Capacity utilisation of FMCG firms at less than half over weak consumption

Manufacturing activity continues to suffer at most plants of leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies as the lockdown and containment zones cripple day-to-day operations.

Top companies that Business Standard spoke to said that despite most of them making staples and essential products, movement of raw material, goods and labour remained restricted, impacting sales.

Capacity utilisation, they said, varied between 20 and 40 per cent at their units, hardly good news for a sector that was looking to recover from a general consumption slowdown. The focus also remains on producing food and hygiene items for now to tide over the current crisis and