July 6, 2020
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Flexible packaging films have fundamentally transformed how products are protected, preserved, and presented to consumers worldwide. From the spice markets of India to the frozen food aisles of Europe and the pharmaceutical supply chains of North America, these thin yet highly engineered materials serve as the invisible guardians of product integrity across the entire supply chain.
Vishakha Polyfab, headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has been at the forefront of this transformation for over two decades. As India’s first manufacturer of 7- and 9-layer co-extruded packaging films and the country’s largest high-barrier flexible packaging manufacturer, Vishakha has pioneered technologies that combine performance, aesthetics, and sustainability in ways that were previously impossible with conventional rigid packaging formats.
This article provides a comprehensive exploration of how flexible packaging film manufacturing works, why it matters, the technologies driving innovation, the industries it serves, and how Vishakha Polyfab continues to lead this dynamic global sector.
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Contact Now!Understanding Flexible Packaging Films
Flexible packaging films are thin, pliable materials manufactured from one or more polymer resins, engineered to wrap, encase, seal, and protect a wide variety of products. Unlike rigid packaging — cans, glass bottles, plastic tubs — flexible films conform to the shape of their contents and can be formed into pouches, bags, wraps, lidding materials, and sleeves using high-speed automated machinery.
The primary raw materials used in the manufacture of flexible packaging films include:
- Polyethylene (PE) — available in LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, and metallocene grades; widely used for sealant layers and mono-material recyclable constructions
- Polyamide (PA / Nylon) — provides exceptional puncture resistance, oxygen barrier, and thermoformability
- Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) — the gold-standard barrier material for oxygen and aroma protection
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) — excellent stiffness, clarity, and printability for outer layers
- Polypropylene (PP) — used for lidding, twist-wrap, and oriented film applications
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) — used in specialised stretch and cling wrap applications
Each of these materials contributes specific functional properties. The sophistication of modern flexible packaging lies in the ability to combine these materials — through co-extrusion, lamination, or coating — into multi-layer structures that deliver properties no single material could achieve alone.
The Science of Protection: What Multi-Layer Films Do
The core purpose of flexible packaging is to create a protective barrier between the product and the external environment. Modern flexible films protect against six primary threats to product integrity:
Key Barrier Functions of Flexible Packaging Films
Oxygen Transmission — prevents oxidative spoilage of fats, flavours, and colours | Moisture Vapour Transmission — maintains product hydration or dryness | Light Transmission — protects light-sensitive nutrients, pigments, and pharmaceutical actives | Aroma Barrier — retains fragrance and prevents flavour migration | Gas Transmission — critical for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) | Microbial Penetration — maintains sterility in medical and food packaging
Multi-layer film architecture allows each layer to be assigned a specific functional role. A typical high-barrier structure might consist of:
- Outer print layer (PET or OPP) — provides stiffness, clarity, and printability
- Adhesive or tie layers — bond incompatible materials together
- Barrier layer (EVOH or PA) — the primary defence against oxygen and moisture
- Additional structural layers (PA or PE) — provide puncture resistance and mechanical strength
- Sealant layer (PE or MPE) — enables heat sealing on packaging machinery
Vishakha Polyfab’s proprietary 9-layer co-extrusion technology allows this architecture to be optimised with a precision and consistency that conventional lamination processes cannot match, delivering superior barrier performance with less total material thickness.
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Co-Extrusion Technology: Vishakha’s Core Manufacturing Advantage
The single most significant technological differentiator in modern flexible packaging manufacturing is the ability to produce multi-layer films through co-extrusion — a process in which multiple polymer melts are simultaneously forced through a single die to form a unified, seamlessly bonded multi-layer film in one continuous production step.
Vishakha Polyfab was the first company in India to master 7-layer and 9-layer co-extrusion, and remains the country’s largest producer of high-barrier co-extruded films. The advantages of this approach over conventional adhesive lamination include:
| Co-Extrusion Advantages | Conventional Lamination Limitation |
| No adhesives required — improved food safety | Adhesive use raises food-contact compliance concerns |
| Single-step process — consistent quality | Multi-step bonding increases variability |
| Superior inter-layer adhesion | Delamination risk over time or under stress |
| Recyclable as mono-material (all-PE) | Mixed materials are difficult to recycle |
| Precise layer-by-layer thickness control | Layer ratios harder to control post-lamination |
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Vishakha Polyfab’s Complete Product Portfolio
Vishakha Polyfab’s product suite covers every major flexible packaging application across food, non-food, and industrial sectors:
| Brand | Product Type | Technology | Key Applications |
| VISHBARR | Barrier Films (VFFS) | PA/EVOH, up to 9 layers | Dry/frozen food, spices, pharmaceuticals |
| VISHVACU | Vacuum Pouches & Bags | PA/PE co-extruded | Meat, cheese, sterilization pouches |
| VISHFORM | Thermoforming Films | PA/PE/EVOH barrier | Modified atmosphere trays, ready meals |
| VISHTOP | Top Lidding Films | Peelable & lock-seal | Pickles, pulps, purees, dairy trays |
| VISHLAMI | Lamination Films | Printed laminated | Retail consumer goods, FMCG packaging |
| REGAIN | Recyclable Barrier Films | All-PE mono-material | Eco-conscious brands, circular economy |
VISHBARR — High Barrier VFFS Films
The flagship product line, VISHBARR, is built on PA and EVOH-based 9-layer co-extrusion technology. These films are the preferred choice for Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) machine applications, providing exceptional oxygen, moisture, gas, and aroma barrier properties. VISHBARR NG (Next Generation) films are produced in a single co-extrusion step, making them fully recyclable — a critical advancement over conventional laminated VFFS films. They offer diverse OTR options, low leak rates, and high filling speeds for maximum production efficiency.
VISHVACU — Vacuum Packaging Solutions
The VISHVACU range encompasses vacuum pouches, bags, and sterilization pouches engineered for maximum product integrity under vacuum conditions. These films deliver exceptional puncture resistance, high-temperature tolerance for retort sterilization, and crystal-clear optical properties for product visibility. Applications include fresh and processed meat, hard and soft cheeses, dates, and pharmaceutical sterile packaging.
VISHTOP — Tray Lidding Films
VISHTOP lidding films provide secure, spill-proof sealing for food trays containing pickles, pulps, purees, dairy products, and ready meals. Available in both easy-peel and lock-seal configurations, these films offer compatibility with high-acidity food products, strong adhesion to multiple tray substrates, and options for direct-print branding.
REGAIN — Recyclable Barrier Films
Vishakha’s REGAIN initiative represents the company’s commitment to the circular economy. REGAIN films are all-PE mono-material laminates that deliver high-barrier performance while being fully recyclable within the PE recycling stream. Launched at PlastIndia 2018 as India’s first recyclable barrier film for liquid packaging, REGAIN is now used by major FMCG brands seeking to meet sustainability targets without compromising product protection.
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Advantages of Flexible Packaging Over Rigid Formats
The global shift from rigid to flexible packaging is being driven by compelling advantages across multiple dimensions of manufacturing, logistics, retail, and environmental performance:
Material and Production Efficiency
Flexible packaging requires significantly less raw material per unit of product packaged compared to glass, aluminium, or rigid plastic containers. This translates directly into lower material costs, reduced energy consumption during manufacturing, and a smaller carbon footprint per unit produced. Vishakha’s 9-layer technology further enables ‘down-gauging’ — achieving the same barrier performance with less total film thickness, reducing plastic use per package.
Logistics and Retail Advantages
The lightweight nature of flexible films dramatically reduces transportation costs. More units can be shipped per pallet, and less fuel is consumed per product delivered. On retail shelves, flexible formats such as stand-up pouches, zip-lock bags, and vacuum packs offer superior display properties, consumer convenience, and space efficiency compared to rigid containers.
Product Protection and Shelf Life
Vishakha’s high-barrier films protect products against all primary deterioration mechanisms — oxidation, moisture ingress, UV light, aroma loss, and microbial contamination. The resealable features of zip-lock and peel-reseal formats extend product freshness after opening, reducing consumer food waste. FDA-approved materials ensure full food safety compliance across international markets.
Markets and Applications
Vishakha Polyfab’s flexible packaging solutions serve a diverse and growing global customer base across multiple high-value sectors:
Food Packaging
Beverages, dairy, fresh and processed meats, cheese, frozen meals, snack foods, dry fruits, nuts, spices, condiments, pickles, pulps, purees, and confectionery. High-barrier films extend shelf life and preserve sensory qualities across complex cold-chain and ambient distribution networks.
Pharmaceutical & Medical
Sterilization pouches, medical device packaging, blister-compatible barrier films, and IV bag outer packaging. Films meet stringent regulatory standards for microbial barrier performance and chemical compatibility with medical-grade products.
Industrial & Non-Food
Automotive component protection, consumer electronics packaging, vacuum bagging for industrial goods, and bulk bag liners. Films provide moisture and corrosion protection during storage and international shipping of sensitive industrial products.
Consumer Goods & Retail
ZIPFRESH zip-lock resealable bags for home storage, printed lamination films for branded FMCG packaging, and shrink films for product bundling and tamper evidence. High-quality printing capabilities enable outstanding shelf presence and brand differentiation.
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Sustainability and the Future of Flexible Packaging
The packaging industry is at an inflection point. Regulatory pressure, consumer expectations, and retailer mandates are collectively driving an urgent transition toward more sustainable packaging solutions. Vishakha Polyfab is responding to this challenge on multiple fronts.
REGAIN: Recyclable Barrier Films
By engineering all-PE mono-material structures that match the barrier performance of conventional multi-material laminates, REGAIN films enable brands to switch to recyclable packaging without redesigning their supply chains. These films are compatible with existing VFFS and lamination machinery and can be recycled through standard PE collection streams.
Down-Gauging and Material Reduction
9-layer co-extrusion technology allows Vishakha to achieve the same protective performance with less total material per film structure. This systematic reduction in plastic use per package lowers the environmental impact of each unit produced — a key metric in corporate sustainability reporting and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks.
Energy-Efficient Manufacturing
Flexible packaging manufacturing is inherently more energy-efficient than producing glass, aluminium, or rigid plastic containers of equivalent capacity. Vishakha’s continuous investment in modern, efficient extrusion and converting equipment further reduces energy consumption per tonne of film produced.
Global Certifications and Compliance
Vishakha’s ISO and BRCGS certifications, combined with their use of FDA-approved materials, ensure that their films comply with the most stringent food safety and environmental regulations in the key markets of India, Europe, and North America — including the evolving EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
Vishakha Polyfab: Company at a Glance
Vishakha Polyfab Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of the Vishakha Group, a diversified industrial conglomerate led by CMD Jigish Doshi. The group operates businesses spanning flexible packaging, solar renewable energy products (encapsulants, backsheets, glass), material handling solutions, drip irrigation systems, and agricultural films.
- Headquarters: Vishakha House, Inspire Business Park, SG Highway, Ahmedabad – 382421, Gujarat, India
- Manufacturing: Plot 549/2, Vadsar, Gandhinagar District, Gujarat — state-of-the-art production facility
- Additional Capacity: New plant near Kolkata, West Bengal, to serve eastern India and export markets
- Certifications: ISO Certified | BRCGS Certified (Packaging Materials)
- Technology: Up to 9-layer co-extrusion | 9-colour Rotogravure | CI Flexo Printing | SAP S/4 HANA ERP
- Milestone: India’s first recyclable barrier film for liquid packaging — launched at PlastIndia 2018
Contact Vishakha Polyfab: +91-79-61907373 | info.vppl@vishakha.com | sales.vppl@vishakha.com | www.vishakhapolyfab.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How Flexible Packaging Films Manufacturing Redefining Protection?
What are flexible packaging films and what materials are used to manufacture them?
Flexible packaging films are thin, pliable materials designed to wrap, encase, and protect products across food, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. Vishakha Polyfab manufactures these films using high-grade polymers including Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene (PE), Polyamide (PA/Nylon), and Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH). These base materials are combined in a multi-layer co-extrusion process — with up to 9 individual layers — to achieve specific barrier, mechanical strength, and sealing properties tailored to each application. All films are made from FDA-approved plastic resins, ensuring food-contact safety.
Why is Vishakha Polyfab considered a leader in India's flexible packaging industry?
Vishakha Polyfab earned its leadership position by pioneering the manufacture of 7- and 9-layer co-extruded packaging films in India — a first in the country. Over more than two decades of operation, the company has grown to become India's largest manufacturer of high-barrier flexible packaging. This reputation rests on certifications including ISO and BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards), state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in Gujarat, continuous investment in European-standard printing and extrusion technology, and a proven track record of serving global markets across food, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors.
What are the main advantages of flexible packaging over traditional rigid packaging?
Flexible packaging films offer numerous advantages over conventional rigid formats like cans, tins, and glass bottles. They use significantly less raw material during production, consume less energy to manufacture, and weigh far less — resulting in reduced transportation costs. They occupy less shelf and storage space, feature resealable closures that extend product freshness, and provide outstanding seal integrity to prevent leakage or contamination. From an environmental standpoint, flexible films generate less packaging waste than rigid alternatives. Vishakha's films also incorporate FDA-approved materials, offer excellent clarity for product visibility, and support vibrant multi-colour printing for strong retail shelf appeal.
What is a high-barrier film and why is it critical for product preservation?
A high-barrier film is engineered to severely limit or entirely prevent the transmission of oxygen, moisture, carbon dioxide, light, aromatic compounds, and microbial agents through the packaging wall. This is essential for preserving the freshness, flavour, aroma, colour, texture, and overall integrity of perishable products. Without effective barrier properties, food products such as meat, cheese, spices, snacks, and frozen meals would degrade rapidly during storage and distribution. Vishakha's VISHBARR range, built on PA and EVOH co-extrusion technology, delivers class-leading barrier performance with diverse oxygen transmission rates (OTR), making it the preferred choice for long shelf-life packaging worldwide.
What is co-extrusion technology and how does it differ from conventional lamination?
Co-extrusion is a single-step manufacturing process in which multiple polymer materials are simultaneously extruded through a single die to form a unified, seamlessly bonded multi-layer film. In contrast, conventional lamination involves bonding separately produced films together using adhesives in multiple sequential steps. Co-extrusion offers several critical advantages: it produces films with superior layer adhesion and uniformity; it eliminates the use of adhesives, improving food safety; it enables precise control over each layer's thickness and composition; and it yields films that are easier to recycle as a mono-material structure. Vishakha Polyfab manufactures co-extruded films with up to 9 individual layers, combining materials like PA, EVOH, PP, MPE, and various grades of PE.
What is the REGAIN initiative and how does it address sustainability?
REGAIN is Vishakha Polyfab's dedicated recyclable packaging product line, developed in response to growing global concern over plastic waste and the packaging industry's environmental footprint. REGAIN films are engineered as all-polyethylene (all-PE) mono-material laminates — meaning they deliver high-barrier performance comparable to conventional multi-material laminates, while being fully recyclable within the standard polyethylene recycling stream. This innovation is significant because traditional high-barrier packaging typically combines incompatible materials (e.g., PA + PE) that cannot be easily recycled together. Vishakha launched India's first recyclable barrier film for liquid packaging at PlastIndia 2018, and has continued to expand this range under the REGAIN brand, helping clients meet sustainability targets and circular economy goals.
Which industries and product categories benefit from Vishakha's flexible packaging films?
Vishakha Polyfab serves a remarkably wide range of industries. In the food sector, their films are used for packaging beverages, dairy products, fresh and processed meats, cheese, frozen meals, snack foods, dry fruits, spices, pickles, pulps, and purees. In the non-food and industrial segment, they protect automotive components, consumer electronics, and bulk industrial goods. The pharmaceutical sector benefits from sterilization pouches, medical device packaging, and high-barrier blister-compatible films. Consumer goods companies use Vishakha's printed lamination and zip-lock films (ZIPFRESH) for attractive retail packaging. Films are also widely used in VFFS (Vertical Form Fill Seal) machines for high-speed automated packaging lines.
What printing technologies does Vishakha Polyfab offer for branded packaging?
Vishakha Polyfab has invested in top-tier European printing technology to deliver world-class graphics on flexible packaging. They offer Rotogravure printing with up to 9 colour stations, which provides photographic-quality clarity and rich colour saturation ideal for high-volume production runs. They also operate CI (Central Impression) Flexo printing, which is well-suited to flexible substrates and offers high-speed, high-definition output using eco-friendly inks. Clients can choose between surface printing (for tactile, premium feel) or sandwich printing (where ink is encapsulated between layers to protect against abrasion during transit). These capabilities enable brands to achieve vibrant, durable, and commercially impactful retail packaging.
Are Vishakha Polyfab's films certified for quality and food safety compliance?
Yes. Vishakha Polyfab holds both ISO certification and BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards) certification — internationally recognised standards that govern food safety management, quality systems, and manufacturing practices. All packaging films produced by Vishakha use high-grade, FDA-approved plastic resins, ensuring they meet the regulatory requirements for direct food contact in key markets including India, the United States, and Europe. The company's internal quality systems, combined with R&D mastery and rigorous process controls, ensure that every film batch meets precise specifications for barrier performance, mechanical strength, sealing properties, and optical clarity.
How does Vishakha Polyfab customise films to meet specific industry requirements?
Vishakha Polyfab's approach to customisation is comprehensive. Their engineering and application development teams work collaboratively with clients to design films tailored to specific packaging challenges. Customisation options include precise control over oxygen and moisture transmission rates (OTR/WVTR), sealant layer formulation for specific sealing temperatures and peel strengths, film thickness and mechanical properties (puncture resistance, stiffness, flexibility), surface treatments for improved printability or lamination adhesion, compatibility with specific VFFS, thermoforming, or lidding machinery, and printed graphics with up to 9 colour rotogravure or CI Flexo printing. Additionally, films can be formulated in materials such as EVOH, PA, PP, MPE, or all-PE constructions depending on barrier and recyclability requirements.
Author Bio
Vishakha Polyfab Pvt. Ltd. is a global pioneer in high-barrier flexible packaging, specializing in advanced 9-layer co-extruded PA/EVOH-based films. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, India, the company utilizes world-class Brampton Engineering (Canada) and Aqua Frost® water-quenched technology to deliver superior shelf-life extension solutions. From Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) to deep-draw thermoforming applications, Vishakha Polyfab delivers compliant, high-performance materials that protect product integrity throughout complex international supply chains. Their expertise in vacuum packaging, thermoforming, and lidding films helps enterprise-level brands in the food, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors optimize packaging performance and sustainability.
