SABIC provides raw material to support domestic production of 50,000 Covid-19 test kits every day in India

SABIC, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco operating as a chemical manufacturing company, is providing raw material to enable the domestic production Covid-19 test kits in India. “In India, we have been enabling production of around 50,000 Covid-19 test kits a day by supplying healthcare grade material for making test kits cartridges,” said Janardhanan Ramanujalu, Vice-President & Regional Head, SABIC South Asia, Australia & New Zealand

SABIC’s LEXAN PC engineering thermoplastic resin was sent for necessary trials and was approved by the relevant authorities, he said, adding, “Since then, we have been collaborating with our customers and providing the necessary material needed to meet the rising test kit requirements in India.”

“SABIC is also collaborating with customers across India to produce around 80,000 face shields and goggles per day. LEXAN sheets and film, provide high impact strength, optical quality, scratch and chemical resistance and high flexibility for cold curve,” he told BusinessLine.

SABIC is also providing increased volumes to pharmaceutical industry with approved grade of methanol to manufacture Hydroxychloroquine, and other pharma products.

Covid challenges

Commenting on the challenges being faced amidst the Covid-19 lockdowns, Ramanujalu said, “The challenges SABIC faced were similar in nature to rest of the industry, for instance, shortage of delivery drivers and trucks, and lack of manpower to operate the warehouse to supply critical material required by our customers to produce medical equipment for combating the virus in the initial phase of lockdown.”

In response to a query on the companies that are buying from SABIC, he said, “While in general, we serve customers across packaging, healthcare, consumer electronics, automotive, building and construction and agriculture industry in India – specific to Covid-19, we have been leveraging our technological and research capabilities to help our customers across healthcare and pharma sectors.”

He also said SABIC has been supporting requirements across India by means of material import and domestic production through their manufacturing plant in Gujarat.