The importance of safety equipment is more now than ever before. Your views of this
As per the reports, the global PPE market is anticipated to reach USD 81.35 billion by 2026. The market growth is propelled majorly by the increasing concerns of employers over the safety of their employees. Nowadays employers are more responsible for offering a healthy and safe workplace for their workers. Employees working at industrial sites are prone to different forms of hazards; they are likely to come across sharp objects, flying sparks, unbearable loud noise, falling objects, and chemicals that could cause them fatal injuries. India realized the critical role of PPE in combating this pandemic, wherein the Ministry of Textiles stepped in to lead the assessment of the availability of all protective wears for our frontline health workers.
What followed, is a remarkable journey of collaboration between governments at the central and state levels, industries and workers to revamp existing production lines to manufacture a completely unknown product, from scratch. From 0, India now produces nearly 4.5 lakh PPE kits every single day, witnessed 56 times growth. This is a testimony to India’s concerted efforts of improving domestic manufacturing capacity on the back of its industrious manufacturing sector at such challenging times.
The ongoing Pandemic and its impacts are going to last for at least a year or two. What strategies have you adapted to adjust with the ‘New Normal’ and get going with the business as usual?
Our focus will continue to be on providing PPE for healthcare workers who are risking their lives for the country, as India is facing a shortage of quality safety equipment. We will continue meeting global quality standards and lending support in every way possible to help overcome the current crisis.
The company has taken several initiatives to provide support to the frontline workers through safety products amid the global pandemic crisis. Earlier in 2020, the company was given Government’s sanction to manufacture protective goggles for doctors and the police workforce across the country and also started manufacturing medical face shields to fight the global pandemic. The range of ISI certified masks, face shields, eye protection glasses, and full-body PPE equipment is aimed towards providing maximum comfort and highest quality assurance to the consumers, to ease their transition towards a safe and new normal along with the medical personnel who are working day in and day out on the front-lines of this crisis. Since 2020, KARAM has manufactured more than 30 lakh pairs of CE certified chemical splash goggles and around 70 disposable face masks to protect the real heroes of the nation. It was during this time that the thought of an exclusive KARAM healthcare division was born.
In the long run, KARAM will continue to strive towards its endeavour to provide safety equipment of all kinds to its customers and consumers, while expanding its global outreach and systematically improving its quality standards and processes to create a safer tomorrow. We not only want our products to be widely accessible but also want to create a platform to spread awareness about the importance of such safety equipment and the consequent responsibility that falls upon organisations to provide secure working conditions to their personnel all across the world.
Covid 19 has battered almost all the industries. How is the PPE industry adjusting to the “New Normal”? What is the market share and growth rate? Which are the emerging growth drivers for the PPE sector?
KARAM is one of the leading companies in Industrial Safety offering Personal Protective Equipment from Head to Toe. KARAM is the undisputed market leader in the Fall Protection category in India and one of the top ten leaders globally. Our major focus over the next 2 years is going to be to improvise on the current product offerings in line with the changing needs of the user. With a dedicated approach towards focusing on each product line from Head to Toe, our operations and sales teams are constantly working on implementing strategies to maximise customer delight. The increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in local as well as global markets provides a huge opportunity for domestic players.
With ramped up production of PPE kits, India has become a producer for PPE kits now from being an importer. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, India used to import the majority of PPE kits from outside but the viral outbreak coupled with demand for PPE kits pushed the country to manufacture indigenously. As a result, the country has become the second-largest producer of PPE Kits globally with a daily production of more than 5 lakh PPE kits.
The increasing implementation of strict rules related to the safety of employees in the workspace is greatly heading towards the growth of the overall market during these unprecedented times. Furthermore, PPE companies are involved in the manufacturing of personal protective products to help people prevent this lethal disease. These factors are estimated to propel the demand for PPEs across the globe, all through this pandemic period.
Your take on healthcare as an emerging growth driver for the PPE sector
As per the reports, the global healthcare personal protective equipment (PPE) market is expected to grow from $5.99 billion in 2019 to $7.83 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.80%. The rising cases of Covid-19 have coupled with the presence of stringent regulations regarding the safety of healthcare personnel are anticipated to bolster the product demand over the coming years. Moreover, several small- and large-scale manufacturers in the country have either launched new production lines or have re-engineered the existing ones to boost the availability of critical supplies, including PPE, during the pandemic.
Factors including developing healthcare systems, improving economic conditions, and population growth are anticipated to fuel healthcare spending globally. Rising cases of chronic diseases and increasing investments in medical technology & healthcare infrastructure are also likely to spur the healthcare expenditure across the globe, thereby augmenting the PPE market growth.
The global pandemic has forced first respondents and healthcare workers to adapt to new safety protocols and utilize large amounts of PPE, such as gloves, masks, and gowns. However, the supply chain of PPE was strained to a large extent, resulting in its insufficient supply. Although the supply chain has improved over the past few months, few healthcare facilities and businesses are still facing difficulty in procuring products, such as gloves and respirators.
How much market share you command and what would be your strategy to increase your market share?
KARAM is one of the leading companies in Industrial Safety offering Personal Protective Equipment from Head to Toe. KARAM is the undisputed market leader in the Fall Protection category in India and one of the top ten leaders globally. Our major focus over the next 2 years is going to be to improvise on the current product offerings in line with the changing needs of the user. With a dedicated approach towards focusing on each product line from Head to Toe, our operations and sales teams are constantly working on implementing strategies to maximise customer delight.
Please share with us the PPE you offer for the infra construction and real estate industry? How do these PPEs help in preventing fatal accidents?
There are so many potential hazards at a construction site, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the workers’ primary lines of defence. Each item is designed to minimize exposure to certain risks of injury or illness, as well as the damage caused by those hazards in the event of a mishap. Depending on the circumstances and potential hazards present, additional PPE may be required. This determination will be made by the supervisor based on the preliminary Job Hazard Analysis; EHS may also be consulted. Additional PPE may include protective gloves, hearing protection, full face shields when cutting, grinding or chipping, chemical splash goggles, respiratory protection, fall protection equipment when working above 6 feet, specific protective clothing such as welding leathers when welding or FR clothing when working with live electric
Today’s safety equipment is embedded with chips & sensors, IoT and AI for better safety. How entrenched is Indian market with embedded technology PPE? Are the products you offer come with this technology? If not, when are you planning to introduce chips & sensors embedded safety equipment?
Technology disruptions have taken over the life of every individual in some way and the safety industry is also on its way to being seriously exposed to this technology transformation. Most of the Personal Protective Equipment offered by KARAM is Category 3 products meaning that their incorrect usage could compromise the life of a person. These products need to be fully inspected before each use, ensuring their correct working to protect the user during unfortunate situations. KARAM has introduced the next generation safety equipment that is linked to an app (KARE) that triggers the user when its inspection is due. Additionally, when the user scans the QR code/RFID on the product label, he has an access to a plethora of information, all related to the product in the form of a knowledge tree. The user can easily access instruction manuals, technical data sheets and get the correct areas of application of a particular product. At KARAM, our focus is to constantly do something new that makes things easy for the end-user at any stage.
When it comes to safety the awareness in India is still in its nascent stage. What are the awareness and training (also include skill development) programmes you conduct? How helpful are these awareness and training programmes?
The value of human life is a major concern in our industry. Though in the nascent stage, occupational safety & health still has a long way to go. It is treated as an unnecessary expenditure, which results in the underrated value of human life, forcing safety measures a backseat. Training and proper usage of Personal Protection Equipment is yet another area of concern that should not be ignored. The real challenge lies in how appropriately the gear is worn and used. A must say…if the equipment is used rightfully, this life guarding mechanism can complement growth by increasing the productivity and confidence of the personnel working in a hazardous condition. Our industrial safety training unit KTC (KARAM Training and Consultancy) specialize in competency building in areas of safe work-at-height, confined space & rescue in India & Internationally. KTC specializes in competency building in areas of safe Work-at-Height, Confined Space working & Rescue in India & SAARC countries. We are accredited to various respected international training bodies namely TRARAsia, Global Wind Organization and Gravity Training. We have earned our reputation through a commitment to professionalism and delivering high-quality training courses by a team of highly trained and dedicated safety professionals.
Counterfeit PPE are freely available in the market. How are you securing your products against counterfeiting?
Surprisingly, as per recent reports by Authentication Solution Providers Association (ASPA), Counterfeiting incidents have increased 24 per cent in the country in 2019 over the previous year, creating an over Rs 1-lakh-crore dent in the economy. The alarming increase in the sales of fake medical equipment and supplies indicates that criminals will stop at nothing to make a profit. The illicit trade in such counterfeit medical items including PPE equipment especially during a public health crisis like Covid-19 shows a total disregard for people’s wellbeing, or their lives.
At KARAM, we have a Zero Tolerance Policy against duplicity of KARAM Products. We would not allow anyone to play with human lives and safety and we will continue taking strict action against such manufacturers or suppliers of counterfeit safety products. With combined efforts of KARAM and local authorities, KARAM has been able to disrupt the fraudulent activities of such counterfeiters who have been selling fake PPE. Additionally, KARAM has also been conducting regular awareness generation exercises for not only its partners but dealers and consumers at large through on-ground and virtual mediums. KARAM has also developed a KARAM Products App that helps the consumers recognize KARAM’s genuine products. The app is available at both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
In this ongoing Pandemic period, how can the government hand-hold the industry to propel the sector?
As we all know, India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies undergoing rapid industrialization, giving momentum to the PPE Industry. Currently, the PPE Industry in India is worth Rs 7800 million. And it is estimated to grow near about at a CAGR of 14% by 2020 and reach USD 2 billion by 2024. Growth Drivers like rapid industrialization, demographic advantage, and Regulatory compliance creates a never-ending demand for technological advancement to safeguard workers against workplace threats. We also commit ourselves to abide by all applicable and obligatory requirements and move towards operational goals and targets indicated by the strategic directions of the organization.
The market for personal protection equipment in the country is currently in its nascent stage due to a lack of awareness about workforce health & safety. Personal protection equipment finds applications in industries such as construction, automotive, chemical, medical, pharmaceutical, oil & gas, steel & fabrication, etc. The high cost associated with workplace hazards, coupled with the launch of industry-specific personal protection equipment by the companies are contributing towards boosting PPE adoption in India. The Healthcare sector is also a booming market for personal protection equipment, owing to continuously increasing communicable diseases such as Covid-19, H1N1, Ebola, etc.
Presently, the challenge is to keep up with the rising demand for the essential PPE and produce accordingly. A lot of companies are going overcapacity which is a major challenge as nobody could foresee that the demand would grow at such a rapid rate. Besides this, now when the PPE industry has come to the fore as an essential industry, the Government must support the industry and bridge the gaps in the implementation of the related laws in the country. As a developing country, with economic labour supply as its unique proposition, India now needs to systematically look up to labour reforms ensuring better working conditions and labour productivity.
How do you see the economy, opportunities and challenges in this pandemic situation and please give us a brief idea about the strategies outlined to tap in the future potentials?
The increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in local as well as global markets provides a huge opportunity for domestic players. With ramped up production of PPE kits, India has become a producer for PPE kits now from being an importer. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, India used to import the majority of PPE kits from outside but the viral outbreak coupled with demand for PPE kits pushed the country to manufacture indigenously. As a result, the country has become the second-largest producer of PPE Kits globally with a daily production of more than 5 lakh PPE kits.
The growth plan over the next three years is to expand market reach around the world with our brands. The KARAM Group has representatives placed in every continent of the world to cater to the specific market needs of every customer. With a vision to become a global leader in the industrial safety market, KARAM is on its way to achieving its mission.
