Page 34 - Plastics News November 2021

INTERVIEw

product (say, the hospital curtains). atleast a quarter,should anything Being Indian in origin,we should
Each of these products should be adversehappen. The migrant crisis be able to build a global business
of significant importance to the essentially emerged, when they around it. However,there needs to
healthcare segment. foundthey would not be paid or be an appropriate credible quality
looked after by their employers as certification eco system created with
Q. Can you share your thebusinesses are shut due to the government sponsorship.
experience during the pandemic. This perhaps couldhave
been avoided had the businesses Q. What is your advice
Pandemic? planned for the worse.My key learning to the plastic industry

A. Our manufacturing locations have is therefore to have three months’ professionals for
gone throughevery possible difficulties cash burn, asones cash balance.
which most industries would have Q. What should be the developing careers in
faced. Starting from statutory theMedical Plastics
limitation to the use of maximum “new normal” for the
labour force to keeping strict social industry? Sector?
distancing in the workplace. The A. Even if Plastics is often denoted as
factory in Thane had the problem A. As regards the ‘new normal’, a bad word, the mankind cannot do
of transporting theemployees from maintaining social distance away with it. Plastics was invented
their homes, while the Mumbai andcontinual sanitization in workplace, to protect nature – to save wood,
local trains arenot functioning. together with hygienic habitslike ivory and rare metals. The medical
Staggering work hours, intermittent intermittent washing hands in soap world needs packaging that are safe
holidays,arranging transport for water, will be here to stayfor some and food-grade. As of now, no
picking up and dropping employees time. Most people are not going to known substitute is available for
,strict sanitation practices, continuous risk their lives bypacking themselves plastics, barring the use of glass in
facility sanitization,checking every like sardines either in transport or in certain sectors. I believe there is
employee multiple times, are some of workspace. The virus in my view has great opportunity in the medical
the new stuffs we introduced. With changed forever, the importanceof plastics sector, especially in the areas
divine intervention, we did not have health over wealth. of biodegradable, recyclable and
the additional challenge of migrating
labour, as our employees are mostly Q. How do you see sustainable plastics.
local inhabitants. the future growth
Q. According to you, pr ospects f or

what are the lessons Healthcare & Medical
f or the industr y Plastics Sector –both
from the COVID-19 for domestic and

experience? export markets?

A. When I saw the sad pictures of A. I foresee healthcare sector as a
migrant labourswalking hundreds of huge opportunity for theIndian
milestowards their homes as soon businesses. Especially in the sector
asthe lock downs wereannounced, of ‘nutrition’ and‘immunity’ building.
it dawned on to methat businesses Health is now the wealth, and not
should havethe resilience to face the otherway round. India has huge
seriousworkplace distortions for treasure of ayurvedic solutions
atleastthree months. It means that for both nutrition and immunity
thebusinesses should havefunding building. A few examples areturmeric,
firepower to meetexigencies for tulsi, neem. Just to name a few.

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NOVEMBER 2021VEMBER 2021
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