Arvind, ACT Grants partner to produce 3 cr masks in 12 months

Besides masks, Arvind also manufactures protective coveralls and bio-suits for medical practitioners and frontline warriors.

Textile-to-retail conglomerate Arvind on Tuesday said it has partnered with ACT Grants, a non-profit coalition of VC funds and start-up founders, to produce 3 crore N95 masks in the next 12 months

Arvind has received a grant of Rs 10 crore from ACT Grants and will employ its manufacturing expertise on medical products and working capital to create a large, integrated facility for N95 mask production and distribution, the company said in a statement. Through this partnership, Arvind and ACT Grants will jointly donate 90 lakh masks over the next year to charitable institutions, government bodies and other organisations, focusing on medical and non-medical professionals with the highest risk of contracting the virus

Upon complete scale-up, the daily N95 mask production capacity will be approximately 2 lakh units, which would be operated, owned and managed by Arvind, the company said. This capacity would bridge the gap in supply and edge India towards self-sufficiency in N95 masks. Besides masks, Arvind also manufactures protective coveralls and bio-suits for medical practitioners and frontline warriors. Arvind has supplied more than 1 lakh coveralls so far to the central and state governments.