Turning Plastic Waste into Purpose: Inside Hikon India’s 40 Year Sustainability Journey
In a candid episode of Impact Individuals, Sumit Kumar, Director of Hikon India, reflects on how a family-run enterprise evolved into a global player in plastic recycling machinery. From humble beginnings four decades ago to serving clients across India and 30+ countries, Hikon’s story is one of persistence, innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainability beyond profit.
Author : Aashiya Jain | EQmint Originals
When conversations around sustainability often sound trendy or transactional, Hikon India’s story feels refreshingly grounded. In this episode of Impact Individuals, Sumit Kumar doesn’t just talk about recycling as a business he talks about it as responsibility, legacy, and long-term impact.
Hikon India was founded over 40 years ago by Sumit’s father, at a time when plastic recycling was barely a discussion in India. What started as a focused manufacturing unit for recycling machinery gradually became an end-to-end solutions provider for the recycling industry. Sumit officially joined the business in 2009, bringing with him a modern outlook while staying rooted in the values the company was built on.
Today, Hikon operates out of Delhi and Haryana, offering complete recycling systems from washing lines and shredders to extrusion and pelletizing machines. Their solutions reach almost every Indian state and extend to over 30 countries globally, a scale that didn’t happen overnight but through consistent execution and trust built over decades.
One of the defining pillars of Hikon’s growth has been its strong “Make in India” approach. Unlike many manufacturers who rely heavily on imported components, Hikon produces around 70% of its machinery parts in-house. This not only ensures tighter quality control but also allows the company to deliver faster and more reliable after-sales service something Sumit believes is non-negotiable in industrial manufacturing.
Innovation continues to drive the company forward. At an upcoming exhibition in Delhi, Hikon plans to unveil two new machines a plastic drying squeezing machine and a two-ton-per-hour extrusion pelletizing line. These additions are aimed at improving efficiency and meeting the evolving needs of recyclers working at scale.
Growth isn’t limited to products alone. The company is also investing heavily in infrastructure, with plans to expand its manufacturing area to nearly 10,000 square meters by next year. For Sumit, this expansion represents readiness not just for higher demand, but for doing things better and more responsibly.
At its core, Hikon’s mission remains simple: to make high quality recycling equipment accessible and affordable, enabling the recycling ecosystem to grow in a healthy, structured way. Sumit is clear that sustainability should not be reduced to a buzzword or a revenue model. He speaks of it as a global obligation, especially in a world grappling with mounting plastic waste.
Perhaps the most telling moment comes during the rapid-fire round. When asked to choose between entrepreneurs and buyers, Sumit picks buyers not for commercial reasons, but because they perform the critical task of actually recycling plastic and protecting the planet. It’s a choice that neatly sums up Hikon’s philosophy.
After 40 years, Hikon India isn’t just manufacturing machine it’s helping shape a more responsible future for the recycling industry, one innovation at a time.
The conversation with Sumit Kumar, Director of Hikon India, for example, isn’t just about machines and revenue numbers; it’s about a family legacy, the evolution of plastic recycling in India, and a broader commitment to responsible manufacturing. That’s the essence of Impact Individuals giving audiences not just facts, but context, motivation and thoughtful human stories behind the companies and leaders shaping modern India.
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