In a career spanning over 30 years, Chakravarthi A.V.P.S., the managing director of Ecobliss India Private Limited, has accumulated an unmatched experience in the packaging industry. Believably enough, he always wanted to start something of his own even though Chakravarthi belonged to a family of scholars — his father was a librarian and later went on to become a secretary under the Andhra Pradesh government.
“It’s always a big debate — to be a top class executive in a corporate company or to be on your own and enrich others working under you. And I was always passionate towards having my own business,” says Chakravarthi, who is so zealous about innovation and leadership that since its inception in 2007, Ecobliss has grown to become the premier supplier of packaging solutions in India.
Ecobliss also specialises in pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging and Chakravarthi strongly believes, “Right packaging needs to be designed around the drug to improve patient compliance and defeat counterfeiting. It should engage patients and at the same time, it should create brand awareness. Whether it is to improve pack protection, ease of delivery or encourage patient compliance, packaging’s role cannot be underestimated.”
Chakravarthi has won several awards and was also appointed as the ambassador of the World Packaging Organisation at its 99th board meeting held in Rio de Geneiro recently.
THE STARTING POINT
It was in 1984 that Chakarvarthi began working as an electrical engineer at AP Paper Mills. Five years later in 1989, he joined the board of Ballarpur Industries as the manager of operations. The turning point of his career came in 1994, when Swedish partner company Akerlund & Rausing was referred to The Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) and Ballarpur Industries took it over. It was then that Chakravarthi was asked to head its projects and carton division’s operations.
“That was the point when I was fully into packaging engineering and operations. I then got into marketing eventually. In early 2000, I joined Pragati Group and was heading its packaging division operations for around seven years. In 2007, I established a joint venture with a Dutch partner, Ecobliss, which is involved in innovative packaging solutions,” narrates Chakarvarthi, who was an introvert during his childhood and books were his best friends.
“My father was a librarian, so access to books was easy. And, I was fortunate to meet famous writers and poets such as Sri Sri, Madhunapantula Satyanarayana Sastry and Viswanatha Satyanarayana at the age of eight,” he reveals.
AN UPWARD CURVE
Since Chakarvarthi was not a hardcore packaging professional, there were many challenges he faced at work. But he took it in his stride. Hands-on learning from the industry rooted him firmly in the field. “The people I got to work with were responsible for my growth. BILT (known as Avanta today) group’s CFO, B. Hariharan was very analytical and paid attention to detail. Pragati’s Narendra Paruchuri was meticulous and disciplined. And, Ron Linssen from Ecobliss is always innovative and keeps people around him happy. So I’ve worked with great influencers,” says the 53-year-old.
Over time, Ecobliss India has become synonymous with technical know-how and innovation in the specialised field of blister and high-visibility packaging. Chakravarthi says, “Seeing is believing! You will only buy what you see. Packaging is all about visualisation and imagination. It plays a vital role in positioning your product in the market. You should be very careful in predicting the customers’ mind. Nearly 70 per cent of all purchase decisions are made on the shelf or at the point of purchase.”
Along the way to success, family support has played a major role in Chakravarthi’s life. “Be it partly funding or giving moral support, my wife Padmarani Arumilli, who is a commerce graduate, has been an understanding companion for over two-and-a-half decades. My son Abhishek has done his masters in industrial management from Illinois University and has joined the business early this year. Our daughter Prathyusha is studying engineering and has been a great pillar of strength,” he shares.
