More companies should come forward to manufacture PPEs: NRDC

‘There is a great demand for the kits as COVID-19 cases on the rise’

Many companies are now designing PPE kits with indigenous technology with better quality.

The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), an enterprise of DSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, has appealed to companies to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with indigenous technology.

The NRDC is a compendium of licensing and commercialisation of the products developed by various companies. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given clearance for 39 companies for manufacturing PPEs in India.

Various public-funded organisations, including IITs, universities and startups developed technologies in designing PPEs, which have high demand across the globe, in the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus.

“The ICMR is a regulatory body to give clearance for manufacturing PPEs and the NRDC is the licensing authority for taking up the project. We request more startup companies to come forward to make PPEs as the demand will increase in the next few months,” NDRC Chairman and Managing Director (C&MD) H. Purushotham said on Wednesday.

In the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19, PPEs were imported and manufactured with Chinese machines. Now, many companies were designing the kits with indigenous technology with better quality, the C&MD said.

“The demand and supply gap of PPEs is very high and we are still importing the kits from other countries. As there is a great demand in view of the steep increase in COVID cases, more companies should manufacture PPEs by maintaining ICMR and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) standards,” Mr. Purushotham said.

‘Quality matters’

"Some companies are designing PPEs which are not fully protective. They are selling the kits at lesser prices and making good money. I request the frontline staff and the public to buy quality PPEs and approved by the regulatory authorities," Dr. Purushotham said adding that the licensed companies were designing PPEs with standard certification and the public can verify the quality before purchasing.

“Many startup companies and institutions invested funds in some crores of rupees on developing PPEs across the country. The NRDC is ready to provide financial aid to the aspiring entrepreneurs and startup companies and give necessary guidance in this regard. We gave licenses to six companies so far,” said NRDC C&MD and asked the young entrepreneurs to make use of the opportunity.