Unsung Heroes from ABFRL Factories |

Not all heroes wear capes, and that is what we witnessed across our ABFRL factories. As the pandemic continued, the ABFRL factories at Karnataka and Odisha opened their doors to manufacture three-ply surgical masks and personal protective equipment/body coveralls, a move to make India self-sufficient in medical protective gear.

In a short turnaround time, ABFRL procured the requisite machinery and equipment. Our workers living in paying guest accommodation and nearby villages were mobilized. More than 2700 staff and workers volunteered to put their time towards this noble cause, of producing Personal Protective Equipment, with support from PDQA and sourcing teams to get the appropriate fabric for this project. 8

By 6th April, manufacturing of medical protective gear began in seven of our factory units, in and around Bangalore, followed by one factory unit in Odisha. Under the leadership of Narahari N (COO -Sourcing, Manufacturing & Quality for Madura Fashion & Lifestyle) led by Jayarajan KR (Head of Manufacturing, MG Lifestyle Brand); S Raviee (Deputy Head of Manufacturing, MG Lifestyle Brands), Kalpana BG (Assistant Vice President & Head-HR MG Clothing), and Sudhakaran G (Vice President – Operations, MG Clothing), the factories were up and running in no time. The leadership team has been working relentlessly to identify new product mixes and categories for revival and growth of our businesses.

Several process improvements have not just been giving us major productivity gains, but also helped in saving lives. Multiple such initiatives have been implemented to reduce the chances of germ transmission in common areas, and further improve production time, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity. All the activities in our factories follow the highest standards of safety, hygiene and social distancing.

A Clap for Our Carers

As our factories resumed operation to manufacture PPEs and masks, we had to ensure no worker with COVID-like symptoms could enter the shop floor. Here, a 15-member team of nurses from the MC Nursing Fraternity played a key role to ensure our workers were safe and hygiene standards were maintained.

Nurses from in every factory went beyond their call of duty, screening all the employees, counselling anxious workers and families, and keeping a tab on unwell workers. They worked closely with the doctors and conducted timely awareness sessions on the shop floor. Furthermore, extra efforts were taken to ensure the biomedical waste is disposed off safely. Kudos to all the frontline workers who risked their lives to make ours better!

Here is a peek into how the operations were carried out:

Helping fight the cause

Coveralls Produced

Close to 5 lakh

Surgical Masks Produced

Over 1 million

Leadership Team

Narahari N