Govt lifts ban on PPE exports, sets a monthly quota of 5 million units

Industry hails move, wants Government to allow N95 masks too

The Government has decided to lift the ban on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) medical coveralls with a monthly quota of 5 million units.

According to the Ministry of Commerce notification, a firm applying for permission to export should be a manufacturer of PPE coveralls (Certification of registration from concerned Department/ Authority to be supplied).

Welcoming the Government's decision, Apparel makers have said this would open the entire global market for Indian players who were fast enough to seize this opportunity of producing and supplying PPE kits as the world struggles to control coronavirus pandemic.

The production of PPE is more than sufficient to cater to the needs of the country and allowing exports of PPE items will not only help the health workers across the world but also support the revival of the apparel industry in the country, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said.

Council estimates that the size of the global market for PPEs will be more than $60 billion over the next five years. India will be competing with countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan as they have lifted the ban on PPE exports and are receiving huge orders from large buyers in the US and Europe.

Today, from zero production of PPE in early March, India produces more than 8 lakh PPE pieces per day – the second largest producing country in the world.

According to industry estimates, a single mask-manufacturing machine can produce one lakh pieces per day and there are more than 200 such machines currently.

AEPC urged the Government to allow N95 masks as well.