KOCHI: Neethu Bipin, who runs a sports garment manufacturing unit and sports store ‘FlySports’ in North Paravoor, is one among the many entrepreneurs who gauged the needs of a population battling Covid-19. Seeing that there was a shortage of masks, she decided to take up mask manufacturing.Initially, the unit made and distributed surgical masks for free in the panchayat and nearby police stations.
As masks were made mandatory for the public, she started manufacturing cotton masks, with a focus on ones which would appeal to kids. The price of the masks range from `12 to `25. “This is not a profit oriented production. The returns of the sale go to supporting my staff and paying the bills of the unit,” said Neethu. She runs the establishment along with her husband Bipin E M, a retired Indian Navy volleyball player.
While a number of masks eventually flooded the market, many came in standard sizes that did not fit children.“They also tend to be picky about covering their faces for long spans of time. Hence, we decided to customise them with prints of cartoon characters, sports personalities and actors,”adds Neethu. The double-layered masks, have an inner cotton layer. The prints are made using eco- friendly dyes. The unit is equipped to produce around 2,000 masks a day.
With an eye on the upcoming academic year, Neethu is also working on masks with the names of the student. “There is also a trend where customers send in their photo, asking for their lower part of the face to the printed on the masks,” Neethu adds.