The Indian converter had invested in a disused warehouse in early 2020 but the planning phase was interrupted by the lockdown. Undeterred, Anuj Bhargava, CEO of Kumar Labels, decided to press ahead. With the help of a contractor, they drew highly detailed plans of the layout, including specifics such as pneumatic and electric lines, water pipes, and other important aspects.
As elsewhere in the world, countries in Southeast Asia have been facing severe challenges due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdowns imposed by their respective governments.
A temporary ‘half-lockdown’ is still underway in Indonesia, according to Henky Wibawa, executive director at the Indonesian Packaging Federation. ‘The necessary FMCG retail business is still moving, though certain product sectors are really down,’ he says. ‘For instance, the ready-to-drink beverages sector is definitely declining tremendously, and this has negatively affected the use of labels for bottles. All in all, the label market is suffering a great deal here.’
Jason Lim, sales manager at Truf, a Malaysia-based equipment manufacturer, says: ‘The pandemic hit us badly because we could not travel overseas for machine sales and marketing activities. It also led to cancellation of local as well as international exhibitions in Thailand and Vietnam where we planned to exhibit. Further, training new