N9 World Technologies & Consolidated Pathways team up to provide Antiviral Technology to enhance safety, performance of consumer textiles  

N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Resil Chemicals, is based in Bengaluru, India and is a manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals in antibacterial, cooling and dynamic drying technologies. It enjoys the trust of over 150 brands and retailers in India for its products like COOLITTM, NeudriTM, N9 Pure SilverTM, etc.
Recently, N9 World Technologies, India signed an agreement with Consolidated Pathways Inc., USA to incorporate unique Swiss antiviral and antimicrobial technologies into sustainable, cost effective custom blends for the textile industry.
N9’s special offerings provide antiviral performance against the coronavirus bringing proven hygiene function and material protection to the textile industry.
Based in Michigan, Midland USA, Consolidated Pathways is a brand and technical representative for Sanitized® products, and supports the advancement of the trusted Sanitized® quality seal and related branding concepts to the global textile industry.
Consolidated Pathways is partnering with N9 World Technologies in support of its antiviral and antimicrobial custom blended products that, when properly applied can utilize the highly regarded Sanitized® quality seal.
In a conversation with IndiaRetailing, Vikram Rao, Managing Director of N9 World Technologies, Ganesh Srinivasan, CTO & Executive Director-Technology, Board of Directors, N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd, James Krueger, CEO of Consolidated Pathways and Dr Robert A (Bob) Monticello, President of Consolidated Pathways share the details of how this technology is going to revolutionise the textile industry.
Excerpts from the interview:
Tell us about N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd. What is the core business of your company?
Ganesh Srinivasan, CTO & Executive Director-Technology, Board of Directors, N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd: N9WTPL is an innovative specialty materials company committed to offering unique patented next-generation technologies in the hygiene, comfort and wellness space. N9WTPL products offer differentiated value and cost-effective sustainable solutions to our customers and consumer brands. The core business of N9WTPL is textile finishes that provide functional features to apparel that benefits end users.
What kind of products and solutions are you offering to the textile industry?
Ganesh Srinivasan: N9WTPL offers in its hygiene space, globally compliant antimicrobial and antiviral technologies. Under the comfort space temperature control technologies are popular such as, quick drying and cooling technologies. Under the wellness space consumers are protected from dangerous UV rays, skin moisture management and capsulated actives technologies.
Our products like N9 Pure Silver have won several innovation awards including Indian President award. These functional finishes have patronage of over 150 Indian & Global brands in diverse segments like innerwear, active wear, casual wear, home textiles & uniforms.
Tell us in detail about the partnership between N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd, Consolidated Pathways of USA and Sanitized AG of Switzerland.
Vikram Rao, Managing Director of N9 World Technologies: N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd., India has signed agreements with Consolidated Pathways Inc., USA and Sanitized AG, Switzerland to incorporate unique Swiss antiviral and antimicrobial technologies into sustainable and cost-effective custom blends for the textile industry. With this partnership we will be able to offer proven hygiene solutions to the textile industry.
James Krueger, CEO of Consolidated Pathways: We are excited to partner with N9 as we work together with global brands to increase their sourcing from India. Consolidated Pathways has teamed up with N9 to provide the world’s leading polymer antimicrobials that will be an important component of consumer textiles all over the globe, providing unmatched safety and performance.
Tell us more about Consolidated Pathways & Sanitized AG.
Dr Robert Monticello: Consolidated Pathways is a Technical Representative and Brand Ambassador for Sanitized AG of Switzerland and supports the advancement of the trusted Sanitized® Quality Seal and related branding concepts to the global textile industry. Sanitized AG has been performing pioneering work and developing innovative, effective and safe technologies for antimicrobial treatment since 1935. Sanitized® is a brand name and a seal of confidence which provides consumers with confidence in the textile products they buy. Sanitized and Consolidated Pathways teamed up to focus on the further development of non-leaching polymer antimicrobial technologies in addition to fundamental, non-biocidal surface modification technologies that prevent bacterial attachment to surfaces. Our expertise in this area is unsurpassed and it is exciting to work together to provide a level of protection that consumers will be able to recognize and appreciate.
What is the significance of the Sanitized® Quality Seal?
James Krueger: Along with the antibacterial benefits of Sanitized technologies, they have been proven to provide anti-viral benefits to textile products as well. Since the Global consumer has been trained by the local government and media to sanitize their hands and surfaces in their homes, the Sanitized® brand clearly communicates what consumer data shows is of greatest interest to consumers and what test data shows Sanitized products actually provide – added protection.
How is this partnership going to benefit the Indian Textile Industry?
Vikram Rao: With this partnership, N9 World Technologies is now a ‘One Stop Shop’ for Global Brands & Retailers who are seeking innovative and sustainable specialty finishes for their textile products. A worldwide business development team is already in place for marketing and servicing customers with these proven technologies with global regulatory approvals.
James Krueger: Our products are thoroughly tested following the strictest protocols with reports that are transparent and clear. The antibacterial and antiviral performance of our polymer-based antimicrobials provides peace of mind to the consumer that use the textiles treated with our technologies.
Tell us in detail about the new technology that you are launching in India.
Dr Robert Monticello: We offer a unique organofunctional polymer based Antiviral and Antimicrobial Technology that is durable. This technology is marketed under the umbrella brand VIROBAN. VIROBAN N9 XTS-18 is proven very effective against viruses. This technology is proven to reduce infective viruses by 99.99 % when tested under ISO 18184 and the polymers are designed to have high compatibility with textiles. Our VIROBAN N9XTS-18 creates a highly-cationic charge density on the textile’s surface, deactivating the spread of the virus & bacteria on contact. The technology is designed to act quickly to prevent the transmission of viruses.
What is your marketing and promotional strategy in India?
Vikram Rao: N9 World Technologies sets the standard for service and reliability within the antimicrobial industry in India. One part of our strategy in India will be to partner with the Indian brands and get this technology adopted in their products selling in the Indian markets through the physical outlets as well as e-commerce platforms. The other part will be to partner with the Indian textile exporters to offer these technologies to the global brands.
How will this anti-microbial/ anti-viral innovation that you are launching benefit the Indian Textile & Apparel Industry, especially in the wake of the pandemic?
Ganesh Srinivasan: Companies across the world are creating a textile product that can offer a certain degree of protection to the wearer from viruses and bacteria especially viruses similar to SARS CoV-2. This technology helps mask manufacturers to build antiviral functionality in addition to improving comfort of textiles without affecting the breathability. India is known for its home textile exports and VIROBAN can help to build hygiene quotients in the bed & bath segment and make them more competitive in the export segment. Domestic apparel brands can use this technology to provide extended safety to their consumers without compromising finish quality and sustainability goals. This product ticks all the boxes with respect to global registrations and regulations such as ZDHC, ECHA, EPA, etc. We will be sharing the details with our Indian partner-mills to help them meet global regulatory standards.
What is the relevance of this technology to the end consumer? Please elaborate.
Vikram Rao: Now more than ever, health & safety is a top priority for consumers resulting in an increased interest for antiviral face masks and apparels. Antiviral finish treated textile articles help in protecting the wearer from infectious microbes. Thus, our technology will be a key element for preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria through textiles.
Which geographies will you target with your new product?
Vikram Rao: We will be targeting the markets of India, South Asia, South East Asia, Middle East & Turkey through our own team and through our distributors in this region.
How important a role does sustainability and technology play in the solutions that you develop?
Ganesh Srinivasan: Sustainability is of key importance and incorporated in product design during the research and development phase of our products.
N9 products are easy to use and integrate into the standard textile processing. Our technology empowers consumers to take an active role in sustainability by helping them reduce the need to launder frequently – saving consumer’s time, water & energy. It offers durability for 30 or 40 HL. Prolonged useful life of apparel because of less frequent washing and Supports low-temperature laundry as well.
What are your future plans?
Vikram Rao: The focus in the near future would be on global business development & business building. So far, our marketing was by and large confined to India and the Middle East. The partnership with C Path now gives us an opportunity to reach out to a multitude of brands and retailers in the US & EU, promote our technologies and service their requirements through global supply chains.
The R&D of both Consolidated Pathways, USA and N9, India would constantly be seeking to develop new custom blends and technologies which can add “Benefit Value” to the ever evolving and changing consumer needs in the Apparel industry.