HYDERABAD: The Telangana hand sanitiser industry which has been facing several issues in procuring raw material from within the country and abroad, is now making good use of the ethanol produced by sugar factories in the State. This can be used to manufacture sanitisers, the demand for which has accelerated since the outbreak of Coronavirus.

In order to produce sanitisers, 40 different compounds are needed which includes major molecules such as 1-propanol, 2 propanol and others. These are procured majorly from Gujarat and from other countries such as Taiwan. However, since the lockdown, there has been a severe shortage of these raw materials.  

Speaking to Express, Dr Ranga Reddy, the CEO of Sanmed, a company specialising in manufacture of disinfectants and sanitisers, said, “There is only one big refinery in Gujarat that produces isopropyl alcohol (IPA). They were not able to cope with the current demand. And 1-propanol comes from Taiwan, but the country has been under a lockdown.”

IT and Industries Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan says, “We had raised the issue with the Central government earlier. However, now we have come up with our own solution. Sugar factories are now diverting ethanol to industries manufacturing disinfectants and sanitisers.”

“We have switched completely to ethanol after our R&D department made the relevant changes needed in the sanitiser formula,” Reddy said.  Sanmed, which supplies to all major hospitals in the city like Care and also to Army and Navy establishments, has been receiving gallons of ethanol from Madhucon Sugar and Power Industries Limited.

“In the last two weeks, they have given 1 lakh litre of ethanol. They have given the company 5 tankers of 20,000 litre each. Madhucon has been able to cope with the demand. Besides, it has been helping us with the transportation too,” he added.

Although Sanmed produces an array of disinfectant and sanitiser products including surface cleaners and surgical equipment sterilisers, they have now shifted 90 per cent of their production to producing hand sanitisers with as much local component (ethanol) possible.