How Jupiter Laminators is engineering the future of sustainable packaging

When it comes to flexible packaging, the intersection of art and science is no longer a debate; it’s a necessity. Kaushik Nag, CEO of Jupiter Laminators, understands this well. “One of the mantras we were taught in packaging was: demand for quality can only be met through skilled talent,” he states. At Jupiter, that philosophy is embedded into every layer of the organisation.

Talent development is a cornerstone of Jupiter’s growth strategy. The team undergoes extensive training, both in classrooms and directly on the production floor. “People are our strength; hence, we update them with new machine operating principles and provide hands-on training by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),” says Nag. Factory acceptance tests (FAT) and site acceptance tests (SAT) ensure more familiarity with machinery.

This preparedness has paid off. The company’s recent deployment of a 2,450-mm wide web metalliser from Buhler, Germany — featuring Adhesion Plus — has significantly enhanced metallisation capabilities. “This provides the flexibility to produce very high optical density (OD) metallised film with high barrier properties,” Nag explains. The benefits, he adds, include longer storage periods before conversion and overall improved packaging integrity.

The emphasis on process excellence doesn’t end there. At every level, Jupiter employs standard operating procedures (SOPs) tailored to each product and machine. “We are analysing the data for continuous improvement to ensure that quality is never compromised,” Nag notes. This scientific approach to production earned the company a Grade A British Retail Consortium (BRC) certificate for ink and adhesive manufacturing. Innovation, too, is a collaborative affair. For over six years, Jupiter has been working closely with brand owners on new product development (NPD) and renovation projects. “We are considered one of their preferred partners,” Nag says. These partnerships go beyond product delivery. They include mock-ups with real substrates and accurate colour representation, often developed in-house or with external partners for more complex requirements.

As sustainability becomes the dominant narrative in packaging, Jupiter Laminators has responded with urgency and precision. The company holds International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), ensuring traceability and mass balancing of sustainable and recycled materials. “We are ready with mono-material solutions for various flexible packaging requirements,” Nag shares, listing combinations like polypropylene/polypropylene (PP/PP), machine-direction oriented polyethylene/polyethylene (MDOPE/PE), and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

Compliance with India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules and the use of recycled content are now standard at Jupiter. The company is also actively working with upstream raw material suppliers to develop water-based inks and barrier coatings. “We are continuously working with brand owners to reduce ink grammes per square metre (GSMs) and overall thickness to reduce plastic and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in packaging materials,” says Nag. The switch to biofuel for thermic fluid heaters and compressed natural gas (CNG) for generators is another initiative reducing greenhouse gas emissions across operations.

In an increasingly fragmented market, with diverse stock-keeping units (SKUs) and rapid product launches, Jupiter’s integrated model offers a competitive edge. “We are capable of providing end-to-end solutions with our in-house capabilities for ink, coatings, and cylinders,” affirms Nag. This full-spectrum control also allows the company to manage short-run jobs effectively, a growing requirement in the eCommerce and D2C brand space. Machine compatibility is key, particularly when producing mono-material solutions. Jupiter works closely with clients and polymer suppliers to ensure smooth integration. “We study the customer lines and product thoroughly before embarking on the development of mono-material,” says Nag. This ensures that the transition to new formats occurs with minimal disruptions to client operations.

Colour precision, too, has been refined. A standard light source (D50, 5000 Kelvin) and advanced X-Rite spectrophotometers enable Jupiter to match digital and real-world outputs accurately. “We measure colour density and Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage Lab* values with respect to the standards,” Nag adds.

Despite the technical complexity, Jupiter continues to push forward with eco-friendly ink technologies. Water-based and PVC-free inks (now considered essential for food safety and environmental compliance) are fully developed in-house. “Our unique selling proposition is our expertise in water-based and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-free inks,” he says. Yet progress wasn’t without its challenges. “Challenges were mainly in cylinder development, machine speed, and compatibility with adhesive lamination,” admits Nag. But the company overcame them through tight coordination between its cylinder development unit and operations team.

Strategically, Jupiter has invested heavily in infrastructure over the past five years. New assets include a nine-colour printing machine with a turner bar, a pneumatic extrusion die for thickness control, a registered cold seal line, micro-perforators, a Collines seven-layer barrier CPP line, and the aforementioned wide web metalliser. All operations are unified through an ERP system that manages data for products and processes across departments.

The company is developing solutions using post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials and coated paper. “We are working on various sustainable solutions with PCR PET, PCR PP, PCR PE, and barrier coatings,” reveals Nag. With sustainability as a present-day requirement, Jupiter Laminators is ensuring its solutions are ready to meet both ecological and commercial demands.

Kaushik Nag, CEO of Jupiter Laminators

In Nag’s words, the mission is clear: “First Time Right.” And as the flexible packaging industry evolves, Jupiter Laminators appears determined not just to follow that change, but to lead it.