India's PPE industry must now solve for quality

PPE production in India went from zero to 450,000 kits per day in less than three months; the emphasis is now on quality. But creating a product-market fit for the pandemic won’t be as quick or easy

India became the second-largest manufacturer of PPE kits globally, thanks to the government's aggressive manufacturing push

But in an overcrowded market, fabric specifications and benchmark quality for coveralls are the two biggest challenges manufacturers face

The non-woven, laminated fabric used to make the coveralls isn’t ideal for frontline workers who need breathable fabric for long hours

To make for an export market, a quality overhaul for other segments of PPE—masks, gloves, face shields—is also needed

On 18 May, India crossed an unlikely milestone—it became the second largest producer of personal protective equipment (PPE) globally. It’s no mean feat; India went from producing zero to 450,000 PPE kits a day in less than three months.

The shortage of PPE kits, the world over, had been a stumbling block in the fight against Covid-19. Without access to quality PPE, frontline healthcare workers (HCW) even donned donned BBC The NHS workers wearing bin bags as protection Read more garbage bags to protect themselves against the virus.

AUTHOR

Olina Banerji

Based in Delhi, Olina writes about mega-trends in urban mobility, education, skilling and the environment, with a focus on how institutions and innovations can help cities grow sustainably. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics, and has worked previously with India Today and global non-profit Ashoka.

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