Atul Baijal : Shaping Sustainable Packaging With Four Decades Of Leadership
Atul Baijal
Whole-Time Director
Atul Baijal, Whole-time Director of Ecoplast, is on a mission to steer the company's growth to become a future-ready, young, and vibrant brand, backed up by his illustrious career in the flexible packaging industry, leading teams, driving profitability, and introducing successful ranges of sustainable products.
Atul started his career at Cosmo Films in 1986. He rose through the ranks to perform different roles in quality, technical services, and operations, where he earned his reputation for obtaining the ISO 9001 certification at a time when this was not common in the industry.
He filled the key roles in Positive Packaging, Huhtamaki and TCPL Packaging over the years and enabled profitability, created new business units and built sourcing operations on a global scale.
Atul, while directing the company's growth, product innovation and sustain ability, also mentors the future leaders. We are delighted to engage in an exclusive conversation with Atul, who walks us through his journey, leadership approach, and future.
What is the biggest challenge the lamination and surface protection films industry faces today?
The biggest challenges we face today are shaped by what I call a CARE world: complexity, adaptability, resilience, and the ever-changing global environment. New challenges arise every day. Another major challenge is attracting and retaining trained manpower at all levels, despite unemployment. We also face sustainability issues and supply chain volatility due
to global disruptions like wars or port jams. Additionally, rising customer expectations, often unwritten, demand that we always stay a step ahead. To address these, we are investing in advanced technology, diversifying our product portfolio, building supply chain resilience, and embedding sustainability at the heart of our innovation strategy.
How do you identify & make the right partnerships to initiate & deliver continuous value in a dynamic marketplace?
Partnership has always been central to our innovation strategy. We co-develop materials with suppliers, collaborate with technology providers for automation, and work closely with customers to design solutions that are both functional and future-ready. Deeply under standing customer needs and adapting to their changing requirements is a crucial aspect of staying ahead in the market. Our approach is built on forming strategic partnerships, whether with suppliers, customers, or technology providers, which remain at the core of driving innovation and continuous value creation.
What initiatives are you encouraging within your team to ensure environmentally friendly practices?
Sustainability today is not an option but a necessity. To address this, we have introduced several initiatives such as incorporating post-consumer recyclable waste into our production process, developing 100 percent recyclable films, and designing down gauged structures and films for circularity.
We also ensure our processes minimize waste and have implemented multiple measures to reduce energy consumption. Beyond our products and operations, we actively engage with stake holders to promote awareness and encourage responsible packaging practices.
What principles & values guide your leadership?
I believe in combining structure with empowerment, where my leadership style emphasizes collaboration, openness to ideas, and continuous learning. I strongly encourage my teams to experiment and innovate while
Strong & genuine networking without hidden agendas has also been key to my growth
How do you identify & make the right partnerships to initiate & deliver continuous value in a dynamic marketplace?
Partnership has always been central to our innovation strategy. We co-develop materials with suppliers, collaborate with technology providers for automation, and work closely with customers to design solutions that are both functional and future-ready. Deeply under standing customer needs and adapting to their changing requirements is a crucial aspect of staying ahead in the market. Our approach is built on forming strategic partnerships, whether with suppliers, customers, or technology providers, which remain at the core of driving innovation and continuous value creation.
What initiatives are you encouraging within your team to ensure environmentally friendly practices?
Sustainability today is not an option but a necessity. To address this, we have introduced several initiatives such as incorporating post-consumer recyclable waste into our production process, developing 100 percent recyclable films, and designing down gauged structures and films for circularity.
We also ensure our processes minimize waste and have implemented multiple measures to reduce energy consumption. Beyond our products and operations, we actively engage with stake holders to promote awareness and encourage responsible packaging practices.
What principles & values guide your leadership?
I believe in combining structure with empowerment, where my leadership style emphasizes collaboration, openness to ideas, and continuous learning. I strongly encourage my teams to experiment and innovate while
ensuring they have the right resources, support, and guidance to succeed. This balance of freedom and structure has helped build a culture of trust, creativity, and accountability. Over the years, I have been able to groom and mentor many professionals who are now in senior positions, which I consider one of my proudest achievements.
What has been your success mantra?
My success mantra is to stay true to my core family values while embracing adaptability, strategic foresight, versatility, and innovation. I believe in unlearning and relearning from people at all levels, which has helped me transition across roles, including from technical services to sales. Strong and genuine networking without hidden agendas has also been key to my growth, supported by continuous learning from colleagues, podcasts, and books such as those on Ratan Tata and Harsh Mariwala. At every stage, I remain open to learning as the foundation of progress.
Could you share insights into your future & the key priorities you aim to focus on?
I would like the company to be ranked in the top three in the world in the segment of surface protection film and inter nationally recognized. This will be fueled by the development of eco-material technologies, implementing AI-powered manufacturing as a method of efficiency in all activities, and setting constant benchmarks with international best practices. We also intend to penetrate new markets, create new product lines by obtaining eco-labels, and create an organizational culture oriented toward growth and with a purpose.
Atul Baijal, Whole-Time Director, Ecoplast
Atul’s leadership at Ecoplast is driving a sustainable packaging revolution. With four decades of experience in flexible packaging, he has led profitability, global operations, and eco-focused product launches, positioning Ecoplast as a bench mark in lamination and surface protection films.
Awards & Recognition:
•Management Representative
•Hobbies: Travelling and gardening
•Favorite Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear
•Favorite Travel Destination: Switzerland
What has been your success mantra?
My success mantra is to stay true to my core family values while embracing adaptability, strategic foresight, versatility, and innovation. I believe in unlearning and relearning from people at all levels, which has helped me transition across roles, including from technical services to sales. Strong and genuine networking without hidden agendas has also been key to my growth, supported by continuous learning from colleagues, podcasts, and books such as those on Ratan Tata and Harsh Mariwala. At every stage, I remain open to learning as the foundation of progress.
Could you share insights into your future & the key priorities you aim to focus on?
I would like the company to be ranked in the top three in the world in the segment of surface protection film and inter nationally recognized. This will be fueled by the development of eco-material technologies, implementing AI-powered manufacturing as a method of efficiency in all activities, and setting constant benchmarks with international best practices. We also intend to penetrate new markets, create new product lines by obtaining eco-labels, and create an organizational culture oriented toward growth and with a purpose.
Atul Baijal, Whole-Time Director, Ecoplast
Atul’s leadership at Ecoplast is driving a sustainable packaging revolution. With four decades of experience in flexible packaging, he has led profitability, global operations, and eco-focused product launches, positioning Ecoplast as a bench mark in lamination and surface protection films.
Awards & Recognition:
•Management Representative
•Hobbies: Travelling and gardening
•Favorite Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear
•Favorite Travel Destination: Switzerland