War on Covid-19: Nivea India begins making hand sanitisers at Sanand plant

The product will be distributed free-of-cost to public hospitals, distribution chains

In its bid to help combat the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, skin care products major Nivea India on Friday said that it has begun making alcohol-based hand sanitisers at its manufacturing facility in Sanand near Ahmedabad for free-of-cost distribution to public hospitals.

Apart from public hospitals and healthcare institutions in Ahmedabad and Vadodara, the company's Sanand plant, which makes skincare products, will manufacture hand sanitizers for the firm's distribution partners across the country.

The company stated on Friday that the move comes in the wake of the shortage of hand sanitisers which have become one of the most critical products which are becoming hard to find on shelves.

"Taking action against the shortage of hand sanitisers, Nivea India, in collaboration with its key partners in a collective effort will be shifting part of its production towards the making of sanitisers at its Gujarat plant. The products will be delivered free of cost to three public hospitals that are leading the Covid-19 efforts in the city," Nivea India stated.

Moreover, bottles of hand sanitizers will be distributed free-of-cost pan India across the company's supply chain network "to those in need of the product".

In a joint statement, Omar Navarro, Vice President of Supply Chain for the Region and Neil George, Managing Director of Nivea India thanked the food and drug authority (FDA) and state prohibition department in Ahmedabad for quick clearances and necessary product licenses for producing alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

"We are very proud to support our healthcare workers who are on the frontline against Covid-19 risking their lives to protect us all. We have been in constant touch with the local authorities and our key partners, having worked very hard over the past few weeks to make the switch at our plant and formulate the liquid hand sanitisers. We would like to thank our employees and our network of partners who have worked relentlessly to make this possible in record time," the duo stated.

Meanwhile, Nivea India's associates including Gujarat Print Pack Limited have provided the required packaging labels for the sanitiser bottles completely free of cost while Hyderabad based partner Aptar Beauty and Home India Pvt. Ltd. has provided pump assembly free of cost.