Army fatigue makers, textile companies, condom firms turn PPE suppliers

The rise in infections in India and across the world has come as a boon for many textile businesses

Not very long ago, if you bought a fancy, attractively priced fragrant bedsheet, yoga mat, curtains, printed hand bags or any other home decor or gift item catching your eye on Flipkart or Amazon, it was most likely made in the factory of Gurgaon’s Swayam India. These days, the hottest-selling product of this Rs 100-crore-turnover company is the face mask.

Swayam India, which has been in business for about two decades, is one of the more than 500 manufacturers that have received licences from the central government to produce personal protective equipment (PPEs) to meet the stated objective of ramping