The newly formed company, GLS Elopak (headquartered at Gurugram in Haryana, India) will 'leverage the respective expertise, assets and networks of Elopak and GLS to capitalize on the significant consumer demand in India,’ providing alternatives to plastic bottles with Elopak’s expertise in carton based packaging and filling equipment. Elopak and GLS will each have 50% ownership in the JV.
GLS Elopak will cater to both fresh and aseptic segments with applications such as dairy, plant-based drinks, juice, water and liquor. In particular, it notes the potential in milk with India being the world's biggest milk market.
Alpak and Pure-Pak packaging formats
With its manufacturing hub close to Delhi at Rewari in Haryana, India, GLS Elopak will be the only producer of fiber-based packaging for liquid food in the Haryana area.
It will immediately start to offer Roll-Fed aseptic cartons under the brand Alpak in various sizes, along with end-to-end service support, to customers. Going forward, the company will introduce Pure-Pak fresh cartons, Pure-Pak aseptic cartons and complementary solutions.
Oslo-headquartered Elopak, a global supplier of carton packaging and filling equipment, offers carton packaging solutions that provide a ‘natural and convenient’ alternative to plastic bottles. The joint venture aligns with Elopak’s ambitions to expand geographically and meet the rising demand for sustainable packaging. GLS Group, meanwhile, is a multi-business conglomerate with businesses in various industries including packaging, with a strong presence in India.
Commenting on the joint venture, Elopak CEO Thomas Körmendi stated, “We are delighted to announce this latest exciting step in our journey as we look to deliver on our growth strategy. India is the world’s biggest milk market, with serious growth potential. Together with GLS, there is an opportunity for us to be at the forefront of offering innovative and sustainable packaging solutions to this market that protect both the product and the environment.”
Meanwhile, GLS Director Arpit Goyal noted, “We are elated to announce our strategic partnership with Elopak. We strongly believe that the capabilities and synergies between the two organizations, and shared vision of the management will result in a leading liquid packaging company in India, which is both sustainable and innovative in its approach.
“Given the growth potential in India and the need for alternative packaging solutions, especially in the fresh milk and water segment, GLS Elopak will be able to add value and contribute to the country in the best possible manner.”
