Apoorvshree Chaturvedi, Director – Global Operations at UFlex Group, speaks with Outlook about the company’s growth journey and its roadmap for the future. He discusses navigating FY25’s mixed performance with resilience, leveraging sustainable innovations, and balancing regional challenges with smart packaging and circular economy solutions.
Q: How was FY25 for UFlex, and what are your expectations for FY26?
FY25 was a mixed bag, marked by varied performance across our operating geographies. It was a modest year for the Indian packaging sector. FY26 looks promising with improved cost stability and rising rural demand. In India, CPG demand is showing early recovery, after a spell of subdued demand, supported by a strong monsoon and the positive push from the recent GST-led reforms.
In Europe, we experienced slow momentum due to energy cost pressures and market challenges. Some sectors performed well, but overall sentiment was cautious. The US was relatively stable, maintaining a steady-state performance.
Overall, it was an important year for UFlex, driven by solid execution, capacity expansion, and sustainability leadership. The current financial year is set to build on this foundation, with a focus on operational efficiency, higher capacity utilization, and capturing growth opportunities in sustainable packaging.
Q: How is UFlex aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) globally, and how are different markets responding to your efforts?
Our alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is guided by a clear principle: sustainability must be both actionable and scalable. We are making long-term investments in recycling and sustainable packaging solutions across key geographies where regulations and market demand support growth.
In India, we are commissioning a facility of close to 40,000 MTPA by FY26 to recycle post-consumer PET bottles and mixed flexible packaging waste. This facility will demonstrate organized, industrial-scale recycling in action—something we plan to showcase to policymakers, FMCG players, and international stakeholders.
In Mexico and Egypt, we have already operationalized advanced recycling facilities to convert used PET bottles into chips, reintroducing them into the plastic value chain. These facilities demonstrate circular economy in action and reaffirm our commitment to sustainable packaging solutions.
The US presents a different landscape, as there is no federal framework for waste management. Here, our focus is on demonstrating material traceability and building credibility around responsible recycling practices.
Europe, on the other hand, is governed by the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). We are actively engaging with recycling companies—many of which have traditionally operated as municipal contractors—to establish co-investment models and build recyclability at scale.
In India, the EPR mandate requiring FMCG companies to include a minimum percentage of recycled content in their packaging is creating fresh momentum. Some packaging formats can accommodate recycled content more easily than others, and this is driving demand for high-quality recycled plastics.
Overall, our strategy is not about experimenting with pilots. We believe in building capacity where regulations and market readiness align. We believe this is the only way to achieve scale and make recycling a meaningful contributor to the global circular economy.
Q: What major sustainability innovations has UFlex undertaken in FY25, and how are they integrated into product development?
In FY25, UFlex made significant progress in embedding sustainability into product development, with a clear focus on circularity, regulatory compliance, and reducing environmental impact.
One of the most notable innovations was the launch of an FSSAI-compliant single-pellet solution that enables the use of recycled PET in food and beverage packaging. This breakthrough innovation integrates recycled PET with virgin PET, making it both safe and scalable. UFlex is proud to be the first and only Indian company to secure USFDA approval for recycling all three major materials—PET, PE, and PP—for use in food-grade packaging.
At our Noida plant, we have scaled up production of 100% PCR-based green films. In addition, we continue to promote sustainability by converting mixed flexible packaging waste into valuable products. Our upcoming PET recycling facility in India will strengthen the supply of USFDA-approved, food-grade rPET materials, supporting both customer needs and circular economy objectives.
Beyond packaging innovations, we are advancing our carbon reduction journey through several interventions. Last year, we implemented a hybrid solar–wind power system at our Dharwad plant, enabling renewables to contribute around 6% of our total electricity consumption across India operations. We continue to invest in several environmental impact programs. Through rainwater harvesting, tree plantation initiatives, and partnerships with organizations such as the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), we are supporting biodiversity, driving awareness, and encouraging industry-wide action on sustainability.
Q: How is UFlex fostering a strong organizational culture and attracting talent across geographies?
At UFlex, our organizational culture has been shaped by the way we’ve built our business—through greenfield projects rather than acquisitions. Whenever we set up a new facility, whether in India, the UAE, Mexico, Hungary, Poland, Egypt, CIS, or the US, we ensure that local talent is aligned with our global culture and values. Our HR and core global leadership teams lead this process, championing our philosophy of operational excellence, customer-centricity, and disciplined execution.
Our teams across geographies adapt quickly to this approach because it is rooted in performance, agility, and clear outcomes. By fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and ensuring consistent standards, we create alignment that strengthens as the business grows. This ability to integrate diverse perspectives into a unified way of working has been key to building a cohesive culture worldwide.
Equally important is our respect for local cultures and our commitment to providing employees with structured systems and exposure to world-class facilities. When people work in modern factories equipped with advanced technologies, it not only enhances efficiency but also motivates teams and instils pride.
In essence, our culture is built around operational excellence from the outset. This foundation allows us to attract and retain talent globally, ensuring that our people see themselves as part of a high-performing, forward-looking organization.
