80 | Kumar Labels‘Traditionally, all commercial labelstock manufacturers have been using hot melt in the liquor industry. We have launched a special labelstock that can easily be “erased” from the bottle after use.’ Another development from Kumar Labels includes recyclable barrier-coated and poly-coated liners. Trials are ongoing. This could not only bring recyclability of liners, but also reduce costs. The converter is using poly-coated liners on craft paper, poster and map litho papers. The coating is claimed to be removable for liner recycling. Kumar Labels uses polyester flms with high 50-70 percent post-consumer recycled content. Training center Kumar Labels’ Greater Noida facility also houses its new initiative - CO-HELP (Center of High Excellence in Label Printing). The Center had been running informally for the last 10 years to train students and new entrants to the label industry. Since 2011, the company has trained 1,200 people who are now working in the industry Label fnishing equipment at Kumar Labels’ Noida factoryacross the country. Now a certifcate program has started under the new name.“We feel that someone has to ‘We have an unsaid no-poach policy. We hire freshers and train them in the label industry. We have hired many students from the take the initiative of adding Northern Regional Institute Of Printing Technology (NRIPT) in Allahabad. My father graduated from this college in the early 1970s. fresh blood to the industry. As We have an emotional connection with it.’ Bhargava hires 20 to 25 graduates each year from the college technology develops, someone and trains them on label technology. ‘We feel that someone has to take the initiative of adding fresh needs to initiate training”blood to the industry. As technology develops, someone needs to initiate training,’ he says. she has received immense support from the company in terms of One of the former professors of SIES College of Arts, Science guidance and upskilling. & Commerce in Mumbai has joined Kumar as head of CO-HELP ‘We get to work in sorting, inspection, printing or job changing. Center. He is accompanied by a recruiter who approaches colleges We are not limited by our departments or skills. Everyone gets the and skilled centers for fresh recruits. chance to learn whatever they are interested in and we can replace The training modules include video-based training that is each other in case of emergencies,’ she says. not just technical but also includes basic professional soft skills. Ritika Gautam has been working at Kumar for fve years. She The students are then trained on offine machines and not in started with sorting and quickly moved to inspection, cutting and production. fnishing. ‘Anuj Bhargava sir asks us if we are interested in learning ‘How many companies train freshers on basics such as the further and accordingly provides opportunities to learn new skills. I theory of anilox rollers? How does it work and why does it need really enjoy working here.’ to be handled delicately? What is ultrasonic cleaning, and why is Priyanka Verma had heard good things about the company from it used? These are basic topics from where training starts. I have her peers who said that they get the opportunity to learn several come across people in the industry who do not know the basics of skills. She decided to join Kumar and Bhargava encouraged her to printing. We teach our students how to install and remove anilox run a printing press. rollers at least 100 times. With that practice the movement of wrist Kajal Mishra was recruited right after her diploma. She faced and hands becomes a skill,’ Bhargava adds. family opposition and Kumar’s HR spoke with her family to let her The students are then trained on production presses depending work. ‘I work on a printing machine. I get massive support from Anuj on what course they choose. The training takes place from seven Bhargava sir and we can reach out to him directly in case of any to 25 days. problems. Our backgrounds and education don’t matter when it The training is followed by an online video-based test and those comes to training. We get to learn whatever interests us.’ who pass the course receive a certifcation making them eligible for Priyanka Verma says that a college education doesn’t provide employment in the label industry. any practical knowledge of printing technology. ‘I spoke at home, but my father was against me working. But my grandparents and Kumar encourages women in labels mother supported me to be able to work here. They were worried Kumar Labels plans to recruit more than 30 percent of women about me in the beginning. When I told them that I am happy employees across its facilities. working here, they were relieved. And I enjoy working here because ‘We have been very lucky to have found some brilliant talent. women are usually not encouraged to work with machines in India. It makes me so proud when I see two young women running a I am proud to say that I can work with machines just as well as my 12-color fexo press at 100m/min,’ Bhargava states. male colleagues. I am happy about the fact that I will be able to Kumar has recruited women across HR, customer care, progress in the trade that I chose as my career.’business development, printing, camera inspection, platemaking, Many other fascinating stories of other women could be heard at housekeeping and packaging teams. The converter has more women Bhargava’s facility. than men at its Goa factory. When Chanchal Kumari began her career at Kumar, she was To take a look inside Kumar Labels during the beginning doubtful if she would be able to work on equipment. Her seniors of the Covid-19 pandemic, visit https://bit.ly/3FBdKwEtrained her and transferred her to camera inspection. Kumari says labelsandlabeling.com