PPE stock piles up as demand dries up in T

Hyderabad: The personal protective equipment (PPE), which was flying off store shelves following the Covid-19 outbreak in March, now has no takers. Manufactures and retailers from the city say they are sitting on piles of unsold PPEs as the demand in the market has dropped to almost zero. And despite offering hefty discounts, there is rarely a willing customer showing up at their door.

- Sudipta Sengupta

Reason: Sufficient stock in hospital, who are primary buyers, coupled with the entry of too many players into the business. Many factory owners, some with no connection to the medical equipment industry, are also churning out PPEs now just to keep their machines rolling.

“As we speak, I have an inventory of 4,000 PPEs. The demand has flattened over the last few weeks,” said Srinivas Gunishetty with multiple businesses in city. As opposed to selling a minimum of 50 pieces every 10 days in March, he is now selling about 10 pieces in the same period. “And that is despite being willing to sell at wholesale rates, even if the order is small.”