Auroville’s innovations for better breathing

Mask Making

Last year, we highlighted four Auroville units producing masks during the first wave of the pandemic. One of these units, Aire Masks, was already making high-end masks aimed at two-wheeler drivers wanting to reduce their exposure to pollution. During the first wave of the pandemic, the unit rapidly expanded its capacity and ramped up production from 50 to 100,000 masks per month to meet the need. And then, as Aire’s founder Juan Felipe recounts, “the market suddenly became flooded with masks, and prices dropped”. The Rs 300-400 Aire masks began to compete with masks selling for ten rupees, and it seemed people weren’t too concerned about quality. “In India, there’s generally not much quality control for masks,” says Juan Felipe. “The manufacturers put an N95 sticker on a simple piece of fabric, and charge Rs 10.” 

At that time, Aire Masks also collaborated with doctors at the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), as the doctors were initially left to source and fund their own masks. While the doctors’ orders have now stopped, Juan Felipe suggests that the Aire Masks are still highly valued there. One senior PIMS doctor still wears a mask (with changeable filter) that he purchased from Aire one year ago. “He doesn’t want to change because, after one year of treating people with COVID [and not contracting the virus], he trusts that it’s safe,” says Juan Felipe. 

While the unit continued to sell about 5000 masks per month for some time, orders have now stabilised at about 1000-2000 per month. Naturally, the number of staff has dropped, from twelve at the peak to four at present. 

Aire has shifted its focus back to creating products that offer protection from pollution, such as bandanas (worn over the mouth) and balaclavas (mostly targeted at the professional biker market), while still also producing COVID masks. “The virus will pass, hopefully, but pollution will most likely still be a problem across India,” says Juan Felipe. “If we continue to offer the best quality, people will continue to buy our masks.”  

The lull between the two waves of COVID enabled Aire to innovate and create new products. N99 filters, which offer a higher level of protection than N95, are now available in India. These are built into Aire’s balaclavas or bandanas to protect riders from smoke and dust. A newly sourced, extremely soft bamboo fabric with a great capacity to absorb sweat reduces the amount of mouth bacteria lingering close to the skin.

These and other ‘tweaks’ have been newly incorporated into Aire’s range, after an extended product testing period. Juan Felipe explains that part of Aire’s modus operandi is to always consider two key questions: “How can we create for Auroville?” and “What should the relation be to the workers?” So, to ensure the new Aire products could meet the challenges of Auroville’s sweaty heat, the staff in Auroville’s Financial Service helped test them. “They are key people. If they get ill, the economy of Auroville will suffer.” The staff approved.

While pollution levels in India came down during the first wave of the pandemic, Juan Felipe points out that levels have risen again. “The pollution in Chennai is terrible, and affects people’s endocrine systems. Millions of people are dying from the bad air in India. It’s as if they don’t know how to solve the problem.” In response to the problem, he not only founded Aire Masks but also a website that promotes awareness of pollution in India. The website encourages people to take action, to join anti-pollution advocacy projects, and to network. “People know there’s pollution, but then what? There are actions they can take, in addition to wearing masks, and the website helps them to find people to collaborate with, ideally creating a movement in the process.”

Juan Felipe raises the dilemma of responding to the COVID pandemic through mask-making, when his real focus is on anti-pollution measures. “We’re not opportunists. I felt we were being a bit like big pharma, which needs illness to make money. I don’t want to promote fear, and didn’t expect to make money from people’s fear.” He points out that the intention of Aire’s motto ‘Be the Change’, which encourages people’s action against pollution, became somewhat compromised during the pandemic with its focus on masks as a protective measure against the virus.

“It’s a strange time,” says Juan Felipe, “but it’s also allowed us to continue to develop our product range. Auroville offers different ways of doing things. COVID will pass, and perhaps one day pollution will too. Until then, Aire Masks will still be here.” 

Three other Auroville units also turned their hand to making masks in the first wave, even though none of them had made masks before. Fashion units Upasana and Miniature  repurposed their staff and fabrics to stitch simple cotton masks for the market. Auroville Village Action Group (AVAG) also turned to mask-making, as a social service and income-generating activity for marginalised women, and this initiative is still continuing. To date, a total of 100,000 masks have been made by AVAG during the two waves, and another 4,000 are currently being stitched for children in local government schools.

Ventilators

We also reported in the August 2020 issue about two Auroville teams that were inspired to produce low-tech, affordable and easily replicable ventilators, in order to help Indian health services. Ventilators are life-saving devices that assist breathing, which have been in short supply in some states in India during the two waves. 

The JASAN team – Jorge, Akash, Sukrit, Alex and Nigel – collaborated with PIMS to develop their ventilator, and were at the testing stage when we last reported. The team has since brought their invention to the certification stage, and is currently waiting to hear back from an investor who is interested in mass producing it.

The Tusky ventilator, created by Samvit, was also being advised by PIMS medical experts when we reported last year. The ventilator is now in late stage research and development, in collaboration with an incubator. The team is now looking for funding to take the project to the next milestone of making prototypes for medical testing. Samvit has also been approached to teach local school students how to make ventilators. 

Post-Pivot

In the fast-moving  and fickle world of business-buzzword trends, ‘pivot’ has already started to appear in the lists of ‘Most annoying words of 2021’ and ‘Buzzwords to Cut’ as COVID becomes the ‘new normal’.  Meanwhile, Auroville’s entrepreneurs continue to tinker with and refine their inventions, with the aim of long-term benefit for all.