India to export 50 lakh PPE kits per month to other countries, this will boasts “Make In India” drive

In a significant development as a part of ‘Make in India’ campaign, India will export as many as 50 lakh personal protection equipment (PPE) per month as the government has lifted the ban on export. Yes, this is a massive achievement for India and it also gives us a great feeling that 50 lakh PPE medical Coverall for COVID-19 units will be exported to many countries

Taking to Twitter, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “Boosting Make in India exports, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) medical coveralls for COVID-19 have been allowed with a monthly export quota of 50 lakh.”

“It is important to give a boost to this industry, which has invested in equipment and raw materials to ramp up our domestic capacity of PPEs. Now that they’ve fulfilled the government’s requirement, we need to allow them to use their excess capacity to cater to other markets in the world that have been asking for these PPEs,” said the official.

“Right now, it’s restricted to 50 lakh units a month, because we also want to be cautious and make sure that we are able to cater to any other domestic demand, including by private hospitals. But, going forward, this quota might be increased,” the official added.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) are protective gears designed to safeguard the frontline workers by minimising the exposure to a biological agent, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Addressing the nation, Indian Prime Minister once said that India, which was not manufacturing even a single personal protective equipment (PPE) kit, has now achieved an almost unrealistic goal of producing 2.06 lakh PPE kits daily within two months after the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the notification shared today by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, “other items that are a part of the PPE kits continue to remain prohibited for exports.”

“A monthly quota of 50 lakh PPE medical Coverall for COVID-19 units has been fixed for the issuance of export licenses to the eligible applicants to export PPE medical coveralls for COVID-19 as per the criteria to be separately issued in a Trade notice,” the notification read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call for a “self-reliant” India or “Atma Nirbhar” Bharat last month to give a fresh boost to the governments ‘Make In India’ initiative, launched in 2014, amid the country’s fight against coronavirus.

On Sunday, PM Modi made another “vocal for local” pitch, urging citizens to buy only products made in the country, during his monthly radio address – “Mann Ki Baat”.

“If you buy local and become vocal for local, you are playing your role in making the country strong – this is also a type of service to the nation. Be it any profession, there is scope for service to the nation,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “People from all over India are writing, reiterating their support to the movement to make India self-reliant”.

Writer, historian, and activist Dharam Sikarwar is a very active author The Youth. He writes on national and international issues, environment, politics. He is an avid book reader as well.