As demand for surgical masks rises, new players enter

After seeing the surge in demand for surgical/medical masks, several players have entered this space.

While the going appears good, they say the movement has not been easy because of the lockdown.

Vimalraj, founder of Ebags, was into making non-woven bags. “It is a six-year old business. When the ban on such bags was imposed, I stopped production, but retained the machinery. Now, I have made some minor alteration and am able to make the mask,” he told BusinessLine .

The hitch though is in getting the meltdown fabric, which is used as a middle layer in the mask.

There is a huge paucity of this material and the price has surged from ₹250 a kg to over ₹2,500 at present. Sourcing the fabric has not been easy as it is not classified as an essential commodity. The same is the case with elastic, which is used to hold the mask in position.

“While we are now making the mask with three layers of non woven fabric, our stock of elastic may not last for more than a month,” he said.

Ebags despatches the masks to medical agencies, which supply to medical shops.

“We are at present unable to cater to the requirements of the Coimbatore market,” he said, in response to a query.