Alpha Design gets tech from Isro for its oxygen concentrators

Indian defence firm had earlier won a Nasa contract for ventilators

With the central government encouraging the defence industrial ecosystem to design and manufacture equipment for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has transferred technology to Bengaluru-based private defence firm Alpha Design Technologies (ADTL) for manufacturing portable, high-efficiency oxygen concentrators for Covid patient facilities.

The technology for oxygen concentrators was developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

Thanking VSSC and Isro, ADTL Chairman and Managing Director Colonel (Retd) H S Shankar stated that “ADTL was taking immediate action to produce oxygen concentrators in large numbers in a short period of time, so that these were available to hospitals, companies, organisations, and individuals in the next few months, after obtaining clearances and approvals from statutory authorities”.

“We expect to manufacture a minimum of 1,000 oxygen concentrators, each worth around Rs 70,000 in the next six months,” said Shankar, adding, “We will start supply in the next three to four months. We will have 500 pieces to start with and another 500 in four months.”

Earlier, ADTL entered the battle against Covid-19 when it was selected in a prestigious global competition by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) to supply ventilators for Covid patients. 

Around 250 companies from across the world responded to a global tender from Nasa. Of these, nine were selected, including ADTL.

Nasa had been tasked by then US President Donald Trump to develop ventilators for global usage. 

Nasa’s liquid propulsion laboratory provided the selected firms with free transfer of technology.

“We will supply 20 ventilators for clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and 10 for the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),” said Shankar.

Shankar clarified that none of these tenders have translated into earnings as yet, but ADTL will hit the market in India and abroad once the USFDA and ICMR clearances are obtained.

ADTL’s primary lines of business are in optronics and laser-based products, thermal imagers and fire control systems, navigation systems, radar and radio products.

Isro’s satellite centre has signed an agreement with a consortium led by ADTL, Bharat Electronics, and the Tatas to assemble satellites. 

ADTL has already assembled the sophisticated 1.65-tonne IRNSS-1I satellite, which was launched on April 12, 2018, and has functioned since in outer space.