Meeting the safety concerns of consumers and offering them a viable and secure solution against COVID-19, India’s leading textile manufacturer RSWM Ltd. has announced its latest innovation with the launch of anti-viral fabric range ‘ViroSecure’. The new range has been launched through a strategic technology partnership with HeiQ* that lends its antiviral Viroblock** technology to formulate a protective coating on the fabric to offer 99.99% protection against SARS-CoV-2 in just 30 minutes. With ViroSecure, RSWM is targeting 20 percent of sales in FY 2020-21.
Speaking on the launch, Mr. Suketu Shah, CEO and Business Head, Mayur Suiting and LNJ Denim said, “As the world reels under COVID-19 impact, we, as a company have the responsibility towards our consumers, and are committed to equipping them with the resources to adapt to this new normal. With a legacy of over five decades, RSWM has been offering innovative solutions in the suiting as well as denim segment and meeting the fabric demands of our discerning consumers. Towards this, we are pleased to launch the ViroSecure fabric range that offers anti-COVID protection against the spread and transmission of the pathogen. Together with our partner HeiQ, we aim to become a reliable choice for consumers to bring in a seamless continuity to our lifestyle, enabling a secure and future-ready environment. We are launching ViroSecure under our celebrated Mayur fabric brand, but will soon introduce the technology in our denim category under LNJ Denim. There is a significant uptake in the demand for the anti-viral fabric technology and with this; we are targeting 20 percent of the sales from the ViroSecure fabric in this fiscal.”
HeiQ Viroblock*technology is among the first textile technologies in the world to have a proven effect against SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory. Tests conducted by this Swiss textile innovator in association with the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia (Doherty Institute) highlighted that treated fabric demonstrated a rapid antiviral action against the SARS-CoV-2 virus strain. The fabric sample with HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 destroys viruses after 30 minutes of coming in contact. This offers a SARS-CoV-2 virus reduction of over 99.9%. Viroblock treated textiles are also hypoallergenic, self-sanitizing, and germ-resistant. The fabric has been made by Mayur Suiting with HeiQ Viroblock technology and tested successfully by HeiQ’s Switzerland laboratories.
Talking about the association with RSWM, Carlo Centonze, CEO, HeiQ Group said, “We are driven by the purpose of improving the lives of people and communities by perfecting everyday products. HeiQ’s Viroblock is a breakthrough innovation extending a special combination of advanced silver and vesicle technology. It is effective against the human coronavirus 229E & SARS-CoV-2, and lab tests have proven that it reduces 99.99% of the virus in 30 minutes. Testings conducted against the Sendai virus provide 99.2% reduction of the virus in two minutes and 99.7% in just five minutes**. As a leading homegrown textile company, we are pleased to partner with RSWM to extend our technology to millions of consumers in India and benefit the larger communities across the globe.”
‘ViroSecure’ is a premium segment brand that will be marketed under Mayur, RSWM’s flagship brand for suiting and shirting. Mayur will be prioritizing and offering the ViroSecure fabric for making uniforms for frontline healthcare workers, school, children, and defense and police personnel, in addition to suiting and shirting requirements.
ViroSecure will be available at multi-brand outlets across the country from 20th July 2020 onwards, and will be priced affordably.
RSWM Ltd., the flagship company of LNJ Bhilwara Group, is one of the largest textile manufacturers in India that exports to over 78 countries around the world. Its 10 manufacturing plants, with 505,000 spindles and 202 looms, produce high-quality cotton, mélange, synthetic and novelty yarns, along with suiting and denim fabrics. The company’s unit in Bhilwara underwent a major expansion in 2011, building India’s most sophisticated plant and adding 51,840 spindles to production. The yarn from this factory is sold under the brand name ULTIMA® and is the finest polyester-viscose greige yarn in the Indian market. Specialising in poly-viscose blends, LNJ Fabrics provides the fashion, protective wear and interiors markets with 15 million metres of fabric per year. Its two branded collections, Mayur and Cannello, are sold worldwide.
In 2007, RSWM Ltd. established LNJ Denim that produces 25 million metres of fabric annually in both traditional and innovative constructions and blends. LNJ Denim produces high-quality denim fabric and follows most current global trends.
*Based on modified ISO 20743 method
**HeiQ, HeiQ Viroblock and Viroblock are trademark(s) or registered trademark(s) of HeiQ Materials AG.
