The novel coronavirus went on a rampage even before we knew what really hit us, simultaneously spreading across the nation. Although India suited-up swiftly to face the pandemic, one of the first and predominant challenges was the drastic scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits. But today, after five months, India has achieved an almost unrealistic goal of producing more than two lakh PPE kits a day, becoming the world's second largest PPE manufacturer in the process. The foresight and timely intervention by the industry's leaders like ISH International have been instrumental in the fight back. One of the leading manufacturers of PPE kits in India, ISH presently not only is equipped to produce 10,000 PPE kits/day and ready to combat any sudden increase in demand, but has also developed a washable/reusable PPE coverall-suit that lasts up to 20-25 washes while offering the same level of protection against viruses. The innovation reduces the financial burden by almost 90 percent per kit.

Setting Benchmarks
ISH's influential presence in the infection control business is largely focused on hospital-acquired infections (HIAs). "Over the past eight years, we have been promoting sustainable infection control consumables for hospitals, pharma companies, and R&D centers, giving us an edge over our competitors in terms of understanding the needs of the industry. On the other hand, our

PPE kits are certified by DRDO and OFA, which makes us quite a unique contender," asserts Hemant Kumar, Director, ISH International, who brings-in more than 25 years of professional experience.

An FDA-registered manufacturer, ISH offers a wide horizon of Infection Control Products ranging from under sheets to different wipes and protective clothing, and equipment ranging from PPE & hygiene kits to hand sanitizer, face mask, hand gloves and IPA wipes. Its innovative product range also includes advanced pain management solutions like Coolsense (a pain numbing applicator) and Skibond (a biomedical adhesive for closing the wounds without sutures). We are talking about a bunch of benchmark products that are currently used in almost all ICUs across the country to reduce HAIs. According to a report, more than $90 billion is spent globally a year to control HAIs, which clearly indicates the global potential of the Mumbai-based company.

We have been promoting sustainable infection control consumables for hospitals, pharma companies, and R&D centers, giving us an edge over our competitors in terms of understanding the needs of the industry

The Success Path
ISH was founded in 2012 by Hemant, along with a couple of his cousin brothers ­ Shailesh Kulkarni and Nitin Dighe. With the trio boasting of a cumulative experience of more than 75 years, the company which commenced its sales operations with Mumbai, took-off in an exemplary manner. "We ended our first year by achieving almost 200 percent sales growth and spreading our sales footprint to eight states in India. Over the years, we have had a consistent growth of 35 percent per year, while doubling our sales footprint. Today, we have 52 channel partners across 16 states," adds Hemant. ISH, in the last three months, has achieved over 300 percent growth.

Going forward, the company looks forward to establishing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Mumbai, while also planning to establish a micro-level network to distribute infection control products, and hence outreach each & every patient in hospitals, nursing homes, and old-age homes across the country. "Our major contribution to the healthcare industry will come from our wide-spread supply chain not only in metro cities, but also in rural areas of India. We wish to achieve our goals by taking the full advantage of the government's multifarious MSME policies," concludes Hemant.