Hand sanitiser sales started to surge in the first week of March, and the trend continues well into the first week of April, when the country is 12 days into its 21-day lockdown. While companies who were in the sanitiser market earlier have ramped up production, several companies are foraying into sanitiser production including fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, companies that manufacture personal hygiene products and even alcohol companies.
As per reports, manufacturing of a sanitiser is fairly simple and mainly requires 70% of pure isopropyl alcohol and 30% of aloe vera gel or Polyethylene Glycol as an inactive ingredient.
In March, Dabur announced the launch of its hand sanitiser called Dabur Sanitize, which will initially be available on e-commerce platforms and then extended to offline stores across the country.
Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved too forayed into hand sanitiser manufacturing earlier this month. On Thursday, it said that it made 10 lakh hand sanitizers, which are available at a price below the government’s fixed price. It added that it will soon manufacture one crore sanitisers, which will be available in the market.
On Friday, personal grooming products maker Nivea India said that it will be using its plant in Sanand, Gujarat, to produce alcohol-based hand sanitizers. This plant was for manufacturing Nivea’s skincare products for the Indian market. Nivea said that these hand sanitisers will be distributed free of cost to the public hospitals and healthcare institutions in Ahmedabad and Vadodara as well as to its distribution partners across the country.
Perfume makers
Most recently, Kolkata-based FMCG company Emami, which runs the 'HE' brand of deodorants, is also planning to start manufacturing hand sanitisers.
Among other perfume and deodorant makers, garment maker Raymond through its FMCG arm Raymond Consumer Care (which makes deodorants and perfumes under the brand Park Avenue) is also awaiting government clearance to manufacture hand sanitisers.
RSH Global, which is known for the X-MEN brand of deodorants, also said that it will be foraying into a range of ‘hand-care’ products, which will also include hand sanitizers.
FMCG major ITC, which already makes sanitisers has also repurposed its recently commissioned perfume manufacturing plant in Himachal Pradesh to make Savlon-branded hand sanitizer to be able cater to the surge in demand for these products. With this plant, ITC will be able to make an additional 1.25 lakh litres of sanitisers.
Alcohol companies
The government, in March, asked distilleries and the sugar industry to improve the supply of extra neutral alcohol (ENA) and ethanol to companies making hand sanitisers.
In addition, liquor companies in India too have come forward to make sanitisers. The company that makes Magic Moments Vodka – Radico Khaitan – has said that it will produce hand sanitisers by expanding the use of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) at its distillery in Rampur.
Bacardi India has also started the production of hand sanitisers at its co-packing facility in Telangana and is planning to produce 70,000 litres of hand sanitiser, which will be distributed to district government hospitals.
Amrut Distilleries and John Distilleries are also seeking clarity on being able to manufacture hand sanitizers to help make up for the shortage in supply.
Pharmaceutical companies
Several pharmaceutical companies too are venturing into these hygiene products. This includes companies such as Cipla, ZEE Laboratories and IPC Healthcare.
PPE kits, ventilators and masks
Apart from sanitisers, several companies have also come forward to manufacture personal protection equipment, surgical masks and ventilators.
The government said on March 30 that 11 manufacturers have cleared quality tests for PPE masks, while N95 masks are being manufactured by two domestic producers and that DRDO is also collaborating with local manufacturers to produce about 20,000 N99 masks per day.
It also said that AgVa Healthcare in Noida has been able to develop suitable ventilators and an order of 10,000 ventilators has been placed. In addition, an order for 30,000 ventilators has been placed on Bharat Electronics Limited which is going to collaborate with domestic manufacturers in this endeavour. Indian automobile manufacturers are also preparing to manufacture ventilators.
Mahindra and Mahindra is not only producing ventilators but has also designed a face shield for frontline workers. The design has been sourced from Ford and will be manufactured in Kandivali, Mumbai.
Maruti Suzuki, apart from partnering with AgVa Healthcare to make ventilators, face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, is also working with Krishna Maruti Limited (a joint venture between Maruti and Ashok Kapur), to make two million 3-ply masks for supply to the central as well as state governments. Bharat Seats Limited, a joint venture between Maruti and the Relan family, will manufacture protective clothing for healthcare workers.
Two-wheeler maker TVS Motor has partnered with Sundaram-Clayton Ltd (SCL) and Sastra University to make ventilators or key parts of the medical apparatus for frontline workers.