How Varsya Is Redefining Sustainable Food Packaging in India

By Ketul

Updated 14 Oct, 2025

10 min read

When a Tomato Sparked a Revolution

It started with a simple question.

Why do children in supermarkets recognize “ketchup” or “chips,” but not the plants those foods come from?

For Nitheesh Sundaresan, a civil engineer working in Dubai’s construction and hospitality sector, this disconnection between people and nature became impossible to ignore. “We were losing the connection to nature,” he recalls. That realization, years later, would lead him back to India—toward a mission that sits at the intersection of packaging, sustainability, and innovation.

Today, as founder of Varsya EcoSolutions, Nitheesh is tackling one of the most entrenched challenges of our time: replacing single-use plastic in food packaging with Bio based technology driven packagings that perform just as well. Varsya is focussed on solving the challenges of the food packaging industry by sustainably integrating solutions.

But the path from idea to impact has been anything but linear.

A Planet Wrapped in Plastic

The Global Context

Plastic is everywhere—especially in food. According to Fortune Business Insights (2024), the global food packaging market was valued at USD 505.27 billion, projected to reach USD 815.51 billion by 2032 (CAGR 6.26%).
Over 36% of all plastics produced globally are used in packaging, and almost half of that is single-use.

Much of this plastic ends up in landfills or the ocean. UNEP’s 2023 Plastic Pollution Report estimates that 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated every year, of which less than 10% is recycled.

The Indian Context

India’s own numbers tell a sobering story. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the country generates 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with packaging accounting for nearly 60% of that.

At the same time, the opportunity is enormous. India’s biodegradable packaging market, currently valued at around USD 3.5 billion (2024), is expected to grow to USD 5.6 billion by 2033 (IMARC Group). Restaurants, food delivery, and retail are key drivers of this shift.

The Food Packaging Dilemma

Restaurants, cloud kitchens, and retail food brands face a paradox.

They need packaging that:

Protects against moisture, grease, and oxygen,
Withstands heat and transport stress,
Keeps food fresh and safe,
Meets hygiene standards,
Is affordable and easy to scale.

Plastics meet all of these criteria. That’s why they’ve been nearly impossible to replace.

Alternatives like paper, starch-based bioplastics, or aluminum often fail one of these tests—especially when it comes to barrier properties. Paper absorbs moisture; plant-based plastics struggle with high temperatures; compostable films degrade too quickly.

That’s where Varsya comes in.

From Construction Sites to Compostable Coatings

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nitheesh and his wife, Anu, were quarantined in their home in Kerala. Locked down but restless, they began discussing how to make sustainable living accessible. Their first idea was a retail venture—franchise stores selling eco-friendly daily products.

But as they studied the waste stream more closely, one thing became clear: the real enemy was packaging.

“Customers are brutal testers,” Nitheesh laughs.

“If you want to make change, it has to work for them in real conditions—not just in the lab.”

The couple pivoted from retail to research. They founded Varsya EcoSolutions in 2020, focusing on creating bio-based coatings derived from vegetable oils and natural materials—coatings that could make paper act like plastic, without harming the planet.

Fifteen Failures and a Formula That Worked

Innovation rarely happens in straight lines. Varsya’s early R&D journey was one of repeated trial and error.

“We went through nearly 15 failed trials. Each one cost us over ₹1 lakh, but every failure taught us something about the chemistry—and about patience.”

The challenge was to replicate the functionality of polyethylene coatings (used to make paper cups, tubs, and pouches water- and grease-resistant) using natural materials. PE coatings are cheap, durable, and nearly indestructible. Unfortunately, they also make paper non-recyclable and non-compostable.

Varsya’s solution? Create a vegetable-oil-based bio-coating that can provide water, oil, and gas barriers—while being fully compostable and recyclable.

The result is a portfolio of sustainable packaging tailored for different use cases:

Single-day shelf life: quick-service food, wraps, takeaway boxes
3–7 days: chilled foods, deliveries, ready-to-eat packs
3–6 months: long-shelf packaged goods (currently in R&D)

Lab to Kitchen: Turning Innovation Into Adoption

Varsya’s approach goes beyond making coatings. They position themselves as an R&D extension for the packaging industry—working hand-in-hand with brands, food chains, and converters.

“We don’t just push our solution, we flex to their problem.”

Their clients include hospitality giants, as well as institutional kitchens.

These projects have helped Varsya validate performance at scale. While the coatings are about 15–20% costlier than plastic, they match it on key parameters like moisture resistance and durability—and outperform it on compostability and brand value.

Why Restaurants Are a Key Battlefield

India’s restaurant and cloud kitchen ecosystem is booming.

According to Technopak Advisors (2024), the Indian foodservice market is valued at over ₹4.7 trillion, projected to cross ₹7 trillion by 2030. The country now sees more than 10 million food deliveries every day.

Each of those deliveries uses at least one plastic container, pouch, or wrap.

That’s billions of plastic units per month, much of which is low-value and non-recyclable.

A study by Statista (2023) found that 85% of India’s restaurant packaging waste ends up in landfills or informal dumping sites. Only 7% enters recycling streams. Even compostable packaging often fails to decompose properly without industrial composting infrastructure.

This means the shift toward truly sustainable food packaging in India must address both material innovation and systemic adoption—from manufacturers to waste managers.

Inside Varsya’s Philosophy

At the heart of Varsya’s model lies a simple philosophy: science, patience, and purpose.

“You must decide early,” says Nitheesh. “Am I a research person, an industrial person, or a sales person? You can’t be all three at once.”

His clarity stems from experience. He emphasizes that building sustainable technology requires focus, not glamour.

“Passion, patience, persistence—pick your three pillars. Without them, things fall apart.”

It’s this grounded approach that sets Varsya apart. They don’t position themselves as disruptors shouting “plastic is evil.” Instead, they operate as collaborators—helping existing brands transition toward sustainability without compromising function.

Challenges That Define the Industry

1. Certification Bottlenecks

Bio-based coatings require multiple approvals—food safety, migration tests, compostability certification, and often material registration. These processes are time-consuming and expensive. For small startups, they can be prohibitive.

2. Unrealistic Expectations

Many food brands expect bio-packaging to perform exactly like plastic—without understanding the limitations or benefits of natural materials. “Expectation management,” as Nitheesh calls it, is half the job.

3. Cost and Scale

Without economies of scale, sustainable packaging remains pricier. Until regulation, consumer pressure, or brand value justifies the switch, widespread adoption will stay slow.

4. Market Education

The real bottleneck isn’t chemistry—it’s awareness. Restaurants and brands need to see packaging as part of their sustainability strategy, not a disposable afterthought.

5. Consumer Behavior

Ultimately, the cycle ends with consumers. Compostable packaging doesn’t work if it ends up in the same bin as regular trash.
As UNEP notes, “Infrastructure, not just innovation, determines impact.”

The Global Tide Is Turning

India isn’t alone in this transformation. Worldwide, governments and industries are rethinking single-use packaging:

The EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) mandates that all packaging be recyclable or reusable by 2030.
France banned disposable cutlery and plastic cups in dine-in restaurants starting 2023.
UK supermarkets are phasing out hard-to-recycle plastic films, exploring bio-coatings and cellulose alternatives.
Coca-Cola and Nestlé have committed to making 100% of packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

In Asia, too, innovation is accelerating. From Japan’s seaweed films to Indonesia’s cassava-based plastics, the search for scalable, compostable solutions is global.

But few regions face the complexity India does—sheer scale, price sensitivity, and diversity of users.

That’s what makes Varsya’s journey uniquely important.

Looking Ahead: What the Next Decade Holds

Varsya’s roadmap is both ambitious and pragmatic.

Short Term (1–3 Years)

Perfect 3–6 month shelf-life coatings for dry and semi-moist foods.
Expand collaborations with paper converters and hospitality brands.
Complete BIS and food-grade certifications.

Mid Term (3-6 Years)

Move into adjacent applications—corrugated food boxes, beverage cups, industrial packaging.
Explore export collaborations in Southeast Asia.

Long Term (6–10 Years)

Build Varsya as a brand synonymous with integrity and innovation—“like Tata for sustainability,” as Nitheesh puts it.
Expand R&D into allied environmental materials.

“Our goal isn’t just to replace plastic, it’s to make packaging part of a cycle that gives back to the planet.”

Why Varsya’s Story Matters

Varsya’s story is more than a startup narrative. It’s a microcosm of India’s sustainability journey.

It reveals how purpose-driven R&D can thrive even in resource-constrained settings.
It challenges the myth that sustainability is incompatible with performance.
It embodies the growing ethos of “Make in India, Green for the Planet.”

Most importantly, it shows that systemic change begins with individual conviction.

When Nitheesh decided to leave a secure engineering career to work on waste-free packaging, he didn’t just found a company. He modeled a mindset—one where sustainability is not charity, but design excellence.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs

Innovation takes time
Fifteen failures later, Varsya succeeded because they didn’t give up after iteration 1
Sustainability is systems work
Technology must integrate with manufacturing, logistics, and consumer behavior.
Start local, think global
By proving solutions in India’s demanding markets, Varsya is building resilience for global competition.
Be humble in science
“Customers are brutal testers,” says Nitheesh. Innovation thrives when grounded in feedback.
Anchor purpose, not perfection
“We don’t just push our solution; we flex to their problem.” Empathy in design creates long-term change.

A Future Wrapped in Integrity, Not Plastic

In one of his closing reflections, Nitheesh says softly:

“The goal is not to make packaging disappear. It’s to make it part of the natural cycle again.”

That vision—practical, poetic, and patient—captures the essence of India’s transition to sustainable food packaging.

From a supermarket thought to a materials revolution, Varsya’s journey is proof that change can begin anywhere: a balcony lab, a failed experiment, or a moment of empathy.

If India’s sustainability movement needed a symbol of persistence, Varsya offers it—one bio-coating at a time.

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