Virus-Hit Textile Units In Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur Turns To Mask Production

Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur - the hosiery capital of India - is emerging as a hub for the production of life-saving masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as India fights against the spread of the highly infectious novel coronavirus or COVID-19.  

Nearly hundred factories are open in the city, about 460 km from state capital Chennai, with special permission to make these crucial life-saving face covers amid the countrywide lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus.

The factory of Melange Polymers P Ltd, which has been in the business for quite some time, manufactures 50,000 masks everyday, by using 2,000 machines and about 200 staffers.

The factory operates 24x7 and has tripled its production.  

P Anand, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the factory told NDTV, "We supply high quality mask.  We have been exporting these to Italy, UK and Europe. Now our entire production goes only to domestic market through collectorates across the country."

They also manufacture 10,000 pieces of the crucial Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) - recommended by the World Health Organization or WHO -daily for the safety of health workers such as doctors and nurses.

Industrialists say all these require different types of fabrics and a range of raw materials. With the supply chain broken due to lockdown, there are numerous challenges.  

J Ravindranath, COO of the stitching division says, "We face challenges in procurement of fabric, thread and other materials. So far, the local industry has been helpful providing whatever they have."

Around hundred factories involved in the manufacturing of garments for years have now ventured into mask and PPEs production for the first time.  

Kumar Duraiswamy, an entrepreneur, adds "Tiruppur has received orders for one million PPEs. Tamil Nadu government has been proactive on this."

Experts look at mask and PPE manufacturing as a great opportunity for Tiruppur to establish itself as a hub for medical textiles.

The pandemic has already hit the garment industry in Tiruppur, which has a turnover of Rs 48,000 crore, as overseas clients have been cancelling or putting orders on hold and deferring payments as they suffer.

Factory owners hope that it may take about a year for the industry to revive after health crisis is brought under control.

They hope masks and PPEs could be a lifesaver for the industry that employs around 12 lakh people.

TR Vijay Kumar, General Secretary, Tirupur Exporters Association said: "Medical and industrial textiles could be a game-changer for Tiruppur".

Many are also taking the advantage of the Tamil Nadu government's initiative to develop manufacturing of these in the state by offering special loans and concessions.