Mehzabin Nair, managing director of Skanem India, has spent two decades in packaging, and she brings a rare mix of commercial instincts and technical curiosity to her job. In this "Unvarnished" interview, she shares how she’s strengthened performance by rebuilding culture, speeding up decision-making and making sustainability a lived discipline. Her approach is hands-on and people-first.
Mehzabin has worked across flexible packaging, procurement and consulting. When she joined Skanem India two years ago, she said she didn’t face a long ramp-up because she already knew the industry and had a clear view of what needed to change. That meant tightening operations, controlling cost, optimizing resources, and quickly improving sales and marketing visibility.
Those moves worked, and today Skanem India is more streamlined, focused and culture-driven. It's a shift you can feel when you walk in, Mehzabin says: “I see faces coming, smiling. They are proud of stepping into the office.”
A big driver of that turnaround is how she builds confidence at every level. Mehzabin described a rebuild that included adding new talent while also elevating people already in the organization. She promoted second-line leaders into key functions and backed them with authority. That trust-forward style extends to daily communication with the company's leaders, factory workers, customer support staff and others.
Sustainability is another thread she speaks about with conviction. “We're creating responsible packaging,” she said, pointing to Skanem India’s tagline and how it shaped a rebrand. “Whatever we manufacture, we manufacture with love, care, responsibility." She highlights examples ranging from responsible supplier selection to simple operational choices like using LED lights for energy savings.
Mehzabin wants Skanem India to stand apart in a crowded packaging market by behaving like a partner. “We don't at all call ourselves as a supplier of labels,” she said. “We call ourselves partners in helping you sell better, partners who are reliable and committed to ensure what is required is delivered.”
It’s a mindset recognized across the Dscoop community: keep learning, keep moving and boldly move in new directions.
