The packaging industry is one of the major contributors of India’s economy. Known to be the fifth largest sector in the country, it is touted to claim its position further up in the economic graph.
That the packaging industry has undergone a sea change over the years is a known fact.But what has been commendable is the way it moulded itself in an emergency to gratify the needs of the customers. Theneed and demand for the packaging industry rose more than everduring the lockdown enforced due to the novel coronavirus. To cater to the demands of the market, this sector had to go through a major boost and enhance its operations.
Many packaging industries had to step up their game to meet the rising demand for hygienic packaging services and solutions.One of the companies that stood up during these challenging times by providing innovative packaging solutions to its clientele is Megaplast India Pvt. Ltd.
Megaplast was incorporated in 2007.Gaurav Jain spearheads the company as its Director. Megaplast initially started with manufacturing plastic bags. It has been exporting to leading retailers around the world. Subsequently, after few years of success in this business, it established a manufacturing unit with state-of-the-art equipment for Geomembranes in 2014. In 2018, the company also started producing Stretch Films using the latestEuropean Technology.
The company’s focus has always been on its valued customers. “We work together to achieve optimum utilization of available resources for innovation and continuous improvement in product quality, thus achieving customer satisfaction,” says the team of Megaplast. Also, it strongly believes that no organisation can succeed without the people and its stakeholders.Looking after its people is indispensable for Megaplast. In terms of product quality and service, the company is determined to satisfy its customers by meeting their expectations.
Out of the Shadows
Megaplast is an ISO 9001 certified company. “Our laboratories are NABL certified for ensuring quality,” shares Gaurav. To stand out in the ever-growing Industry of Geomembranes or Packaging, the company’s core USPs have always been – consistent quality, timely delivery, and the fact that the team of Megaplast always vouches for its products.
Since the beginning of its journey, the company’s vision has always been to keep Megaplast an ethical organisation. Over the years, it has grown substantially with the products the team of Megaplasthas chosen to manufacture – right from Carry Bags, Geomembranes, and Stretch Films.
“We take pride in being known as the only company in India manufacturing eight meters wide Geomembrane sheets”
Astute Leadership
The personalities responsible for taking Megaplast India to the heights of success are none other than Mr. Gaurav Jain, the Director; Mr. Satyapal Jain, the Director; Mr. Sanjay Sharma, the Director- Operations; and Mr. Sampat Bhudeka, the Vice President- Finance & Accounts.
Mr. Gaurav graduated with dual degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He studied Bachelor of Science in Economics with specialization in finance from The Wharton School and Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a major in Computer Science from The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Mr. Satyapal is a Commerce Graduate from Mumbai University. He has over thirty years of experience in the Manufacturing Industry. He was the Managing Director of JaiCorp Ltd.
Mr. Sanjay is a Chartered Accountant by qualification having more than twenty years of experience in diverse industries like Plastic, Iron & Steel, Finance and Natural Resources – as a CEO. He is leader and an entrepreneur who believes in building businesses, developing products, solving problems, interacting, and negotiating with people – colleagues, vendors, and customers.
Mr. Sampat is a Chartered Accountant by qualification, having experience of about thirty years in various trades like -textiles, iron ore, metals and agricultural commodities, retail, real estate, entertainment, and plastics in areas of finance, taxation, accounting, and liaison.
Offering a Wide Variety of Products
Megaplast India provides its clients with an excellent range of products. The company’s aim is to deliver lasting customer experiences through its excellent products. Some of the different range of products offered by the company includes the following:
- Geomembrane
MegaLiners® are high strength, UV stabilized, and excellent chemical resistant HDPE & LLDPE liners used for a multitude of applications from water conservation to waste disposal landfills, mine tailings, heap leach pads, and mining extraction of precious minerals and metals. It helps save the environment, prevents seepage and contamination. Megaplast is the only company that manufactures 8-meter-long liners in India. With over 10,000 tons annual capacity, MegaLiners are technically superior & durable and have satisfied the customers’ needs around the world.
- Packaging
Megaplast produces and exports customized printed Carry bags, Non-Woven Bags, Mailer Bags, and Paper bags in different styles and sizes. Designed for increased capacity, stability & fine printing, it can seamlessly make custom fabricated, printed bags for brands. Ideal for retail, promotional & industrial use, these bags can be made as per specifications & requirements.
- Films
Megaplast’s PE Films are made from high-quality polyethylene and latest technology; popularly used in retail & industrial sectors. Megaplast Stretch Films have 5 layers of high-quality polyethylene for extra strength, which enables it to stretch up to 3 times or more, than its original structure. MegaFresh® cling films are well-suited for storing food items and Megaplast Agriculture Films are designed to create a protective environment for the crops.
The Pandemic Dynamic
The global coronavirus outbreak has tested people, industries, governments, and supply chains all over the world. “At first, it was a challenge to work from home as we are a manufacturing company and are used to being present physically at work,” informs the team of Megaplast.However, technology has helped in mitigating the risk factors and now people are comfortable working from home. “We are getting the same efficiency as pre-covid days,” states Gaurav.
The challenge of operations was huge as the team had to make sure that the norms such as social distancing at factories had to be maintained and so some changes were made in the SOPs(standard operating procedures) of the company. There was evenshortage of labour, andcustomers on the other hand were not willing to pay as per the increased prices. “Also, we were moving to higher value-added products,” adds Gaurav.All these complexities increased the costs, which the company was able to absorb due to growth and higher value-added products.
Currently, the biggest challenge is collecting plastic waste. Another major challenge is educating people on not throwing plastic into water bodies and the environment in general. To make the Indian plastic industry sustainable environmentally, plastic once collected needs to be recycled. India has a robust plastic recycling industry, and it is expected to grow remarkably.
India has lot of potential tobe a competitive manufacturing hub for the world. Megaplasthas been continuously increasing its exports and relies on it for growth. The company is investing in the latest technologies to compete internationally with the leading players in the world fromits field.Tothe young entrepreneurs, Gaurav says, “I would advise making a niche market for oneself.Do not follow the herd as plastic is a very wide space and there are a lot of untapped avenues in India yet to be explored,” he concludes.