India is one of our most exciting markets, and we are committed to deliver high quality, innovative products and solutions to our customers, said Georges Gravanis, vice president and general manager - materials group, Asia Pacific, Avery Dennison. On the addition of the third coating line, “This expansion represents a milestone for the company.

It is a significant expansion in not just capacity but also the activity that allows us to service a wider set of customers,” mentioned Anil Sharma, managing director- South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa, Avery Dennison. Avery Dennison was established in India in the year 1997 and has so far invested US$ 100 million. The company boasts of 1,300 employees in the country. “India is a promising market, one of the fastest growing in our industry. We have the capabilities, assets and professionals to meet the demands of the market. With two centres, one in Gurgaon and another in Pune, we also have a knowledge centre in Bengaluru,” asserted Georges.

Green move

Stressing on the company’s eco-friendly policies and initiatives, Georges elaborated, “We are very sensitive about sustainability, so all our plants are certified and even the source of paper is certified, taken from producers who make it in eco-friendly methods. We follow very strict waste management procedures and have made great progress over the years. Most of all, we have decreased the waste we generate. In the waste management front, we are 92 percent landfill free in Asia Pacific.”

“Since 2007 we started to measure our energy consumption globally and have reduced close to 50 percent. It’s a huge number because our production is increasing and sales are boosting. We have set very specific and aggressive targets for the next 10–20 years. We want to continue energy reduction every year,” said Georges.

Portfolio expansion

Speaking about the new coating line, Anil said, “Graphic art is a growing area and we are a serious player in this space. This is the first state-of-the-art asset to deal with the graphic industry and is strategically important.” Avery Dennison is in the process of bringing in new products from their global portfolio in the graphic space to India. “We want to go to the next level in the graphic art space and moving beyond just digital. New perforated window films, sparkling films and others for car wrap, glass and wall graphics, interiors and décors are some of the new ideas we are bringing to the market,” he added.

While some of their products are already launched in the Indian market, new décor range would be fully available by early Q2 in the Indian market, according to Anil. On pricing, he revealed that costs of the Avery Dennison materials may be a bit higher than any conventional products available in the market, but it will be more about paying for lasting solutions that can be resulted in savings in the long run.

Nurturing the young

Highlighting the activities undertaken by the company’s Knowledge Centre in Bengaluru, Anil mentioned that the centre trains diploma holders and known for creating a stream of young talents. “We’ve trained 18 students in four months and now aiming to take it to 100 by the end of this year.” The students are selected through a campus interview. “The idea is to upgrade their skills to make them employable in the industry,” he mentioned. Since all buzz around the country is about ‘Make in India’ ventures, Anil felt prime minister Narendra Modi’s message is very appropriate for Avery Dennison as the company has been following the same for a very long time.