At the IndiaCorr Expo exhibition at Greater Noida, Bobst India’s zonal business director Venugopal Menon, related to us that the company has done well in the past couple of years despite the pandemic and the lockdowns. Acknowledging the resilience and long-term growth and evolution of the Indian packaging industry, he revealed that Bobst India employs 400 personnel within the country. And that its plant in Pune manufactures a sizable number of the folder-gluers it sells around the world as well as components for other equipment that the company manufactures in its plants globally.
Speaking specifically about the Corrugated Expo and the corrugated industry, he said that the corrugated industry has evolved significantly over the past decade, a growth that he expects to continue and this is exciting for Bobst India. “Bobst is renowned for supplying printing and converting equipment for the corrugated industry, and this industry has evolved drastically in the last 7 to 8 years. People are looking for more productive machines, and this is where Bobst has a role to play. We are into flexo folder gluers which are mainly the converting lines for corrugated boxes, we also manufacture flatbed die-cutters and folder gluers again for the corrugated board industry.”
Explaining the robust demand for corrugated boxes during the pandemic, Menon said that the volumes are here to stay and there is a bright future although there may be challenges from time to time such as raw material prices. “At this exhibition, we are showcasing some of the corrugated box samples which our customers are producing. I am glad to say that by this time, we have sold more than 30 flexo folder gluer lines in India which is a fantastic success for us. This is the industry which will evolve further, and I see quite a bit of growth for the corrugated board industry in India.”
Menon was pleased with the turnout and the overall excitement of the industry’s return to business. He said, “This time, at IndiaCorr Expo, we are very excited to meet our customers, and I thought that many people might not turn up because of Covid-19, but I am surprised to see such a decent footfall on the first day. I feel people wanted to go out and meet suppliers, in fact, and to meet up with their business associates. It seems that the industry was also looking just to come out to showcase itself after a long gap. It’s great to have an expo finally happening, and I hope things turn out well for the industry.”
“A good lesson – The best will survive”
Menon concluded our conversation with a message to the corrugation and packaging industry, “Today the time has come that people have to really look at their efficiency and productivity, and this is why how you are organized is going to be very important. This is because Covid-19 has shown people that you have to be more agile, proactive, and very responsive to the changes. I think many people have learned and got quite a good lesson during the pandemic. Lastly, I will just say that ‘the best will survive’ – it means organizations that are more cash flow positive, efficient, and very conscious about quality and service will outshine the others in the future.”
The image and captions of this article have been corrected on 22 November 2022 as an earlier image was mistakenly used in the earlier version. The error is regretted – Editor
