Surgical masks are the U.S. FDA regulated masks that are considered to be fluid resistant and protect the wearer against splashes or spray of bodily or hazardous fluids and large droplets. The medical staff usually prefer these masks in an operative or procedural hospital setting. These masks protect the wearer by creating a barrier to the microorganisms and thereby preventing cross-contamination. During disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 pandemic, health officials recommend the public to wear surgical masks in order to control the spread of the disease. The India surgical mask market was valued at $71.73 million in 2019, and is expected to reach $157.13 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 10.3% from 2020 to 2027.

This growth is majorly attributed to the significant increase in number of surgical procedures performed across the country in the past few years. In addition to this, increase in focus toward preventing hospital acquired infections (HAIs) is expected to positively impact the growth of the surgical masks market, as several pathogens are encountered in the hospital environment and have potential ability to cause post-operative infection. Thus, it is recommended to use a surgical mask, by both patient and the medical professional in order to reduce the frequency of post-operative surgical infections. Moreover, the growth of the India surgical mask market is mainly driven by the rapid developments in nonwoven production technology. This technology is cheaper than the other fabric forming technologies such as woven or knitted. Furthermore, these nonwoven surgical masks are disposable and are generally made up of 3 to 4 layers with 2 filters (1 in size); thereby, providing higher bacterial filtration efficiency and better air permeability. Hence, owing to advantages that the nonwoven technology offers over other conventional methodologies, the adoption of this technology by the Indian manufacturers is projected to boost the demand for surgical masks in the Indian market.

Furthermore, COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has hugely impacted the demand for surgical masks in India. Since the use of masks possibly reduces the onward transmission of the virus through symptomatic, asymptomatic, and pre-symptomatic patients, the demand for surgical masks is all set to witness boost till the pandemic comes to an end. However, owing to the interstate transport restrictions imposed by the government, the mask manufacturers are currently experiencing supply chain hurdles and complications for procuring raw materials required in mask manufacturing, further hampering the market growth rate. Nevertheless, this undesirable impact is being remunerated by rapid demand for surgical masks by the COVID-19 patients, healthcare workers and the general populace to prevent the disease.

On the other hand, the Indian government mandates usage of masks, most of which are disposable masks that are ending up in oceans or landfills. Disposing the surgical masks post usage is one of the major concern obstructing the growth of the market. These masks must be immediately discarded as bio hazardous materials, else they might pose a threat to the environment if not disposed in a scientific manner. As India is struggling to control the ongoing pandemic, COVID-19 induced behavioral change is critically exacerbating the problem of disposal of surgical masks. Besides this, rise in popularity of minimally invasive surgeries such as thoracoscopic surgeries, laparoscopic surgeries, or keyhole surgeries, further impede the growth of the India surgical masks market, as these surgeries require minimal interventions by the healthcare professionals and are usually performed using robot assistance. Conversely, innovations in nanotechnology and its increased usage in medical nonwoven disposables production are anticipated to create profitable opportunities for market expansion in the near future. The nano-fibers made using nanotechnology have a large surface area to volume ratio, making them appropriate for manufacturing filtered and medical textile products such as surgical masks.

The research study categorizes India surgical masks market on the basis of product, distribution channel and sales channel. Based on product, the market is categorized into basic surgical mask, anti-fog surgical mask, fluid/splash-resistant surgical mask, and N95 mask. Based on distribution channel, the market is divided into hospitals & clinics, drug stores and online stores. Based on sales channel, the India surgical masks market is classified into business to business, business to customer and business to government.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the key players operating in the India surgical masks market such as Thea-Tex Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd., Venus Safety & Health Pvt. Ltd., Magnum Health and Safety Private Limited, Z Plus Disposable, Salus Products, Smilepad Hygiene India Pvt. Ltd., Cartel Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., MBL Impex Private Limited, Medicare Hygiene Limited, Mediblue Health Care Private Limited., Plasti Surge Industries Pvt. Ltd., Medline Industries Inc., Premium Health Care Disposables Private Limited, Kwalitex Healthcare Private Limited, and 3M Company.

KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS

The study provides an in-depth analysis of the India surgical masks market, with current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets.
A quantitative analysis from 2019 to 2027 is discussed to enable the stakeholders to capitalize on the prevailing market opportunities.
Key players are profiled, and their information is analyzed thoroughly to understand the competitive outlook of the market.
Competitive intelligence is provided through the market share analysis segment in the report.

KEY MARKET SEGMENTS
By Product
o Basic Surgical Mask
o Anti-fog Surgical Mask
o Fluid/Splash-resistant Surgical Mask
o N95 Mask
By Distribution Channel
o Hospitals & Clinics
o Drug Stores
o Online Stores
By Sales Channel
o Business to Business
o Business to Customer
o Business to Government
KEY MARKET PLAYERS
Thea-Tex Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Venus Safety & Health Pvt. Ltd.
Magnum Health and Safety Private Limited
Z Plus Disposable
Salus Products
Smilepad Hygiene India Pvt. Ltd.
Cartel Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.
MBL Impex Private Limited
Medicare Hygiene Limited
Mediblue Health Care Private Limited.
Plasti Surge Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Medline Industries Inc.
Premium Health Care Disposables Private Limited
Kwalitex Healthcare Private Limited
3M Company