New Delhi, India: The healthcare industry has always been a critical component of the growing economy in India. The demand for healthcare textile is also growing owing to its widespread uses in biological and medical applications, including surgical gowns, lab coats, first aid, and sanitary. Furthermore, the increasing cases of Covid-19 in the Asia-pacific region have further led to the growth in this market more rapidly with increasing consumption from the consumer’s end.

Nonwoven fabric is used in hospitals to make disposable and reusable surgical gowns, drapes, gloves, and instrument wraps. The government has taken several initiatives to control Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) by promoting nonwoven medical products, such as disposable patient gowns, drapes, and linens, which would help reduce the spread of Hospital Acquired Infections. The government has also emphasized the promotion of all kinds of textile products by paying particular attention to the innumerable uses of nonwovens in unnoticed applications. Its usage is in the disposable product; therefore, increasing hygiene awareness is essential for growth in the nonwoven fabric sector.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the rising number of COVID cases has increased the demand for nonwoven fabric in the regional market. As per the manufacturers, market participants were procuring bulk volumes, foreseeing the increasing Covid cases in India. Whereas, In Kerala, the States and Union Territories have implemented compulsory wearing of masks at public gatherings, thereby increasing the sale of masks made from nonwoven material. Demand from other sectors such as textiles and healthcare remain strong enough to keep prices edging high. China, on the other hand, is the major exporter of this product. China’s manufacturers were stuck in the lockdown restriction after witnessing a hike in Covid cases in some provinces of China, which even disrupted the supply of the product amid the closure of some ports over the past two months. However, the current ease in market activity in China is expected to smoothen the supply of nonwoven fabric in India.

As per the ChemAnalyst database, “The demand for nonwoven fabric is expected to rise due to the resurgence of Covid-19 in India, which is anticipated to increase demand for masks, isolation gowns, and surgical scrubs. As a result of increasing demand, nonwoven fabric market sentiment may boost in the forthcoming weeks.”