Hyderabadi develops simple fabric that keeps pollution, viruses at bay

Hyderabad-based entrepreneur Deepthi Nathala develops fabric that even gives UV protection

Hyderabad: Infants and caregivers are most prone to infections and diseases. There are many fabrics and masks available to keep them off but would you believe it if told about a cotton fabric that promises to kill most variants of virus and bacteria, fights pollution and UV rays.

To provide clean, sustainable, and eco-friendly fabric, a Hyderabad-based entrepreneur, Deepthi Nathala, has developed this fabric called Hecoll that can be used to make baby wraps, patient gowns, and headgear for bikers, masks, and any possible form that you can think of.

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Deepthi, who is an IIT-Madras alumnus in Nanotechnology and has worked in the corporate field for many years, wanted to develop a fabric that not only provides protection from the harsh UV rays but also protects a person from pollution and all kinds of infections.

“Once I moved to India after working in countries like the US and Saudi Arabia, I could not find a right solution for the pollution and harsh rays from the Sun. And being an eco-friendly person, using sunscreen, which has harsh chemicals and comes packaged in plastic bottles, was not an option,” she says.

That is when she observed that many people were using dupattas and handkerchiefs to protect themselves from pollution and heat. However, this is proven to protect us from only 10 per cent of UV rays and air pollution, she points out.

“That got me thinking about using cotton fabric to develop an antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-pollution and self-disinfectant cloth that can be used in different ways,” says Deepthi, founder, Dibbu Solutions that makes the Hecoll fabric.

While the initial process of making the fabric, according to her, was to make face masks and headgears, slowly they realised that the fabric can be more useful in making baby wraps and patient gowns for caregivers not just at hospitals but also at homes. The fabric provides 95 per cent protection from pollution, 99 per cent protection from UV rays, and kills viruses and bacteria immediately, says Deepthi.

While bulk order manufacturing is done through third-party vendors, the entrepreneur has a team of trained women workers who can make small orders for their Amazon and direct-to-consumer orders.

“Currently, we are a bootstrapped company and are on the lookout for funds even as we plan to have 10 lakh consumers in the next two years,” says Deepthi.

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