India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has been tracking the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) since the world media started reporting its devastating impact in China’s Wuhan Province, took a call in the first week of March 2020 to enhance efforts to create countermeasures to stop the spread of the disease in India. DRDO started focusing on creating mass-supply solutions of critical medical requirements and by end of March it became ready with four different items – hand sanitizers, ventilators, facial masks and bodysuits.

A hand sanitizer, developed in-house at DRDO, was by third week of March, produced in sizable quantities and distributed to major offices and establishments within the capital. Approximately 4,000 litres of hand sanitizer has been provided to the Indian Armed Forces, including Armed Forces Medical Services and Defence Security Corps, 1,500 litres to Ministry of Defence, 300 litres to Parliament, and 500 litres to various security establishments and high offices.

The DRDO is ready to provide more hand sanitizers in large quantities to the concerned. Initially a DRDO lab, Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior produced approximately 20,000 litres to cater to initial requirements of its employees and government offices/ministries. In the meantime, DRDO identified a vendor with the WHO formulation, Gwalior Alco Brew Pvt Ltd, Gwalior. DRDE Gwalior is providing technical support and its scientists are positioned with the company the check the quality. The capacity is 20,000 to 30,000 litres per day, packed in 200-500 ml bottles and costing less than Rs 120/- per litre (including GST).

Since COVID-19 affects pulmonary functions, keeping in mind the near future requirement, Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) programme of DRDO has been modified to cater to the current situation. Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bangalore (a DRDO lab) has identified a vendor, Scanray Tech Pvt Ltd, Mysore) to produce critical care ventilators. It has been created by using existing technologies like breath regulators, pressure/flow sensors, etc. Presently, innovation is on to create a ‘Multi patient ventilator’ wherein several patients can be supported by a single ventilator. This innovation is expected to be available by second week of April 2020. Around 5,000 ventilators will be produces in the first month and 10,000 subsequently. DRDO has identified local alternatives to supply critical components. Already, Secretary (Pharmaceuticals) has identified nine companies for design transfer to produce and Mahindra & Mahindra for fabrication of components. Each ventilator unit will cost around Rs 4,00,000/-.

Five-layer N99 masks with two layers of nanomesh, considered very advanced and one of the critical items to stop the spread of Corona are going to be produced by Venus Industries Mumbai, IMTEC Kolkata. With material for these masks is sourced from Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association, which already has plenty of government orders for N95 masks, 10,000 N99 masks per day will cost Rs 70/- per piece.

Delhi Police (DP) has been provided 20,000 three ply masks and 1,000 litres of hand sanitizers by DRDO, which in addition, also distributed hand sanitizers to DP’s 40 check-points all around Delhi.

Bodysuits, a critical requirement for doctors, medical staff, sanitations workers, for protection against COVID-19, had already earlier been developed by DRDO for medical and paramedical staff to manage and evacuate causalities in the event of radiological emergencies has been  converted as a full-body suit to stop contamination.  Widely tested by DRDO and other agencies and found suitable, This washable suit has passed the ASTM International standards. M/s Frontier Protective Wear Pvt Ltd Kolkata, with transfer of technology available, is already working with the Ministry of Textiles, and Medikit Pvt Ltd Mumbai are aiming to produce 10,000 suits per day, costing Rs 7,000/- per suit.

Bio suit production in the country by DRDO, industry partners and other industries has been hampered due to non-availability of seam sealing tapes. DRDO has prepared a special sealant as an alternative to seam sealing tape based on the sealant used in submarine applications. Presently, bio suits prepared  by an industry partner, using this glue for seam sealing cleared the test at Southern India Textile Research Association (SITRA) Coimbatore. This can be a game-changer for the textile industry. DRDO can mass produce this glue through industry to support the seam sealing activity by suit manufacturers.

DRDO has developed a number of products and technologies for defence against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) agents. Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) Gwalior, a laboratory of DRDO, has developed Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Permeable Suit Mk V. 53,000 of these suits have been supplied to the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

For first responders attending to radiological emergencies, a reusable suit has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) Delhi. Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) Agra has developed various types of parachutes with fabrics similar to protective technical textiles.

(The author is a strategic analyst and former spokesperson, Defence Ministry and Indian Army. He can be contacted at wordsword02@gmail.com)