Quick Take
- Greenbio Products makes water bottles from PLA that break down in about 180 days.
- The Kochi startup reported Rs 6 Cr turnover across five years.
- Its bottles meet three global compostability standards, including ISO 17088.
Kochi startup Greenbio Products makes water bottles from corn and sugarcane that break down in about 180 days, offering an alternative to PET plastic.
A standard PET bottle can take centuries to break down in soil. The Weekend Leader reports that Greenbio’s bottles are built to compost instead.
Greenbio’s bottles cost about five times more than plastic ones. That is the main hurdle.
Who is behind Greenbio Products?
Greenbio Products was founded by childhood friends Pradeep Kokkatt and Aliasgar Vora, who launched it in November 2019. Kokkatt is the managing director, and Vora is the co-founder and technical director.
Pradeep Kokkatt is 45 and Aliasgar Vora is 49. The company operates under the registered name Eight Specialist Services Pvt Ltd.
The startup is registered with the Kerala Startup Mission. The Weekend Leader puts its turnover at Rs 6 Cr over five years.
What are Greenbio’s bottles made of?
Greenbio’s bottles are made from polylactic acid, called PLA, which comes from corn starch and sugarcane. PLA looks like plastic but is fully compostable, and the bottles break down in about 180 days.
As they break down, Greenbio’s bottles leave only water, carbon dioxide and biomass. The caps and labels are also biodegradable.
Greenbio blows PLA preforms into bottles from 100 ml to 1 litre. The bottles meet ASTM D6400, EN 13432 and ISO 17088 standards. India’s Central Pollution Control Board has approved the material.
How does Greenbio make the bottles?
Greenbio splits production across three states to cut costs. It makes the raw material in Baramati, Maharashtra, and the preforms in Tamil Nadu.
The caps are made in Kerala, while the head office, logistics hub and distribution centre sit in Kochi. This spread helps Greenbio keep quality and meet demand.
Greenbio targets premium buyers first, where people will pay more for green packaging. Its range also includes compostable cling films, grocery bags and D-cut bags.
Is the government backing compostable bottles?
The Kerala government is working with Greenbio on a compostable water bottle brand called Hilly Aqua. The state calls it India’s first compostable water bottle. The Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation, or KIIDC, leads the project.
KIIDC will make the bottles at its plants in Thodupuzha and Aruvikkara. A plain plastic bottle costs about Rs 2.50, so the compostable version adds real cost.
KIIDC sells packaged water at Rs 15 per bottle. Roshy Augustine, the state water resources minister, backed an early prototype. Kerala would become the first state to sell compostable water bottles.
What this means for you: Compostable PLA bottles are now made in India. They can cut your plastic waste, but they still cost more than PET.
StartupFeed Insight
Greenbio’s real test is cost, not chemistry. At about five times the price of PET, PLA bottles will stay in premium and government orders for now. The Kerala tie-up matters because a state buyer can absorb that gap and prove demand at scale. Watch other state corporations and airport retailers next, since both face plastic bans and can pass on the cost. Greenbio should also disclose its yearly bottle volume, which no report yet gives. Expect at least one more state to pilot compostable water bottles by mid 2027 if Hilly Aqua ships on time.
— Avinash Mishra, Business Correspondent
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