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By Agroempresario.com
In the ongoing global race to find viable and sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics, few contenders have generated as much buzz and optimism as molded fiber. And in India, one startup is leading the charge. Fibmold, a young packaging company founded in late 2022 by industry veterans Param Gandhi and Vaibhav Garg, is rapidly carving out a name for itself by transforming agricultural residues like sugarcane bagasse into sophisticated molded fiber packaging.
From humble beginnings in foodservice containers, Fibmold is now expanding its product line to include packaging for electronics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The company’s mission? To become a global leader in eco-conscious packaging while disrupting the cost model that has long made plastic the dominant choice.
Molded fiber packaging is far from a new concept—think of the cardboard egg trays that have long existed in supermarkets. What Fibmold brings to the table, however, is a level of technical sophistication and vision that seeks to elevate molded fiber to an all-new class of performance packaging.
“The beauty of molded fiber is its versatility,” says co-founder Param Gandhi. “You can take sugarcane bagasse, forest byproducts, or bamboo and convert them into packaging through a pulping and thermoforming process. The goal is to replace rigid, single-use plastics in as many categories as possible.”
Fibmold currently purchases pulp from mills, rehydrates it, mixes it with optional barrier chemicals, and runs it through thermoforming machines that operate at temperatures of 170–220°C and pressures up to 70kN. This process forms, presses, trims, and finishes the packaging, all in an automated cycle—except for final packing, which still requires human intervention.
In the future, however, Fibmold plans to bring the pulping process in-house. “Doing everything on-site will allow us to eliminate double drying, double heating, and transportation inefficiencies,” says Gandhi. “We believe it could reduce costs by 20–30%, bringing us to price parity with plastic in many use cases.”
Molded fiber, for all its promise, faces hurdles. It’s energy-intensive, due in large part to the high temperatures and pressures required during manufacturing. Fibmold is actively pursuing ways to improve its energy efficiency, including backward integration of pulping to enhance its life cycle assessment (LCA) scores.
Then there’s the question of cost. While molded fiber can approach the price point of plastics, it hasn’t quite reached full parity—yet. Gandhi believes this will change. “Once we integrate vertically, remove process inefficiencies, and optimize energy usage, we’ll compete head-to-head with plastic—not just environmentally, but economically.”
This potential for cost disruption is key to Fibmold’s strategy, as is scalability. Its pilot facility already produces 8 to 10 tons of molded fiber packaging daily—no small feat for a startup less than two years old.
A major differentiator for molded fiber is its performance in hot, humid climates—something that alternative bioplastics like PLA (polylactic acid) struggle with. “PLA tends to melt or crack in the southern hemisphere's heat and humidity,” notes Gandhi. “Plus, it looks exactly like traditional plastic, which creates problems for waste management companies trying to separate materials.”
Moreover, PLA typically requires industrial composting to degrade, while molded fiber—especially Fibmold’s version—is naturally compostable and recyclable in existing streams. These traits give it a leg up in regulatory environments that are cracking down on petrochemical-based materials.
Fibmold is not content to remain in foodservice. The company has already developed molds for airline oven-safe trays, dessert boxes, cosmetic scoops, and pharmaceutical injectable trays. The startup’s R&D team is now pushing boundaries by developing packaging with advanced barrier properties that can rival plastic in more demanding applications.
“We’re working on a proprietary aqueous coating that’s poly-free and enhances both oxygen and vapor barriers,” says Gandhi. “It’s being developed in collaboration with European partners and applied during pulping for more uniform fiber distribution and fewer pinholes. This ensures better protection for food and pharma products alike.”
The implications are massive. If successful, these innovations could pave the way for molded fiber packaging in long-shelf-life items like instant noodles, where current fiber options fall short.
Globally, China is widely seen as the leader in molded fiber packaging technology, from automation to mold design. India, in contrast, has focused largely on simple products like plates and trays. Fibmold aims to change that.
“There are very few players in India doing what we’re doing—prototyping and scaling high-performance molded fiber products for a wide range of industries,” Gandhi says. “But we want the entire industry to grow. Brands will only feel confident shifting away from plastic if they see reliable supply from multiple sources.”
For now, Fibmold is focused on meeting the surging demand in the domestic Indian market. But the global opportunity is clear. Governments and corporations alike are under increasing pressure—from consumers and regulators—to eliminate single-use plastics. Fibmold sees a multibillion-dollar opportunity and is preparing to scale.
“We’ve started with foodservice, but over the next six months, we’ll enter new verticals like pharmaceuticals, electronics, and FMCG,” Gandhi explains. “Our strategy is to stabilize production at home, then expand abroad.”
To support its vision, Fibmold raised $10 million in seed funding in 2023, led by Omnivore and Accel. The capital has funded its first facility, product development, and team building. “We’ve built a solid foundation for our P&L,” Gandhi says. “Future rounds will be aimed at growth.”
The team is also investing in building a flexible, next-generation pulping system that can process a wider range of raw materials than traditional units. “We don’t want to replicate old models—we want to innovate,” says Gandhi.
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword at Fibmold—it’s a non-negotiable product criterion. “Everything we produce must be 100% recyclable in existing systems and naturally compostable,” Gandhi emphasizes. “That means no need for special industrial facilities to decompose our packaging.”
This dual commitment to recyclability and compostability gives Fibmold an edge over many bioplastics and composite materials that require special handling or break down only under specific conditions.
Innovation is never easy, and Gandhi is candid about the challenges. “Convincing customers to switch to a new material requires a lot of testing, and each client has multiple stakeholders. That takes time.”
There’s also the frustration of R&D. “We’re trying to create products that haven’t existed before. Nine out of 10 things might not work. But when one does—it can change everything.”
That perseverance is paying off. With a robust pilot facility, a growing client base, and a clear roadmap, Fibmold is on track to play a major role in the post-plastic future.
The molded fiber revolution is gathering steam, and Fibmold is poised to be one of its trailblazers. By combining agricultural waste, cutting-edge materials science, and a laser focus on scalability and cost-efficiency, this Indian startup is not just responding to a global crisis—it’s redefining the future of packaging.
As brands and governments search for reliable, sustainable alternatives to plastics, companies like Fibmold are demonstrating that the solution might be found not in petrochemicals, but in the leftovers of sugarcane fields.
