing have created. Women in printing have moved from being lone wolves to forming packs now. While we still have miles to go before becoming mainstream, it was nice to celebrate how far we have come.”

In PrintWeek’s anniversary issue in May 2024, Raghavan was crowned number 10 on The Power 100 — a list focussed on the leaders in the industry. When asked where she sees the industry in 2040, she said, “Paper-based packaging will become the first preference for most consumer-facing businesses — especially due to the focus on sustainability and ease of usage, coupled with the innovation ability in materials and form. 2040 should see s become larger, stronger, and more global.”

(In this series, WhatPackaging? highlights the women who set new standards in our industry every day. )