Huhtamaki India, a leading provider of primary consumer packaging and labeling solutions in India and part of Huhtamaki, has announced the appointment of Dhananjay Salunkhe as the managing director of Huhtamaki India. Salunkhe is a seasoned business leader with a track record of growing and building businesses in India. In his previous stint, Salunkhe worked as the CEO of packaging and printing business at ITC, where he led the packaging business and supervised four manufacturing plants producing cartons, flexible packaging and rigid boxes.

Salunkhe said, “I am impressed with Huhtamaki’s principle and high-performance culture that focuses on the core values of Care Dare Deliver. I am excited and looking forward to developing the company further by harvesting new opportunities, and accelerating growth with a vision to deliver on its 2030 ambitions.”

Marco Hilty, president, flexible packaging at Huhtamaki, said, “We are pleased to welcome Dhananjay to the Huhtamaki India team. He comes with extensive leadership experience from the packaging and printing business and holds great records in driving businesses toward significant growth. We are certain that his rich experience and knowledge will play a vital role for the India market as we continue to grow and accomplish our goals towards becoming the first choice in sustainable packaging solutions.”

Prior to ITC, Dhananjay spent nine years with 3M, starting as plant head for their Pimpri manufacturing unit. As a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt holder, Salunkhe has been instrumental in driving significant process improvements and was recognized with the ‘Transformational Leader’ Award in 2015.

Salunkhe started his career as a graduate engineer trainee at PMP Auto, followed by stints at Sulzer India, a Swiss pumps and compressors company, and GKN Sinter Metals.