Brijesh Ranilawala | PB Holotech (I) Pvt. Ltd.
Have you ever bought a product—maybe a bottle of perfume, a branded T-shirt, or even a smartphone charger—only to realize later that the quality was terrible and it was a fake? That moment of disappointment and wasted money is the direct result of a massive global problem: counterfeiting. It’s a multi-billion-dollar shadow economy that directly impacts your wallet and safety, making the fight for brand protection one of the most critical, high-stakes games in modern manufacturing.
In this challenging environment, PB Holotech (I) Pvt. Ltd. has established itself as a beacon of brand protection. Founded in Kolkata in 2000, the company’s core mission is to safeguard brands by manufacturing security holograms and advanced label solutions. Guiding this pioneering spirit is Brijesh Ranilawala, the CEO, whose journey is defined by a commitment to pairing fearless innovation with rigorous manufacturing discipline. Under his leadership, PB Holotech successfully expanded from a startup into a trusted global manufacturer, specializing in customized holograms, tamper-evident labels, and specialized films.
PB Holotech’s efficacy is rooted in its methodical approach to security. The company works by operating a continuous feedback loop, meticulously tracking global counterfeiting trends and customer needs to fuel its R&D. This ensures its offerings—which combat counterfeiting directly—are always a step ahead. Their strategy is a dual focus: they experiment boldly with new security features, and then they standardize rigorously on the manufacturing floor. This results in solutions that are not only cutting-edge but also perform consistently and reliably at an industrial scale, earning the trust of prominent global brands through customization and absolute confidentiality.
In the spotlight is Brijesh Ranilawala, CEO, in an exclusive interview for our prestigious CEO of the Year – 2025 edition. Learn from his insights and valuable lessons as an entrepreneur to excel and make it the best company. Stay tuned and know his tale of success.
Prime Insights: Can you give us an overview of PB Holotech (I) Pvt. Ltd. and its core offerings?
PB Holotech (I) Pvt. Ltd. was established in Kolkata in 2000 with the mission to safeguard brands through top-tier security solutions. Our core expertise lies in manufacturing security holograms and advanced label solutions. We directly combat counterfeiting by providing customized holograms, tamper-evident labels, specialized packaging films, and foils. Our company is driven by a commitment to bold innovation—constantly upgrading our technology to stay ahead of threats—while rigorously maintaining the reliable quality our clients expect. We aim to be the dependable shield for brand integrity.
Prime Insights: Could you share the inception story of PB Holotech and your personal journey to becoming CEO?
The inception of PB Holotech in 2000 was a direct response to the growing need for world-class holography to protect brands. From day one, we were determined to take daring technology bets in a rapidly evolving security landscape. My personal journey has been intrinsically linked to this pioneering spirit. I’ve focused on pairing that fearless innovation—exploring new effects and materials—with building a solid manufacturing discipline. My role as CEO has been about ensuring that every bold discovery is translated into a reliable, consistent, and high-quality solution delivered to the customer.
Prime Insights: How do you maintain work–life balance while leading a high-growth company?
Maintaining balance is rooted in structured priorities and empowered teams. I consciously dedicate my time to high-impact areas like overarching strategy, driving future innovation, and managing key customer relationships. Crucially, I have placed trust in our capable leaders to manage the daily operations seamlessly. Outside of work, I prioritize my personal anchors: dedicated family time, consistent fitness, and moments of quiet reflection. This methodical approach ensures I remain grounded, strategically focused, and ultimately more effective in my role, preventing burnout while driving growth.
Prime Insights: What are the key challenges you’ve faced, and what distinguishes PB Holotech’s growth strategy?
The central challenge is the rapid evolution of counterfeiters; it’s a constant technological arms race. The real test is our ability to continuously innovate ahead of the threats without ever compromising on our promised quality. What truly sets our growth apart is our methodical approach: we experiment boldly with new security features, and then we standardize rigorously. This dual focus ensures that every new solution we launch is not only cutting-edge but also performs consistently and dependably for our customers, a combination few in our sector can reliably deliver.
Prime Insights: Who are your primary clients and partners, and can you mention any notable collaborations?
Our primary clientele consists of prominent brands and manufacturers across various packaging-intensive sectors that have a critical need for robust anti-counterfeit and authentication solutions. These are businesses where brand reputation and consumer trust are paramount. Additionally, we forge strong partnerships with printing and packaging companies to ensure the seamless, practical integration of our security features into their production lines. Clients value us highly for our commitment to customization, absolute confidentiality, and, most importantly, our dependable repeat supply of high-security products.
Prime Insights: How does PB Holotech stay aligned with fast-moving market trends and global shifts?
To remain aligned, we operate a continuous feedback loop: first, we meticulously track the latest counterfeiting trends globally; second, we listen deeply to our customers’ evolving needs—their pain points dictate our direction. We also constantly benchmark global packaging innovations. These crucial insights directly fuel our R&D, guiding the development of new security effects and practical product formats. Finally, we implement strong process control to ensure that every trend-led product upgrade is integrated and delivered reliably and consistently at industrial scale.
Prime Insights: What is the importance of innovation and R&D in your long-term strategy?
Innovation and R&D are not just important; they are the absolute backbone of PB Holotech’s long-term strategy. To stay ahead of sophisticated duplication, we are continuously exploring new holographic effects, advanced materials, and various security formats. However, innovation goes beyond just the ‘what.’ We put equal effort into the ‘how,’ meticulously engineering repeatable production methods. This ensures that every breakthrough innovation translates into a security product that can be reliably manufactured and delivered to our customers with absolute consistency in performance.
Prime Insights: How do you build a motivated, high-performing workforce at PB Holotech?
We cultivate a high-performing workforce through a foundation of clarity, ownership, and skill development. Our teams undergo rigorous training in precision manufacturing techniques. We actively encourage them to experiment and take calculated risks, and we ensure that quality and successful innovation are recognized and rewarded. Transparent communication about company goals and measurable objectives keep everyone aligned. The core message is simple: be empowered to innovate boldly in your work, but maintain the discipline required to deliver flawlessly for the customer.
Prime Insights: What influences your leadership style, and what is your core message to your followers?
My leadership style is profoundly influenced by the hands-on lessons learned on the manufacturing floor and the guidance of mentors who instilled the core values of integrity and courage. My consistent message to our teams and aspiring leaders is threefold: be daring in discovery—never settle for the status quo; learn fast from any failure—treat setbacks as data points; and, most importantly, build the discipline to deliver value consistently. I believe that trust is the ultimate currency, and it is earned solely through that unwavering reliability.
Prime Insights: In your view, what is the role of modern CEOs in shaping society and the economy?
The role of modern CEOs extends far beyond quarterly profits. We have a crucial responsibility to shape society by creating sustainable jobs, leading the charge in responsible innovation, and setting high ethical standards within the industry. Specifically, in the security packaging sector, our leadership directly protects consumers and brands by actively reducing the flow of harmful counterfeit goods. By strengthening market trust and integrity, we become a direct and positive force, bolstering the stability and growth of the wider economy.
Prime Insights: What is your advice to aspiring leaders who are facing stereotypes or significant pressure?
My key advice is simple: do not let stereotypes or external pressures shrink your ambition. The path to leadership requires deep mastery, so focus on mastering your craft inside and out. Be prepared to take smart risks—calculated moves that push the boundaries. Remember that progress often appears slow, but relentless consistency wins in the long run. Be bold in your vision, cultivate resilience to weather inevitable setbacks, and be disciplined in your execution. Ultimately, your tangible results and achievements will be the strongest rebuttal to any doubt.
Prime Insights: Can you outline PB Holotech’s future plans, expansion, and major initiatives?
Our future roadmap is sharply focused on pioneering next-generation authentication and packaging security. Geographically, we plan to expand our sector reach and significantly deepen our export penetration. Technologically, we will continue our aggressive push into new holographic and label innovations through R&D. Crucially, alongside this bold discovery, a major initiative is strengthening our internal framework—we are investing heavily in capacity expansion and enhancing our quality control systems to ensure every future innovation is delivered reliably and consistently at a global scale.
Prime Insights: What have been the major milestones under your leadership?
A major milestone has been building PB Holotech from a startup in 2000 into a deeply trusted hologram manufacturer. I’ve overseen our successful strategic expansion into a diverse range of security labels, films, and foils, and critically, the maturation of our export capability to serve global brands. But perhaps the most enduring achievement has been cultivating a foundational company culture: one that is not afraid to innovate fearlessly—to constantly seek the next big security feature—while simultaneously ensuring we meet every promise reliably for our customers.
Prime Insights: How does PB Holotech approach CSR, sustainability, and community upliftment?
We view responsibility as an integral part of business excellence. Our approach to CSR starts with ethical manufacturing—ensuring fair employment practices and focusing on continuous process efficiency to proactively reduce waste in our operations. We are committed to constantly improving our sustainability practices over time, making our processes greener. Furthermore, our most consistent contribution to community upliftment is by providing stable, high-quality livelihoods for our employees, thereby building a secure and flourishing ecosystem around our operations.
Prime Insights: What final message would you like to share with the Prime Insights readers?
My final message is this: Innovation is for the daring, but true leadership is ultimately judged by consistency. I urge you to keep challenging old methods and to fearlessly discover new solutions. Back up that necessary creativity with the necessary discipline. Customers will certainly remember your breakthroughs and innovations, but they will reserve their fundamental trust for the people and companies who deliver reliably, consistently, and flawlessly every single time they are needed. Be the one they can always count on.
