Pankaj Poddar: A Passionate Leader Driving The Growth Of BOPP Films Manufacture Industry
Pankaj Poddar
CEO
In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Pankaj sheds light on his professional journey and his thoughts on the Indian BOPP Films manufactures and its future.
Give us brief details about your educational and professional background.
I am a commerce graduate from the prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce, a qualified Chartered Accountant and hold a diploma in management. I have been with Cos¬mo Films since Feb 2011 and leading as CEO since mid- 2013. Prior to this, I was working in finance, advisory and assurance field. Having good experience in the finance sector has helped me in under standing numbers and analytics, which has further helped me chalk-out plans which are financially viable and have created growth for the company. My experience in the advisory sector has helped me learn about the nuances of business management and provided me with an insight about what differentiates a successful business from an unsuccessful one
I have had the opportunity to be a speaker at various packaging industry forums, and also sit in the board of OPPI(Organization of Plastic Processors of India) and IFCA (The Indian Flexible Packaging & Folding Carton Manufacturers Association).
What different roles have you been
undertaking at Cosmo Films?
As the CEO, there are several caps you have to wear to ensure the growth of the company and keep your employees satisfied. Vision to carveout the road map delegator to delegate work to people who are most suited for it, a motivator to help employees cope and provide the best for the company, and a listener to understand the concerns & suggestions of various stakeholders and taking necessary actions. I have been acting as such, quite multi dimensionally in my role as a CEO at Cosmo Films.
What are the major challenges you have witnessed till now and how did you overcome them?
Post a black swan event of the magnitude of Covid-19, no challenge looks big. We sailed through it well until now with regular communication with all the stakeholders and taking quick decisions and actions against every adversary. Clearly, digital has become a much larger theme now. Changing government statues, laws, policies and compliances too keeps us on our toes. All the organizations need to be really agile now as so much is happening around us whether in terms of global events, technological changes and the race to get the best talent.
Mention about the differential factors of CosmoFilms. What are the new strategies deployed in your services and what are your plans to innovate your offerings further?
Cosmo Films over the years has continued to partner with worlds’leading F&B, personal care brands and packaging & printing converters to enhance the end consumer experience. Be it the conventional strength in BOPP Films, or its emerging businesses that include Specialty Chemicals, Masterbatches, Pet Care and Fabritizer, Cosmo Films has grown in the industrydue to constant innovations by investing heavily on its research & development capabilities. Spread over 100+ countries with sales & distribution base in Japan, US, Canada and Europe, the company has more than 30 research scientists, and has invested close to $5 million in the last three years towards improving its research & development capabilities. Laying down a significant emphasis on sustainability and customer-centricity, we give highest importance to promoting well being and welfare of our employees and ensures that consistent investments are being made for their upward
As the CEO, there are several caps you have to wear to ensure the growth of the company and keep your employees satisfied. Vision to carveout the road map delegator to delegate work to people who are most suited for it, a motivator to help employees cope and provide the best for the company, and a listener to understand the concerns & suggestions of various stakeholders and taking necessary actions. I have been acting as such, quite multi dimensionally in my role as a CEO at Cosmo Films.
Cosmo Films has grown in the industry due to constant innovations by investing heavily on its research & development capabilities
What are the major challenges you have witnessed till now and how did you overcome them?
Post a black swan event of the magnitude of Covid-19, no challenge looks big. We sailed through it well until now with regular communication with all the stakeholders and taking quick decisions and actions against every adversary. Clearly, digital has become a much larger theme now. Changing government statues, laws, policies and compliances too keeps us on our toes. All the organizations need to be really agile now as so much is happening around us whether in terms of global events, technological changes and the race to get the best talent.
Mention about the differential factors of CosmoFilms. What are the new strategies deployed in your services and what are your plans to innovate your offerings further?
Cosmo Films over the years has continued to partner with worlds’leading F&B, personal care brands and packaging & printing converters to enhance the end consumer experience. Be it the conventional strength in BOPP Films, or its emerging businesses that include Specialty Chemicals, Masterbatches, Pet Care and Fabritizer, Cosmo Films has grown in the industrydue to constant innovations by investing heavily on its research & development capabilities. Spread over 100+ countries with sales & distribution base in Japan, US, Canada and Europe, the company has more than 30 research scientists, and has invested close to $5 million in the last three years towards improving its research & development capabilities. Laying down a significant emphasis on sustainability and customer-centricity, we give highest importance to promoting well being and welfare of our employees and ensures that consistent investments are being made for their upward
mobility and career growth along with the business expansion with robust corporate governance and HR practices.
With the ongoing COVID situation, we feel that there is a distinct requirement for companies to take their business towards digital platforms hence we have implemented AI competence and are working towards full automation. We are in the process of moving towards newest version of S4 HANA, which is an in memory, column-oriented, relational database management system for the customers. We are also investing in strengthening our talent pool, and innovating or engineering our products keeping in mind the needs of our customers.
What opportunities you see in the BOPP market and what steps you take to stay industry ready?
We see ample growth prospects in new product verticals such as speciality chemicals and pet care. With the recommissioning of our BOPET line in 2022, we are all set to enter the BOPET market as well. The growth will also come from the international market, since people are gradually shying away from doing business with China.
As a company, Cosmo Films is already supplying innovative packaging solutions which can provide a barrier to moisture & oxygen outside, and aroma inside in order to keep the items inside fresh & aromatic for a longer period. We would be looking at an increased distribution of these barrier films in the future. We have also recently launched a unique Laundry sanitizer, Fabritizer, which kills 99.9 percent germs from the surface of the fabric. Soon to be launched online, followed by offline ecosystem stores in Tier I cities across the country, Pet Care Business Zigly is our new brand item, a one stop destination for all things pets.
In your journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an individual and as a CEO?
Cosmo Films is currently one of the global leaders in the films business and the growth trajectory of the company has been phenomenal in the past few years. We have continuously over achieved our targets year-on-year, and have diversified into several new business verticals as well, even during the times of the pandemic. This is one milestone which I am specifically proud of.
Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films
Having professional experience that spans over a period of 20 years in finance, advisory, and assurance, Pankaj has held various leadership as well as management roles. In his current role, he leads Cosmo Films as its CEO and has been with the company since 2011.
With the ongoing COVID situation, we feel that there is a distinct requirement for companies to take their business towards digital platforms hence we have implemented AI competence and are working towards full automation. We are in the process of moving towards newest version of S4 HANA, which is an in memory, column-oriented, relational database management system for the customers. We are also investing in strengthening our talent pool, and innovating or engineering our products keeping in mind the needs of our customers.
What opportunities you see in the BOPP market and what steps you take to stay industry ready?
We see ample growth prospects in new product verticals such as speciality chemicals and pet care. With the recommissioning of our BOPET line in 2022, we are all set to enter the BOPET market as well. The growth will also come from the international market, since people are gradually shying away from doing business with China.
As a company, Cosmo Films is already supplying innovative packaging solutions which can provide a barrier to moisture & oxygen outside, and aroma inside in order to keep the items inside fresh & aromatic for a longer period. We would be looking at an increased distribution of these barrier films in the future. We have also recently launched a unique Laundry sanitizer, Fabritizer, which kills 99.9 percent germs from the surface of the fabric. Soon to be launched online, followed by offline ecosystem stores in Tier I cities across the country, Pet Care Business Zigly is our new brand item, a one stop destination for all things pets.
In your journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an individual and as a CEO?
Cosmo Films is currently one of the global leaders in the films business and the growth trajectory of the company has been phenomenal in the past few years. We have continuously over achieved our targets year-on-year, and have diversified into several new business verticals as well, even during the times of the pandemic. This is one milestone which I am specifically proud of.
Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films
Having professional experience that spans over a period of 20 years in finance, advisory, and assurance, Pankaj has held various leadership as well as management roles. In his current role, he leads Cosmo Films as its CEO and has been with the company since 2011.