Indian textile and apparel manufacturers have been facing difficult times as they have lost almost all their orders for the summer.

However, in a turn of events, the pandemic has aided the rise in demand for face masks. And how!

Leading brands in Europe and US are now demanding immediate supply of around 500 million non-surgical fashion face masks to keep up with the new trend that will be embraced once people are out on the streets again.

One big hindrance in supplying these masks is, however, the ban on the export of masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) and some medicines that had been imposed by the Government lest the country falls short in the wake of rising number of coronavirus patients.

Textile manufacturers have now assured the Government that they can meet the needs of the Indian market along with exporting to other countries.

Textile clusters in Coimbatore and Tiruppur are making face masks for domestic markets and the opening up of export channels will give a huge impetus to businesses that have lost money and also engage thousands of workers.