ITC launching slew of B2B brands to provide innovative Sustainable Packaging solutions to industry. Excerpts from the AGM address of Mr. Sanjiv Puri, Chairman & MD, ITC.
In his AGM address Mr. Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and Managing Director, ITC Ltd, shared his Vision on ‘ITC Next: Building a Competitive, Future Tech, Climate Positive and Inclusive Enterprise’. Excerpts from the speech:
I draw immense satisfaction that ITC’s Paperboards & Paper Business is an exemplar in triple bottom line contribution with industry-leading performance, environmental stewardship and inclusive growth models that support millions of livelihoods.
The ITC Next vision envisages a strategic focus on promising vectors of growth by scaling up value-added paperboards and pioneering Next Generation sustainable packaging solutions. Investments in Industry 4.0, together with an intensified focus on technological excellence, integrated & renewable fibre value chain and import substitution are enhancing competitiveness by setting new benchmarks in productivity, quality and strategic cost management. ITC is developing innovative sustainable packaging solutions on the laminated board and moulded fibre platforms and has recently launched several B2B brands to provide innovative options to the food & beverages and takeaway segments, amongst others. Given the heightened consumer and regulatory pressures to substitute single-use plastics, this area offers immense potential and ITC is committed to make a growing contribution to this sector.
As valued shareholders, you will draw immense satisfaction that ITC’s Paperboards Business contributes to several areas of national priority. Enabling large-scale climate action, import substitution and livelihood support, ITC has anchored an extensive afforestation programme. Cumulatively, the programme has covered 9.5 lakh acres, supporting over 170 million person days of employment. It was the first in India to receive the Forest Stewardship Council-Forest Management (FSC-FM) certification and is today the leading provider of FSC-certified paper and paperboards in the country. ITC has also invested in India’s first and only Bleached Chemical Thermo Mechanical Pulp Mill to substitute imported softwood pulp through innovative technologies and support additional livelihoods along the pulp value-chain. Scaling new heights in environmental leadership, investments were recently made in a state-of-the-art High Pressure Recovery Boiler at Bhadrachalam which will significantly reduce emissions and costs whilst enhancing pulp productivity.
A stellar performance was achieved this year with 36% growth in Segment Revenue and nearly 55% in Segment Results. The strategic thrust on product mix enrichment, structural cost management, sustainable packaging and Industry 4.0 will continue to drive competitively superior performance in the years ahead.
