Textile companies in Punjab have focused their efforts on hazardous materials (hazmat) suits, producing suits that are of high quality and that will cost a fraction of the price of those imported from overseas. Their efforts are timely, and the Union government is already responding favorably. The government has placed an order for 15 lakh pieces of hazmat suits and PPE, ordering from three Punjabi textile manufacturers. The companies in question include JCT Phagwara, Evershine Impex, and Navyug Laminates. Samples of Navyug Laminates’ PPE fabric have been approved by the authorized laboratory, and production is expected to proceed apace. The speed with which the companies have mobilized to meet the orders of the Punjab government has been nothing short of astonishing. The companies came up with samples of hazmat suits in a mere 7-10 days, despite none of them previously manufacturing these items. The government made the arrangements to take the samples provided by the companies and airlift them to a lab in Coimbatore, where they passed the mandatory tests. In one of the tests, the materials were subjected to a blood penetration test, which ensures that blood and other liquids cannot penetrate into the suit. The project is subject to the oversight of a team under the guidance of Punjab additional chief secretary Vini Mahajan. Additional chief secretary Mahajan has been coordinating with the businessmen and has spent time with the various organizations and departments of the Union government in order to address issues and ensure that all PPE items are delivered in a fast and timely fashion. In Mahajan’s words: “The textile sector of Punjab can easily produce protective gear, which is desperately needed all over the country and [the] world.” Mahajan described the response from the businessmen as positive. The working relationship appears to be a very solid one, with both, the textile companies and the government united by a need to produce high-quality, economically affordable PPE as fast as possible.
In addition to the hazmat suits, the government and the textile companies are looking to produce another important item of PPE. As Mahajan explained: “Some industrialists have also manufactured N95 masks which are yet to pass the tests as some minor changes are required in the already developed samples here. As far as triple-layered masks are concerned, seven manufacturers from Punjab have already started production.” India has been hit hard not only by COVID-19 but also by the economic slowdown and government lockdown policies. For many workers, especially the rural poor, the loss of employment and income is an even bigger threat than the virus. One of the effects of these policies has been an exodus of working poor from the countryside to villages. Another reason why the refocusing of the textile industry to manufacture PPE is so important: is that it will provide steady employment for vulnerable workers in a textile industry that has been hit hard by Prime Minister Narendra Modhi’s order for a 21-day national lockdown. That national lockdown extended to apparel factories and all other types of factories. The textile industry has been devastated. Firms are unable to manufacture in many cases, and exports to Europe and the United States – crucial for the Indian textile industry – are also out. Faced with a lockdown that threatens to starve them, India’s migrant workers have already shown a willingness to not only defy Modhi’s order but to clash with the police. Recently, a crowd of these migrant textile workers gathered in New Delhi, and attempted to head back to their homes in the countryside, leading to a showdown in which the migrants threw stones and the police deployed teargas. Many other workers have been guaranteed paid leave, though the economic impact of the crisis calls into question the ability of employers to be able to deliver on this in the longer term. A lack of PPE in the workplace was also an issue before the lockdown and is likely to continue to be an issue once India’s factories reopen. As India teeters on the brink of an anticipated massive surge in COVID-19 cases, that is expected to severely strain its weak public health system, the efforts of Punjab’s government and textile manufacturers to step up production of PPE are crucial. In addition to providing employment for vulnerable workers, the production of PPE will help India as the country faces the spread of the coronavirus on what is expected to be a massive scale. Fortunately, the PPE manufacturing effort is getting a great deal of support from the government ministries of textiles, health, and civil aviation. The government and the major companies are also trying to develop ventilators. In fact, two Ludhiana-based units have already started development work on a prototype of a low-cost ventilator. According to Vishal Aggarwal, proprietor of Evershine Impex India, it was only a week prior to the lockdown that his firm began experimenting with the hazmat suit. Working with the state government, they developed a sample and it was tested at Coimbatore. Since then, they have manufactured the product at a cost of Rs 3,000, one-fifth the cost of an imported product. As Aggarwal says: “We soon hope to dispatch the first lot from 2.50-lakh piece order received from the government.” Like the rest of the world, India is being hard hit by both the virus and the bite of the recession that has come as governments around the world order lockdowns and restrict economic activity. Faced with the prospect of an incipient massive spike in coronavirus cases, India will need the efforts of Punjab’s textile manufacturers more than ever before as these companies shift production to manufacture PPE. As production ramps up to meet demand, the Punjab textile factories will be crucial for the health both of the region and the rest of the country as India confronts the specter of COVID-19. About Us At CommonShare, we understand the fashion industry inside and out—the good, the bad and the potentially incredible. We are experienced and passionate product developers and sustainability experts who are raising the bar for a higher standard of doing business—socially, financially and environmentally. Our mission is to enable a more efficient, less wasteful way of producing clothes and textiles. Our platform unites and aligns suppliers’ and buyers’ efforts and intentions with better network and commerce tools—providing forward-thinking buyers and brands a more optimal way to source fabrics. Our streamlined approach to sourcing, not only provides transparency, but it connects you with like-minded suppliers who are more connected to your brand and its initiatives than ever. Sign up to CommonShare today! For Brands [ Click here] For Suppliers [Click here].