Arvind Singhania, chairman and managing director of Ester Industries

In an exclusive interview with The Packman, Arvind Singhania, chairman and managing director of Ester Industries, reflects on the company’s remarkable transformation – from its early days as a polyester manufacturer to its evolution into a diversified global materials science enterprise. Singhania also sheds light on the key domestic and international challenges shaping the company’s operations, and discusses Ester’s pioneering venture into food-grade PCR PET resin production – a development poised to make a significant impact on the packaging industry.

Mahan Hazarika: How would you describe Ester Industries’ journey from a polyester film manufacturer to a diversified global materials science company?

We began about 40 years ago as a polyester film manufacturer focused primarily on flexible packaging. Over time, we strategically diversified our product portfolio to include Specialty polymers – serving niche areas like rigid packaging and textiles – and engineering plastic compounds catering to industries such as automotive, electrical, electronics, appliances, and telecom. The Engineering Plastic Business was divested in 2022 as part of our strategy initiative to achieve faster growth and enhance focus on core- competencies in Polyester Film and Specialty Polymer Business.

This evolution involved expanding our manufacturing capabilities, investing in innovation, and developing customized solutions to meet complex customer demands. By combining deep technical expertise with a strong commitment to sustainability and building long-term partnerships, we have transformed into a global, diversified materials science company.

Today, with advanced facilities in Khatima and Telangana and a presence in over 50+ countries, we deliver comprehensive and innovative materials solutions across multiple sectors, reinforcing our position as a reliable, future-ready partner in the evolving materials science landscape.

Mahan Hazarika: Can you talk about the rationale and long-term goals behind your joint venture with Loop Industries for producing rDMT and rMEG?

**Arvind Singhania: **Our joint venture with Loop Industries aims to establish India’s first Infinite Loop manufacturing facility to produce recycled dimethyl terephthalate (rDMT) and recycled monoethylene glycol (rMEG) using Loop’s proprietary chemical recycling technology, and then these rDMT and rMEG will be polymerized into polyester chips. This process recycles all kinds of polyester waste (textiles, PET bottle scrap) into virgin-quality raw materials with up to 81% lower carbon emissions compared to traditional fossil fuel–based production.

Combining Loop’s advanced technology with our polymer manufacturing expertise, JV Company plan to produce around 70,000 tons of rDMT and 23,000 tons of rMEG annually, and then polymerize them into polyester chips – addressing global supply shortages sustainably. Our goal is to support the circular economy, reduce environmental impact, and meet growing demand for low-carbon, sustainable materials in packaging, textiles, electronics, and automotive sectors. Commercial operations are targeted by the end of 2027, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and sustainability.

Mahan Hazarika: Are there new sectors or geographies you are exploring for expansion?

**Arvind Singhania: **Over the next five years, we envision Ester Industries as a global leader in sustainable materials, driven by innovation, circularity, and high-performance solutions. Domestically, we are expanding capacities at Khatima and Hyderabad to meet rising demand for specialty polymers and high-barrier films. Globally, we are strategically growing in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, regions embracing eco-friendly advanced packaging.

We are also intensifying focus on high-growth sectors such as flexible packaging, technical textiles, insulation, and automotive, which require cutting-edge sustainable materials. Our robust R&D pipeline and strong intellectual property portfolio, including 19 granted patents (granted globally for 10 products in different jurisdictions), equip us to lead innovation and sustainability in these markets, reinforcing Ester’s commitment to future-ready, environmentally responsible materials solutions.

Mahan Hazarika: What are your current strategic priorities, and how do they align with global industry trends?

**Arvind Singhania: **Our current strategic priorities are centered around innovation, sustainability, and global scalability, and these are closely aligned with prevailing global industry trends. A key focus area is our joint venture with Loop Industries, through which we are establishing the world’s first polyester textile-to-textile chemical recycling facility in India. This aligns with the global shift toward circular economy models and decarbonization, as the project is expected to cut carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional processes.

We are also strengthening our specialty polymers and performance materials portfolio, backed by decades of manufacturing expertise and deep R&D capabilities. This supports the growing global demand for customzied, low-carbon materials across sectors like packaging, electronics, textiles, and automotive. At the same time, we are expanding our global footprint and customer base, positioning Ester to contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable, innovation-led materials ecosystem.

Mahan Hazarika: Ester’s Hyderabad site is fitted with the Gneuss OMNI 200 recycling line to produce food-grade PCR resin. Can you describe the operational challenges of achieving food-grade certification and how you ensure quality standards?

**Arvind Singhania: **At our Hyderabad facility, we have deployed the Gneuss OMNI 200 recycling line to produce food-grade PCR resin, specifically for high-quality BOPET film applications. A key feature of this system is its dual RSFgenius filtration, enabling fine filtration down to 16–20 microns, which is essential for optical clarity and film-grade performance. The fully automatic self-cleaning mechanism ensures continuous operation with minimal material loss.

Notably, the OMNI 200 operates without pre-drying, reducing heat exposure and allowing gentler processing of post-consumer materials – crucial for maintaining polymer integrity. These technical advantages help us overcome the challenges of achieving food-grade certification, including decontamination efficiency and feedstock variability. We back this with strict quality protocols, real-time monitoring, and regular compliance testing.

The result is a process that meets global food safety standards while delivering strong energy efficiency, low emissions, and sustainable output, reinforcing our commitment to high-performance, circular polymer solutions.

Mahan Hazarika: Tell us more about your food-grade PCR PET resin production and its potential to disrupt the packaging industry?

**Arvind Singhania: **Our food-grade PCR PET resin production at Hyderabad uses the advanced Gneuss OMNI 200 recycling system in addition to existing food grade PCR PET resin production capacity at the rate 1000 kg/h. The Gneuss OMNI 200 recycling system processes post-consumer PET bottle flakes directly into food-safe pellets without pre-drying, ensuring gentler heat exposure and better polymer integrity. Its dual RSFgenius filtration enables fine filtration down to 16–20 microns – critical for high-quality BOPET film applications.

With a capacity of 2,000 kg/h, the system also ensures efficient decontamination using multi-screw degassing and vacuum technology, meeting global food-contact standards. The process delivers consistent quality with minimal material loss and significant energy savings. By offering a reliable, high-performance alternative to virgin PET, our PCR resin supports India’s recycling mandates and global sustainability targets. This innovation positions us to serve the growing demand for circular packaging solutions and has the potential to disrupt traditional supply chains by making recycled, food-grade plastic a viable, scalable, and eco-friendly choice for the packaging industry.

Mahan Hazarika: What are the major domestic and global challenges Ester faces – e.g., feedstock prices, sustainability regulations, technology disruption? Inputs required.

**Arvind Singhania: **The key challenge Ester is facing right now is the frequently shifting regulatory landscape which makes addressing export markets in sustainable way a challenge. Over the years, Ester has developed global footprint with exports being made to 50+ countries giving it a broad-based market access to quickly adapt to such global regulatory changes. On a systemic basis, overcapacity in BOPET segment is another challenge which is putting downward pressure on margins in commodity films. However, with a vast portfolio of rapidly growing high margin specialty films, Ester is day by day increasing the share of the overall portfolio to negate these adverse effects.

Another key trend of the global sustainability push by the customers is an opportunity more than a challenge. Ester is uniquely positioned to innovate in sustainability area and provide unique solutions. For example, our patented technology to provide polyester films to make mono-material laminates is one such solution which provides a practical solution to the global problem of packaging laminate recycling.

Mahan Hazarika: What competitive advantages does Ester hold in the global polyester film sector, and how do you plan to sustain them?

**Arvind Singhania: **At Ester, our competitive edge lies in our 40+ years of manufacturing expertise, diversified product portfolio, and ability to deliver custom-engineered solutions across polyester films and specialty polymers. Our BOPET films cater to high-performance applications in flexible and rigid packaging , while our polymers support automotive, electrical, electronics, appliances, and telecom sectors with a portfolio tailored to applications such as stain resistant nylon solutions, sustainable easy dyeability solutions, cationic masterbatches, low carboxyl group polyesters for monofilament applications, recycled content based stain resistance solutions for Nylon carpets, Easy and deep dyeable textile, Flame retardant choice, Sulphonated master batches to induct cationic dyeability, High performance coatings to enhance film and carpets, Low melting polyesters for technical textiles, bicomponent and non woven, various sustainable solutions with PCRPET.Many of these solutions are novel solutions which are offered by a handful of companies globally.

What sets us apart is not just product quality, but our partnership approach – working closely with customers on co-development and tailored innovation.

We continue to invest in sustainable technologies, like our food-grade PCR PET resin initiative using advanced recycling systems at our Hyderabad facility. Combined with our global supply footprint across over 50 countries and our deep commitment to environmentally responsible manufacturing, we are well positioned to scale responsibly. Innovation, customer-centricity, and sustainability are core to our strategy – and will remain key to maintaining our leadership and long-term advantage in the global polyester materials space.

Mahan Hazarika: How do you see Ester positioning itself over the next five years in the global performance polymers and film solutions markets?

**Arvind Singhania: **At Ester Industries, we are focused on building a future-ready portfolio that positions us as a global leader in performance polymers and sustainable film solutions. We are deepening our capabilities – expanding production at our Khatima and Hyderabad sites to meet rising demand for high-barrier and specialty materials. Globally, we are growing our footprint in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, where the shift toward eco-friendly, high-performance packaging is accelerating.

We are also sharpening our focus on high-growth sectors like flexible packaging, automotive, insulation, and technical textiles, where the need for reliable, next-gen materials is expanding rapidly. Our innovation engine, backed by 19 active patents(granted globally for 10 products in different jurisdictions) and a strong R&D pipeline, gives us a solid foundation to stay ahead of the curve. A key milestone in our sustainability journey is our joint venture with Loop Industries to build India’s first Infinite Loop chemical recycling plant – advancing circularity and global relevance in one step.