Rovema India, founded in 1997, has established itself as a leader in the high-speed packaging machine industry. By combining German engineering expertise with India’s technical capabilities, Rovema offers innovative, modular solutions tailored to meet diverse client needs. With over six decades of experience in the vertical form, fill, and seal packaging machine sector, the company has excelled in the triad of Engineering, Quality, and Technology.
To gain insights into the company’s business outlook, techniques, and future plans, India Business and Trade recently spoke with Sandeep Kulkarni, Director at Rovema India. Let’s dive in.
IBT: Rovema India has a strong legacy rooted in German engineering. Could you provide an overview of how this foundation has shaped the company’s operations and what unique strategies have fuelled your success in the market?
Sandeep Kulkarni: In the packaging industry, every solution is customized to specific needs. While we initially acquired advanced technology from Germany, our success comes from adapting that technology to meet local requirements. Application engineering and customization are critical; understanding customer needs and translating them into functional machines is key.
Our German-engineered machinery provides built-in robustness and consistency in output and product quality, which is vital since the products produced go directly to store shelves. The aesthetics of packaged products are essential, and our machines ensure they are visually appealing. Additionally, packaging serves two key purposes: displaying the product and ensuring its shelf life through sealing integrity. The technologies we’ve developed address both aspects, benefiting customers with enhanced shelf life and superior aesthetics, which gives us a technological edge.
As customer packaging needs change, we continuously align with those evolving market demands by introducing newer technologies, improving performance, and increasing operational speeds. These advancements have played a significant role in our organization’s growth and success.
IBT: Rovema specializes in high-speed packaging solutions for a wide range of industries, from food grains to pharmaceuticals. Could you share insights into the specific processes and technologies that set you apart in these diverse sectors?
Sandeep Kulkarni: Our process begins with understanding market needs, which forms the foundation of our designs. After gaining clarity, we customize our machines to meet specific requirements, working closely with customers to align our solutions. We also rely on a network of partners, suppliers, and system integrators to evolve our technology.
Understanding market demands, assessing our systems, and aligning our supply chain are crucial steps. We focus on finer details to meet both customer and market needs.
As an organization, we continually adapt our ecosystem to integrate these elements. Achieving the necessary speeds, along with aesthetics and seal integrity, is vital. We incorporate feeding, separation, bagging, and downstream systems to cater to various industries, including agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, snacks, chemicals, and FMCG.
We identify common factors across these sectors, allowing us to standardize technologies for greater machine production and seamless integration to meet specific customer requirements. This overview only scratches the surface; our system involves many deep-rooted processes.
IBT: With Rovema India’s presence in 33 countries, what key markets have shown the most promising growth, and how do you see the future potential of the packaging industry evolving, especially in emerging economies?
Sandeep Kulkarni: A major trend in developing countries is urbanization, leading to a growing demand for packaged food as families become nuclear and both partners work. The rise of e-commerce and delivery services like Blinkit, Zomato, and Swiggy has shifted consumer behavior from stocking up to buying daily essentials.
This change has transformed packaging trends from larger to smaller pack sizes, driving demand for higher-speed packaging solutions. Our exports, primarily to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, reflect these evolving lifestyle and consumption patterns.
With population growth and the rise of supermarkets, the variety of products on shelves is increasing while pack sizes shrink. Consumers are now purchasing items for short-term needs, resulting in significant growth across the packaging industry.
All emerging economies are experiencing this shift, including developed regions like Europe, where buying habits are changing to favor immediate needs, often facilitated by mobile apps. This trend fuels demand for packaging machinery, as smaller pack sizes lead to increased consumption and a need for faster, more accurate machinery.
With a focus on technological innovation, particularly in modular engineering and automation, we are well-positioned to meet this evolving demand.
IBT: Technological innovation is a key focus at Rovema, particularly with your emphasis on modular engineering and advanced automation. What are some of the latest advancements in the field that you’re most excited about, and how do they align with your future growth strategies?
Sandeep Kulkarni: As I mentioned, pack sizes are decreasing, speeds are increasing, and customers are expecting greater accuracy. What really excites me is figuring out how to make machines faster, how to ensure precise product feeding, and how to improve seal integrity. Speed is a critical factor, and the market’s expectations have changed. Whereas customers used to wait six months for machines, now they want deliveries within two or three months, sometimes even sooner, with some expecting immediate availability. Aligning the organization to meet this growing demand is incredibly exciting. There are also technological changes to consider—how we collaborate with packaging material suppliers, raw material providers, and as food ingredients evolve. The entire landscape of packaging is constantly evolving, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say that we encounter new challenges daily. And that’s what makes this industry so exciting.
IBT: Every industry faces its own set of challenges. What have been the most significant challenges in business and trade for Rovema India, and how are you overcoming them?
Sandeep Kulkarni: Rovema India faces increasing complexities in business, including shorter delivery timelines and constant pressure on pricing. A significant challenge is the shortage of skilled manpower, particularly in mechanical design and automation.
Finding industry-ready candidates is difficult; while people can be hired, many need extensive training before they can contribute effectively. Retaining talent has also become a major hurdle as the economy grows.
In addition to the skilled labor issue, we confront rapidly changing market needs and technological complexities. Higher speeds require advanced technologies, and market expectations for longer shelf life, better pack quality, and aesthetics add to the challenge of integrating these requirements into a single machine.
IBT: Given the critical role of government policies in shaping business environments, what changes or reforms in government policy would you like to see that could further support Rovema India’s growth and the packaging industry as a whole?
Sandeep Kulkarni: The first key challenge I’d highlight is the availability of skilled labor. While the government is taking steps to address the skills gap, the pace is insufficient. Despite having a large, young population, many individuals lack job-ready skills, requiring companies to invest significant resources in training. The government should focus on aligning education with industry needs, as the current engineering curriculum is outdated.
Infrastructure is another critical issue. While investments in road networks are being made, urban areas have outgrown existing facilities, leading to lengthy commutes—often taking 40 to 45 minutes each way. Improved intra-city development is necessary, as commuting times have drastically increased.
On the positive side, there has been progress in the export sector, with the time to move goods through ports decreasing significantly. However, further efficiency improvements are needed for both imports and exports.
Lastly, India’s international image has improved over the years. Decades ago, misconceptions about India were common, but today, there is a much better global understanding of the country. This shift reflects positively on India’s growing presence in the international market.
Sandeep Kulkarni Board Member I Business Leader l CXO I Career Mentor
Sandeep Kulkarni is a CXO-level leader with over 22 years of experience managing P&L in multi-product, multi-industry environments on an international scale. He has extensive global exposure across Pharmaceuticals, FMCG, Oil & Gas, and various mechanical industries such as Steel, Power, Automotive, and Machine Tools. He has established businesses on all continents and traveled to more than 50 countries. With an entrepreneurial approach and strategic focus, he has built self-sustaining, profitable, and customer-centric organizations. Recognized as an effective team player and innovative CEO, he quickly earns the trust of all stakeholders. Sandeep has hands-on experience in Sales, Operations, Aftermarkets, HR, Finance, and New Product Development. Known as a transformational and turnaround specialist, he has developed a unique product-process-people methodology that has been instrumental in building self-sustaining businesses
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