Kumar Labels showcases sustainable innovations at Respack

Kumar Labels, the Greater Noida-based label converter with roots stretching back to 1962, used its Respack 2026 presence to spotlight a raft of sustainability-led innovations alongside its well-established strengths in embellished labels for the alcobev sector.

Patricia Pinto, deputy general manager, business development, Kumar Labels explained that whilst the company's origins lie in Kumar Printing, founded by the Bhargava family over six decades ago, Kumar Labels itself was established as a separate entity under Anuj Bhargava, an electronics engineer whose career spanned packaging operations in Korea, Japan and the USA. Today, the company operates nine flexo presses, three letterpress machines, seven screen printers and eight hot foil stamping machines from its single Greater Noida facility.

Backward integration as a differentiator

A core part of the Kumar Labels proposition is its backward-integrated substrate capability. Rather than purchasing finished labelstock from third parties, the company buys face material and liner separately, then applies coatings and adhesives in-house. Pinto said this approach underpins supply relationships with major FMCG names including Dabur, Emami and Tata Consumer, as well as the beverage clients that form the backbone of its business.

Wash-off labels and the beverage opportunity

Perhaps the most talked-about innovation on the stand was the company's proprietary wash-off label technology, developed to support glass bottle reuse in the beverage industry. Kumar Labels offers two variants: one capable of clean removal within three hours, and a faster option that achieves the same result in just three minutes.

Ashok Kumar Gill, head of R&D and business development, Kumar Labels noted that the technology had already been deployed with Diageo and many other brands. 

SRTF patent and recyclable materials

Gill also outlined the company's patented SRTF (single release for two faces) technology, which enables double-sided label production from a single liner, delivering up to 50% cost savings on liner material. Both face and liner materials are produced using rPET, a recyclable polyester substrate, supporting circular economy claims across the product range.

Kumar Labels additionally confirmed that its entire operation runs on UV LED curing technology, which it says reduces electricity consumption to approximately 50% of conventional UV usage across the industry. Solar panel installation is planned in the near term.

Tree-free paper in the pipeline

Looking ahead, Gill and Pinto revealed that the company is around 50% of the way towards launching a cotton-based, tree-free paper substrate, with the alcobev segment, particularly spirits, identified as the initial target market. The material is expected to be ready before the end of 2025, with large corporate and consumer goods brands firmly in the company's sights.

Kumar Labels also works with FSC-certified papers and pointed to tactile, textured paper labels, including leather-effect finishes, as a growing area of interest for premium whisky brands.

Business outlook

Pinto described the first half of 2026 as strong, with two large new clients in the pipeline. The company currently runs two shifts at its Greater Noida plant and has the capacity to add a third, giving it room to grow without capital-intensive expansion. It prints approximately 22-crore labels per month.

At Respack, the team said its primary goal was connecting with brand owners, describing the show as one of the few occasions where senior brand-side decision makers are accessible in one place.