The Hindu Business Line : Finnish firm plans foray into medical textiles

Imagine if you could don a shirt and walk in to a room full of viruses that can cause hepatitis, MRSA, SARS and avian influenza, and not worry about infection. An average consumer may not be keen to make a fashion statement with such shirts, but if you are a doctor working in the communicable diseases department of a hospital, it matters a great deal.

And it would be possible now that Ahlstrom Corporation, a Finnish company, is entering India with plans to make medical textiles.

Ahlstrom manufactures single-use non-woven fabrics that provide protection against diseases in operating theatres and external environments and is going to set up a factory at the Mundra SEZ in Gujarat in October.

The manufactured fabric will be converted in to drapes, gowns, facemasks and protective apparel garments of medical textiles, said Ms Shashi Singh, Joint Textiles Commissioner.

“Ahlstrom will be eligible for 100 per cent benefits under the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme. The Gujarat Government is giving 10 per cent capital subsidy on imported machinery, thereby attracting many foreign players,” she added.

Ahlstrom manufactures specialty papers and non-wovens, using natural and synthetic fibres to produce roll goods for customers who can turn them into products such as filters, wipes, flooring, labels and tapes.

In medical textiles, they manufacture single-use medical fabrics of choice for operating theatres and other protective applications.

Mr M. Mallyah, Secretary of Associations of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, US, said: “Most of the companies interested in setting up a technical textile plant in India are looking at joint ventures and buyback schemes.”

His company is engaged in bringing such companies in collaboration with Indian entrepreneurs for tie-ups.

Medical textiles are a fast growing sector of the technical textile industry, which requires proper research and development to grow in India, according to Mr Mallyah.

They include emerging textile-based biomaterials, hygienic textiles, infection control, barrier materials, bandaging and pressure garments for managing chronic infections such as ulcers, managing burns and wounds, textile-based implantable devices such as tissue scaffolds and sutures, and intelligent textiles.

Companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark and Beiersdorf are established players in the field of medical textiles.

KOB Medical Textiles of Coimbatore, part of the Paul Hartmann group and 100 per cent subsidiary of Karl Otto Braun KG of Germany, made news when it entered the Indian domestic market in 2004.

Technical textiles are used in agriculture, automobile, aviation, civil engineering, construction and farm applications.

Currently, 40 per cent of technical textiles are imported, said Ms Singh.

“Marketing isn’t there and so non-wovens have not come in to the country in a big way. Besides, our strength has always been in home textiles,” said Mr Mallyah.

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