Deepak Sanghvi, Founder, GREENDIAMZ BIOTECH Pvt Ltd.

A million years from now, when archeologists rediscover India’s monuments which may be in plain sight today, they will not only find forts, palaces, museums and maybe our favorite shopping centers, but will have to plough through heaps of plastic and waste to do so. The rate at which India is currently booming and the population rising, usage of plastic and other un-biodegradable products has increased in effect causing a threat to environment and a worry to the health of future generations. But Deepak Sanghvi, founder of Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. is striving hard not to let such situation arise in future.

In Western countries where one has an option of “paper or plastic” while at the check-out counter, India is yet to catch up with the eco-friendly trend. Deepak started Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. in 2004, seeing the poor state of the country’s environment saying “The basic principle was to do something for the environment where people from all walks of life can participate and at the same time it had to have a large enough positive impact on the state of the environment. The first product to roll off the line of Greendiamz Biotech Pvt Ltd will be genuine and certified biodegradable plastic products.”

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People from all walks of life in India have a habit of collecting plastic bags, whether for disposal of garbage or future storage purposes. However, the most prominent use of the plastic “packet” is to parcel or carry food which does not get disposed by proper means. Deepak says “Plastics bags specifically have been creating havoc due to the volume and the persistent nature of the pollution they create. Every day we dump 12 crore plastic bags in our environment, which will stay with us forever. Our biodegradable plastic bags will roll off the line from 1st of October 2009 and each bag will disappear into the earth when it is disposed off; within 6 months. Tough as a plastic and yet earth friendly. That’s our product and our company.”

With such a large population to cater to, one might think Deepak’s mind is solely on making a profit in the name of “ Going Green”, but Deepak banishes any such notion saying “Our organization focuses on the 3P’s - (Profit for People and Planet) principal and the environment is the main beneficiary. However, we will also be bringing new technology into the country and export potential will be developed, besides developing 4 hubs for our environmental products business.”

Among India’s growing niche of environmentally friendly companies, Deepak sets Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. apart saying “Our key differentiator is that we have taken aim at one of the most commonly used products in daily life—the plastic bag; and are attempting to reduce the use of this bag by 80 or 90%; but at the same time providing a decent alternative. We are also trying to give a “personality” to this bag (the TRUE GREEN BAG) so that people who carry these bags can feel proud of doing so. Additionally, we have invested much time and capital in bringing this to the market through our own manufacturing process.”

Deepak already has 5 years of Green entrepreneurship under his belt and is still mounting. He has an innovative plan for the future of Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. He mentions the 2 stages process at with which the company shall be up-scaling “Stage one is to extend the capability from film based products to molded products like disposable forks, spoons, cups and plates. The other part will be introducing laminating technology to ensure that canvass, jute and recycled paper get a really green image (presently all are lines with P.E). The second stage of the scale up will be through collaboration with our Principals to ensure that we manufacture the biodegradable resin in India, using Indian raw material. This will bring into the country, a technology which we do not possess at present.”

Aspirations such as Deepak’s cannot be confined to a 9 to 5 career. He has answered his calling by listening to his heart rather than his head even during recessionary times. He advises those wanting to follow suit saying “When you allow yourself no choices and risk everything, the survival instinct in you will build up an obsessive passion. It'll give you the courage to be successful”

With such a large-scale environmental crisis at hand, it was not an easy walk in the park initially for Deepak. He says “The biggest challenge for me was to build the right team, keep them motivated and to evolve result oriented process driven work ethics.

I simply followed 2 principles:

- Stay focused; don't allow feature creep. Keep things simple, which is a virtue in a world of overly complex technology

- Focus on what you are good at; delegate all else”

Deepak was fortunate to get a seed capital close to 50 Lakhs through both Bank Financing, and Promoter's equity. He is working towards Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. achieving 100 crore revenue status within 3 to 4 years. The company is still in its set up stage, and besides Ahmadabad, they have Regional Hubs in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi.

Recently being recognized and acquiring an MOU with Government of Gujarat, Deepak proudly proclaims “One of my biggest strengths lies in my great bouncing back ability. There is never a dull moment; my biggest kick comes from the satisfaction of being able to create something new.Even in moments when I am tensed, my family's rock solid support, and regular meditation keeps my sanity intact.”

When asked about the future of Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. and how they will continue to help India’s growing concrete jungle, Deepak says “Our vision is to be the first PRACTICAL GREEN COMPANY and manufacture products which any Indian can use without having to make a major decision.”

With a good business sense for a growing market and a company with genuine intentions, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise that there are many more out there wanting to follow in Deepak’s footsteps. With honesty he advises “When the Euphoria of project planning wears off and the reality of day to day existence comes into the picture, you will feel real pain. Stick to a workable plan and get professional managers to execute it. Above all, have financial contingencies in place. REMEMBER THIS: Revenue is Vanity, Profit is reality and Cash flow is Sanity. I will always advise people to manage their cash flow as a holy cow.”

Yourstory wishes Deepak and Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. an upward climb in the battle against un-biodegradable material and hope they will continue to create environmentally friendly products to add to the global initiative of making the world a healthier and greener place. Go Green!