Government Lifts Ban On Export Of Non-Medical, Non-Surgical Masks; Export Potential Of $1 Billion In Next 3 Months 

With India having built formidable capacity to domestically mass-produce personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and N-95 masks in a short span, the Government on Saturday (16 May) lifted the ban on the export of non-medical and non-surgical masks made up of cotton, silk, wool and knitted materials, reports Livemint.

However, the export of all medical and surgical masks will remain prohibited.

The Government had banned the export of these products via two notifications issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on 31 January and 19 March respectively. The ban had been imposed at that time to avoid any shortage of masks in the nation.

Reacting to the lifting of the ban on exports, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) chairman A Sakthivel underscored that there is a huge opportunity for Indian apparel manufacturers for exports of such masks and that it has already identified international markets for these.

Sakthivel also exuded confidence that the Indian apparel manufacturers would ensure exports of these masks to the tune of a billion dollars within the next three months alone.

It should be noted that Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had in his last address to the nation taken note, "When the Corona crisis started, there was not a single PPE kit made in India. The N-95 masks were produced in small quantity in India. Today we are in a situation to produce 2 lakh PPE and 2 lakh N-95 masks daily. We were able to do this because India turned this crisis into an opportunity."