The Coronavirus Economy

Car companies are making ventilators, sugar mills and liquor producers are bottling hand sanitisers, apparel makers are diversifying into masks and protective clothing, drug and drone makers are witnessing a surge in demand. The war against Covid-19 is already a ₹12,000 crore economy

- Sumant Banerji

ROOM FOR GROWTH

₹8,000 crore

The opportunity in hand sanitiser and handwash categories. By the end of this year, they are slated to corner 16 per cent of the overall personal hygiene segment compared to just 2 per cent today

₹1,500 crore

Expected increase in revenue for pharmaceutical companies. India is the largest producer of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine and stands to gain the most from its demand

₹1,000 crore

The potential revenue from increased ventilator production in the country. The potential for export is estimated at ₹200 crore on top of this

₹600 crore

The expansion in the market for drones in the medium term. This includes legal as well as grey market sales

₹200 crore

Size of the PPE market in the wake of demand for coveralls, face shields, gloves and masks

In 2016 when Delhi-based neurosurgeon Deepak Agrawal teamed up with robotics engineer Diwakar Vaish to set up a company to make portable ventilators in Noida, the aim was small. India needed about 6,000-8,000 additional ventilators every year and AgVa Healthcare, the company they founded, had a peak capacity of 5,000 units (though it has since then been producing around 300 units) every month.