ASHOK CHATURVEDI – CMD, UFLEX LIMITED
‘Humble beginnings often go a long way’, stands absolutely true for Ashok Chaturvedi who has been in the grind having a tryst with obstinate struggles in the early eighties. He foresaw the potential of flexible packaging industry when the others were clueless about it.
Ashok the youngest among five siblings grew up with a conviction that he will hit it big one day. His father Late Vasudev Chaturvedi used to manage a printing press. Soon after earning Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Christ Church College in Kanpur, Ashok set out to fend for himself. Having worked as a commission agent for a few years, selling packaging material for a very renowned packaging company, he thought of setting up his own venture with his small savings and ‘a never say die’ attitude. This is when he laid the foundation of his packaging business by producing small sachets for paan masala and shampoos to make them affordable and well within the reach of a common man. This was THE BIG SPARK that ignited and revolutionarized the way products were packaged.
Today Ashok Chaturvedi’s business has proliferated into a flourishing Indian Multinational Conglomerate with turnover in excess of 1 Billion USD. Ashok is often quoted as the ‘father of the flexible packaging industry in India’.
Ashok Chaturvedi is thus a visionary first generation entrepreneur and founder of the UFlex Group. The Group has interests in end to end flexible packaging solutions including biaxially oriented plastic films, chemicals, packaging and converting machines, rotogravure printing cylinders and holography. He is the architect of the Group’s vision and value-driven business strategy. Under his dynamic leadership the Group has evolved to become a globally present and recognized player in the flexible packaging industry.
In addition to State-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Noida, Jammu and Malanpur, the Group today has 9 green field plants in 5 countries outside India i.e. USA, Mexico, Poland, Egypt & Dubai and the products are sold in nearly 140 countries across the globe. To his customers Ashok has three promises – the 3 Q’s – Quality, Quantity & Quickness and leading by example he has imbibed this in the culture of the organization. Ashok is a man of principles and virtues that truly reflect in the DNA of UFlex Group placing trust and respect; customer value creation; innovation; global perspective; speed in all directions and socio-environmental responsiveness at the helm.
Currently, the company’s flexible packaging group comprises several business functions like plastic films (with a cumulative global production capacity of 3,37,000 MT per annum); packaging (manufacturing a range of products spanning from micro pouches to big bags aggregating to 90,000 MT per annum in terms of capacity which by the end of this fiscal year will touch 100,000 MT per annum); engineering (packing and converting machine manufacturing for packaging), holography (value added service towards anti-counterfeiting measures), , printing cylinders (rotogravure cylinder manufacturing) and flexographic printing and chemical (inks, adhesives and other chemical manufacturing).
After having ruled the roost in the packaging industry for over three decades and innovatively packing solids, semi solids, pastes, gels, viscous fluids, powders and granular materials, UFlex under the aegis of Ashok Chaturvedi is in the process of setting up a State-of-the-art aseptic packaging plant at Sanand in Gujarat for packing liquid products like dairy products, non aerated energy drinks. With this plant, UFlex will complete the entire bouquet of product offerings.
Chaturvedi’s Uflex has apportioned Capex of INR 580 crores in the first phase for the upcoming Sanand plant. The project is proposed to be commissioned and go operational by April 2017 and will employ around 250 people in the first phase. Completion of all the phases of the project will require a total investment of about INR 1500 crores and will provide employment to approximately 3000 people. 90% of the output from this factory will cater to the domestic demand. As he puts it “The new aseptic packaging plant is UFlex way of furthering Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.”
Globalization, excellence, innovation to create differentiation, modernization, quality and quantum growth are his guiding principles. Today UFlex Ltd, the flagship company of the Group, has evolved into India’s largest flexible packaging solution company serving fortune 100 companies not only in India but globally. Ashok is a globally recognized exponent of flexible packaging industry and especially in India he is regarded as pioneer of flexible packaging. His eyes are constantly focused on innovation & value addition. The market will witness very soon that he will take the flexible packaging industry to the next level.
Ashok is very passionate about the people’s pillar of business and holds a firm belief that it is this pillar that has been pivotal to the success of the Group till now and will lead the way forward. He is highly regarded for his constant emphasis on bettering the lives of people – be it employees, customers, business partners, shareholders or any other stakeholders – and responsiveness to change and continuous learning. He is a true philanthropist who wants to empower the vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the society.
An avid cricket lover he is very passionate about providing education and sports facilities to the not so privileged children and youth. His commitment to enhancing the quality of sports facilities in the country is seen in the promotion of an advanced Modern Cricket Club, and the contributions towards the growth of institutions for management studies. He is currently supporting sports like football, volley ball and cricket at the grassroots level in India in a big way to shape up the personalities of budding sportsperson who will take India’s reputation to a whole new high.
Ashok Chaturvedi is a widely traveled individual and has a strong conviction that all business leaders of today need to have a global mindset and outlook. He has been conferred with several awards and honors for his pioneering efforts in shaping the contours of the Indian Packaging Industry.
