Healing people and planet with natural solutions: PraanaPoorna story
Himanshu Jangid
October 27, 2024
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Turning Coconut shells into packaging for cosmetic brands - the story of Agropak
By Ketul
Updated 08 Sep, 2024
10 min read
Contents
Growing up outside a tier-one city, Payal had always admired nature’s calm rhythm. But when she moved to Bengaluru for her engineering studies, the so-called “Garden City” presented a jarring contradiction. “I came across what looked like a river full of sewage,” she recalls. “My friend told me this used to be an actual river once.” That single moment, witnessing how urban progress had eroded the city’s natural character, left a mark. It wasn’t a grand epiphany but a quiet realization that shaped her purpose: to build something meaningful for the environment. During her engineering degree, Payal took a small elective called Environmental Technology — a two-credit course that would later become the seed of Agropak. It sparked her interest in sustainability and the intersection of science and nature. Later, while studying biotechnology, she carried that curiosity forward.
Genesis of the Idea
The real turning point came in 2020. Like millions of others in India, Payal ordered food online and noticed how every meal left behind a trail of plastic. Swiggy boxes, Zomato containers, single-use cutlery — all of it headed straight to landfills. India generates over 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, much of it from packaging, and less than 60% is recycled, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). “It really bothered me,” she says. “I started thinking — why can’t something better be done?” Her initial instinct was to explore biodegradable tableware. But through conversations with manufacturers and restaurant owners, she discovered that while plates made of bagasse, banana leaves, or areca were gaining traction, durable biodegradable containers for hot food simply didn’t exist. The lids leaked, the base got soggy, and the closure mechanisms failed. Restaurants, frustrated with the inconsistency, chose to pay fines and continue using plastic. That realization became Payal’s starting point.
Discovering a Local Resource
In the process of searching for alternatives, one humble material stood out — the coconut shell. In South India, coconuts are part of everyday life, yet their shells often end up discarded or burned as fuel. India produces around 11 million tonnes of coconuts annually, according to recent studies of residues stemming from the industry. MDPI+1 In cities such as Mumbai, nearly 400 metric tonnes of coconut-shell waste are generated each day, much of which is sent to landfill. The Indian Express “I looked at the shell and thought — it’s so durable, water-resistant, and still biodegradable. Why can’t we make packaging out of this?” The idea was both simple and radical: to transform agricultural waste into functional, compostable packaging. The concept gave birth to Agropak — a venture rooted in India’s agricultural strength and circular design thinking.
Early Experiments and Prototypes
The journey began on a balcony in Bengaluru. Without an office or lab, Payal and her co-founder used their savings to build a basic compression molding machine. They sourced coconut shells directly from farmers, crushed them by hand, and began experimenting with pressure, temperature, and form. “Our first prototypes were just discs,” she laughs. “We made hundreds, changing one variable at a time.” The goal was to find a combination that was strong, water-resistant, and moldable. Over months, they blended coconut shell particles with other natural fibers like jute to enhance structural integrity. After countless trials, they succeeded in shaping their first bowl — the proof of concept that eventually won them their first seed funding. “We didn’t realize then how hard it would be,” she admits. “If I had known, I might have hesitated. But the need of the hour kept us going.”
Challenges and Breakthroughs
With the first working prototype ready by mid-2022, the team’s next challenge was to transform the material into a finished product. The move from discs to containers required new molds, better machinery, and an understanding of industrial-scale processes. Most manufacturers were hesitant to collaborate because of low order quantities and unconventional material properties. Payal recalls reaching out to nearly thirty vendors before one agreed to help. Even then, progress was slow. “That’s when I realized that if the product is truly novel, you have to build the capability in-house first,” she says. She hired a mechanical engineer to work full-time on product design and development. Together, they experimented with screw-top mechanisms and different closure systems. Every 3D-printed mold became a lesson in patience and precision. By mid-2024, Agropak had developed its first functional coconut-based cosmetic container with a complete lid-and-base mechanism — a milestone that marked its transition from idea to innovation.
A Conscious Decision: From Food to Cosmetics
Initially, Agropak aimed to target restaurants and the food-delivery sector. But Payal soon realized that competing with cheap plastic in a price-sensitive market would make scaling difficult. “In India, plastic food containers cost less than ₹2 a piece,” she explains. “We couldn’t compromise on material strength just to match that price.” Instead, the team pivoted to the cosmetics industry — a segment where durability, aesthetics, and brand positioning mattered more than cost. Beauty and personal care brands worldwide are under increasing pressure to meet sustainability standards; the global sustainable packaging market is projected to exceed $400 billion by 2030, according to The Business Research Company. For brands, Agropak’s containers offered not just functionality but also a story — a way to replace plastic with something authentically Indian and nature-derived.
Building from the Ground Up
Every step of Agropak’s evolution has been rooted in resourcefulness. When funding was limited, the team shifted from Koramangala to Yelahanka — from the city center to the outskirts of Bengaluru — to afford space for machinery and R&D. They designed molds, ran compression tests, and kept meticulous records of every iteration. The startup now operates as a lean but passionate team of four: Payal leading R&D, her co-founder managing operations and outreach, a research associate handling material trials, and a mechanical engineer dedicated to product development. “Our customers are B2B — cosmetic manufacturers and hospitality brands,” Payal says. “We work closely with them, sending samples, taking feedback, and refining designs.” Some clients are already running pilot trials to test product stability over months.
Innovation at the Core
Agropak’s innovation lies not just in its material but in its philosophy. Unlike many “biodegradable” alternatives that use industrial additives like polylactic acid (PLA) or synthetic plasticizers, Agropak’s process is fully natural. “We don’t use any chemicals or PLA,” Payal emphasizes. “Everything — from the fibers to the pigments — comes from natural sources.” The result is a container that is sturdy, shelf-stable for up to three years, and still biodegradable once exposed to soil and moisture. The startup has filed for a global patent covering both its material composition and the unique molding process. The containers come in different natural shades, determined by the mix of plant fibers used. “We didn’t add color intentionally,” she smiles. “The beauty of nature is enough.”
Current Stage and Vision
Today, Agropak stands at the threshold of commercialization. The team is setting up a scaled machine capable of producing up to a thousand pieces per day, while working toward securing five returning B2B clients in the coming year. Their next focus is to license the technology and expand through franchise models — ensuring that production remains decentralized and local to the source of raw material. “The idea is not to just sell packaging,” Payal explains. “We want to be sustainability partners for brands. When they use our containers, they should be able to say — we’ve removed plastic at the source.”
Impact and the Road Ahead
By sourcing waste coconut shells directly from farmers, Agropak also creates a new income stream for rural communities. Typically, these shells are discarded or burned, contributing to air pollution and carbon emissions — a problem documented by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). Through simple value addition — cleaning and packing the shells — farmers can now sell them to Agropak, turning waste into worth. It’s a model that aligns with India’s Circular Economy Mission and the national goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2070. “We want to make sustainability easy to adopt,” says Payal. “If something better exists, people shouldn’t have to think twice about using it.”
Advice to Entrepreneurs
Reflecting on her journey, Payal offers practical advice for budding sustainability entrepreneurs. “Before starting, spend time learning what’s already being done,” she says. “There’s incredible support available from government and incubator programs — use it.” She emphasizes the importance of prototyping early. “Ideas alone don’t get funded. Our first prototype, not our pitch, brought our first investor.” And perhaps most importantly, she urges collaboration. “In India, research institutions hold so much untapped potential. They may not come to you, but if you approach them, they’re open to partnerships. That’s how real innovation happens.”
Closing Reflections
As Agropak continues to refine its coconut-shell technology and expand its reach, Payal’s vision remains rooted in the same principle that sparked it all — responsibility. “Plastic has had decades of R&D behind it,” she says. “Now it’s our turn to put double that effort into sustainable materials.” With determination, humility, and innovation crafted from nature’s own waste, Agropak is showing that the future of packaging doesn’t have to cost the planet — it can protect it.
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