Sarex Chemicals launches 2 new specialty solutions to fight COVID pandemic. Setting up an example, Sarex shows resilience and leaves the textile industry to follow in its footsteps.
The recipe for a business to flourish is innovation, perseverance towards growth, and goodwill among the public. But the secret ingredient is resilience – with which businesses can emerge successful out of adverse conditions. The pandemic has crippled not only the health infrastructure globally but has also harmed economies due to partial or complete lockdown.
One business group that has fought and overcome the unprecedented challenge posed by COVID is Sarex Chemicals. In the times when people have lost their jobs and businesses have come almost to a halt, Sarex has set an example for the business community with its remarkable resilience and perspective.
Founded in 1952, Sarex Chemicals has worked hard to achieve several accolades. In the 68 years of its existence, Sarex has established itself as a pioneer in the field of specialty chemicals that cater to a wide range of industries, including textiles. With Ashok Saraf as the Managing Director, Dr. Naresh Saraf as the Executive Director and Prakash Saraf as the Marketing Director, Sarex has a robust 300-strong dedicated team where each member brings in a unique skill set and knowledge.
It was only 36 years ago that Sarex began exporting. Today, Sarex Chemicals exports to about 60 countries emphasizing the company’s major hold over the international market. In a natural progression, Sarex has earned the recognition as a 2 Star Export House under the government scheme for the promotion of Foreign Trade Policy.
Specialty Chemicals for COVID
At the peak of COVID pandemic’s onslaught, Sarex worked on and launched two specialty chemicals – SARAGUARD 5700 and SARAGUARD FL – that are designed to kill the Corona virus specifically.
SARAGUARD 5700 is a methanol free, non-leaching, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral agent and is suitable for application in all kind of textiles. It is designed to protect the garment not only from the viruses but also from bacteria and fungi. And, SARAGURD FL is the first entirely ‘Made in India’ anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent for all textiles as well as their blends.
The two chemicals can also be used in the making of masks and PPE kits meant for the medical personnel when serving the patients of COVID-19. Both the products have proven to be durable in multiple home laundry washes too, establishing that the chemicals can sustain on the textile for a longer duration of time.
According to Sarex officials, the two products have been tested at the MSL laboratory, London, and have received the ISO:18184:2019 certification.
Prakash Saraf shares: “We believe in providing correct information to the customers. The brands we work with have always lauded this approach of ours. Even though the certification from MSL laboratory took a little longer time, the ensuing customer feedback has made it all the better.”
Sarex has decided to distribute the two products to their major clientele including Arvind and Raymond among others. It makes them proud that the two products have also been successfully launched by brands such as Arrow, Flying Machine, Linen Club and the like. It comes on the heels of the fact that when the textile companies began coating the garments with anti-viral and anti-microbial chemicals, their production costs showed an increase which was getting passed on to the final product too. With SARAGUARD 5700 and SARAGUARD FL coming to their rescue, the textile companies could now rest assured.
Prakash Saraf adds: “The credit goes to our employees who have worked tirelessly even during the peak of the pandemic and have helped us launch the two highly affordable solutions in a timely manner. As the management, we have ensured that all safety protocols of social-distancing and sanitization were being followed to the fullest.”
Sign of Safety & Sustainability
Sarex Chemicals believes in generating maximum output with minimum input, while simultaneously ensuring the highest level of safety practices. Such efficient ways of functioning have helped the company garner a host of accreditations.
It is one of the few companies to become a Bluesign partner. The prestigious certificate ensures that the companies maintain their sustainability performance without fail. As a Bluesign partner, Sarex ensures that they are committed to always deliver highest levels of safety for people, practice sustainable methods in their use of resources and that they will continuously strive to improve their environmental performance. Another stamp of their dedication to maintain highest quality comes in the form of accreditation of Sarex’s laboratory by Marks & Spencer for their P.L.C test methods.
Sarex Chemicals is also a leading provider of fine chemicals and API intermediaries. In the textile industry, Sarex caters to knitted and dyed fabrics, technical textiles and also finishing auxiliaries such as flame retardants, and oil and water repellants. All the magic with the chemicals happens at their three production facilities located at Boisar and Tarapur in North Mumbai.
Sustainability – A Key Factor
The Sarafs take pride in the sustainable methods of production to create environmental-friendly products. All their solutions are directed towards offering ‘customer delight’, which is Sarex’s key strategy.
Prakash Saraf elaborates: “The first and foremost goal of our company is customer delight. We realize that the world is advancing rapidly and with such aggressive increase in technology usage, the challenges have also multiplied. We do not want the customers to adjust to our products but would rather have our R&D team work hard to develop suitable, adaptable and sustainable solutions.”
Today, Sarex Chemicals has over 100 products making it to the illustrious ‘The Global Organic Textile Standard’ list which is a worldwide textile standard for organic fibers. Further, they also avoid manufacturing APEO and NPEO products while opting for a complete discontinuation of formaldehyde use.
Over the years, Sarex has brought in major operational changes in keeping with times. From being a company doing business domestically in a highly disorganized sector, Sarex Chemicals today has come a long way in becoming one of the most respected Indian brands in the international market.
With aggressive domestic expansion plans afoot, Sarex Chemicals has many an innovative idea to unleash on the Indian textile industry.
The chemistry of the textile solutions at Sarex Chemicals is magical!