48 | FORBES INDONESIA JULY 2019
FALSE LASHES
Before starting the coconut sugar busi-
ness, Amir produced false eyelashes under
the name PT Bio Takara. The reason was
simply because Purwokerto had a large
number of skilled workers in the trade.
“For years, there have been Korean com-
panies operating in Purbalingga [a city in
Banyumas], employing local workers to
produces wigs, false lashes, toupees, and
hair extensions. Why can’t we do the same
thing but sell them overseas?” says Amir.
Bio Takara was started in 2009. At that
time, there were no false lashes manu-
facturers in Purwokerto. Today Bio Takara
employs 2,000 workers in five different
facilities in Banyumas regency and its
products are exported to the US, Europe,
and Africa. The false lashes are made for
major global brands that have dominated
the global lashes industry for years.
“On average, our lashes’ selling price is
10% higher compare to other manufactur-
ers. Why? Because in the US, when retail-
ers hear of lashes from Indonesia, it means
the best quality because all the lashes are
fully handmade,” says Amir, while declining
to name the brands.
Currently, competition in the industry
is intense and this has led to a gradual shift
in the company’s strategy. Previously, al-
most all of Bio Takara lashes were shipped
to the US market but since the quality
of lashes from Vietnam and China has
improved the company has begun to look
more at the domestic market although
currently 90% of the company’s output is
still allocated to the global market.
“We have a positive outlook on local
opportunities. If there is demand in the
domestic market, we will surely cater to
it. Globally speaking, the market for false
lashes has reached a plateau and it remains
to be seen what will follow,” says Amir.for manufacturing sauces and bakery
products. Coconut sugar contains
natural minerals and vitamins that
support a healthy lifestyle. Coconut
sugar tastes a lot sweeter than cane
sugar, but it also contains the healthy
fats that research suggests can help
prevent high cholesterol and heart
disease. The low glycemic index of
coconut sugar—around half of table
sugar, is also a key reason for its pop-
ularity. It is seen as a healthier substi-
tute for table sugar and marketed as
having a higher nutrient content and
distinctive taste.
The increasing demand for vari-
ous skincare products such as body
scrubs, shaving gels, face and body
creams is also expected to drive the
market growth for the coming years.
The growth of the FMCG industry
coupled with growing consumer de-
mand for herbal skin and haircare
products is expected to have a posi-
tive impact on the growth. Fat least 2,000 tonnes of organic
coconut sugar and the figure has
been growing by 30% every year.
Currently, Coco Sugar reaches
45 countries, across three conti-
nents. Furthermore, the growing
trend in the global demand for
organic coconut sugar far out-
strips the available supply. Based
on the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization Statis-
tics (FAOSTAT) website, Indone-
sia has one of the largest coconut
area harvested with 3 million
hectares. The Philippines, Indo-
nesia, and Thailand have been
major producers and have ac-
counted for about 80% of the
global production over the past
few decades, meaning that there
is huge potential for the business
in the future.
Moreover, the demand for
coconut sugar has driven the
industry to the next level. The
awareness regarding the health
benefits of coconuts has spread
and this corner of the global co-
conut sugar market is expected
to witness a boom given the pos-
sible applications in the food and
beverage industry, particularly WIJAYANTO/FORBES INDONESIA (2); COURTESY OF COCO SUGAR