Honeywell said that it has begun production of up to 2 million disposable face masks monthly at its Fulgaon manufacturing facility in Pune, India.
The masks will be supplied to frontline healthcare workers, emergency responders and government organizations as part of the efforts to combat COVID-19 in India. The masks are designed in alignment with India Bureau of Indian Standards and U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards.
“As a global leader in manufacturing superior quality personal protective equipment, Honeywell is proud to manufacture superior quality face masks to protect frontline healthcare workers in their fight against the global pandemic,” said Akshay Bellare, president, Honeywell India. “We are committed to India’s mission to be a self-reliant nation and bring our technical capabilities to support frontline workers in their efforts to help those in need.”
“Honeywell’s initiative to commence production of N95 respirators at its Pune facility is a major step towards supporting the country in this fight against COVID-19,” said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). “We encourage the industry to promote domestic manufacturing of masks in making India’s healthcare ecosystem self-reliant. With companies and citizens joining hands, we will be able to win the war against COVID-19.”
“We are proud of our team for setting up a highly advanced production line with physical capacity and technical capabilities to manufacture the face masks that are designed to meet NIOSH standards. These masks will help address the country’s need for high-quality protection gear in high demand during this healthcare crisis.” said Asheesh Arora, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, APAC.
Honeywell has recruited and trained approximately 40 new workers to run the production line.
Honeywell is leveraging its existing integrated supply chain and local manufacturing expertise to produce personal protective equipment. The company has announced new mask production at multiple facilities globally, including in the United Kingdom, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
Honeywell’s production expansion will support additional Indian businesses that are part of the supply chain, including industrial equipment providers and raw materials suppliers from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.
Honeywell is a global manufacturer of leading personal protective equipment (PPE) and intelligent safety solutions. It helps customers build enduring cultures of safety across a wide range of markets that include general safety and preparedness, first responder, electrical safety and consumer products. The company’s offerings include hazardous gas detectors, safety software solutions and personal protective equipment such as gloves, protective eyewear, respiratory protection, safety suits, hard hats and boots.
Honeywell’s Fulgaon factory specializes in providing automation solutions and field instruments. The facility integrates advanced engineering, testing and manufacturing of equipment for the process industries, and will continue to do so alongside the new face mask line. In addition, it offers a customer integration center, thermal solutions factory, and a Honeywell Intelligrated demonstration center.
