Van Heusen, an Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail clothing brand, has said that they will use inStem antiviral clothing technology for the new face mask line and sportswear lines that will include G99 + antiviral standards. These new sportswear and masks will implement inStem’s G-Fab technology. G-Fab technology is developed by inStem, the Institute of Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India. To do this, Van Heusen also partnered with Color Threads Inc., an incubator of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), an initiative supported by the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India. They have further developed this technology. The Van Heusen mask with the G99 + antiviral masks are manufactured in India, in a push for the Atmanirbhar mission of the Government of India.
Van Heusen says that the Van Heusen mask with the G99 + antiviral is manufactured using inStem’s germicidal tissue technology, which reduces more than 90% of the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 5 minutes and up to 99.99% of virus infectivity in 15 minutes. . They say that when the virus comes into contact with tissue, the treatment reduces the viral load of SARS-CoV-2. This has been tested under laboratory conditions following modified ISO 18184 protocols. Right now, the price of the Van Heusen mask with the G99 antiviral is Rs 399 for a pack of two masks. These masks can be washed up to 30 times. It is unclear if the Van Heusen mask with the G99 + antiviral masks will be successful with these masks or if both will continue to be on sale.
“Through our association, we intend to introduce a mask that has become a necessity in our lives. The Van Heusen mask with G99 + antiviral ™ technology offers quality, comfort and affordability. This will also be followed with the launch of men’s and women’s sportswear powered by G99 + antiviral ™ offering protection, style and comfort, ”says Puneet Kumar Malik, CEO of Van Heusen Innerwear and Athleisure. “Wearing a mask has been proven effective in slowing the spread of the virus. However, viruses and bacteria can stay alive for up to seven days with normal masks, including cloth masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks, which risk infection by touching the mask. Therefore, at inStem and Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster, as part of our effort to curb the current pandemic situation, we have developed the germicidal cloth, G-Fab, which allows to kill viruses on contact ”, says Praveen Kumar Vemula, research associate by inStem. “As part of our effort to address the pandemic crisis, Color Threads licensed G-fab technology from inStem, further refined and developed it to become a ready-to-market solution. We are delighted to partner with ABFRL to bring G-fab technology to market, ”says Roshni Lelani, Color Threads Commercial Director.
Van Heusen confirms that these masks are made in India and that the Van Heusen mask with the G99 + antiviral will be available in a free size option for both men and women. These will be sold in offline stores, as well as online shopping platforms.
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