Jakarta (ANTARA) - Local businesses which successfully managed to penetrate the global market amid the COVID-19 pandemic shared their experiences at a webinar on Tuesday.

They included Hendy Setiono, CEO and founder of Baba Rafi Turkish Kebab, which is set to open its branch in India in December.

"The brand was supposed to come to India in the middle of 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the plan was halted. Thankfully, Baba Rafi's Kebab will come to India in December, 2020," he said at the webinar titled 'The Stretch of Local Entrepreneurs to Penetrate Global Markets in the Transition Pandemic Era’ on Tuesday.

Setiono said India will become the 10th country where the Indonesian food brand has expanded its global reach. At present, the business is preparing to serve Indian customers by carrying out renovations and training local workers, he added.

Relating her experience, Shinta Melodi, a furniture entrepreneur, said that even though the pandemic delayed orders for furniture, conditions are now starting to improve and her company has resumed exports as of June.

"Because our market is made up of 70 percent exports, the conditions under the pandemic then made us approach the domestic market, as people's traveling budgets have now shifted to house renovations," she pointed out.

Meanwhile, Yudhi Andrinto, whose business deals with ultraviolet light medical equipment (UVC), revealed that the pandemic made him and his team want to do something for the nation. This led to them providing additional health protocol facilities that can be used in public areas, hospitals, and homes.

"Even though the export opportunities are narrowing due to the massive UVC 254 wave production in China, we just registered a new invention patent for our Far UVC 222 product. Maybe it can be exported in the future," he said of the sterilization equipment which can be used in hospitals, schools, and transportation facilities.

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Translator: Ade Irma Junida/Aria Cindyara
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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