- Packaged consumer goods to major ITC Limited hotels on Tuesday said it began manufacturing Savlon sanitizers at its newly built perfume production facility.
Packaged consumer goods to major ITC Limited hotels on Tuesday said it began manufacturing Savlon sanitizers at its newly built perfume production facility in Himachal Pradesh as it stepped up efforts to meet the country’s rising demand for hygiene products following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through a press release, ITC Ltd said the firm has re-used its perfume plant to help manufacture an additional 1,25,000 liters of Savlon hand sanitizers amid an ongoing increase in demand for hygiene items such as sanitizers.
“This initiative strengthens our efforts to enhance the production and availability of Savlon’s range of hygiene products on the market, which is the need for an hour to help counter and control the spread of the virus,” said Sameer Satpathy, Chief Executive Officer of Personal Care Products, ITC Ltd. in the release.
In November 2019 the luxury fragrance factory located in Manipura, Himachal Pradesh, was commissioned. ITC makes sprays, deodorants, and perfumes for the body and markets fragrances under the name Engage.
In all, ITC said it has redoubled its efforts to ensure improved production and market availability of the Savlon product line. “This action will allow ITC to meet the increase in market demand for sanitizers,” the company said.
The business “works overnight with the updated market prices to meet the new stocks. ITC has also intensified its efforts to raise awareness of the importance of hand hygiene through promotions through digital, print, and other communication channels,” the statement added.
As cases of COVID-19 have increased in India, demand for hand sanitizers has increased exponentially, resulting in a stocked-out situation for many common product brands in India.
The Center listed hand sanitizers and masks as critical commodities earlier this month to ensure a steady supply, and to prevent these items from being hoarded and black marketed. To make them more accessible, the government has capped rates on sanitizers. Prices of alcohol used in hand sanitizer production have also been capped.
Many firms have stepped up production and cut their sanitizers ‘prices in response.
HUL that produces Lifebuoy sanitizer said it would cut sanitizer prices by 15 percent, Lifebuoy liquid hand wash and Domex floor cleaners. GCPL, a producer of Protekt’s sanitizer brand, has cut its 50-ml pack prices from 75 to around 25.
ITC followed up with price cuts too.
Apart from these, FMCG firms, liquor firms, and sugar mills have volunteered to launch commercial production of bottled hand sanitizers.
