Forbes Marshall and Swiss Start-up SymbioSwiss Develop an Innovative Chemical Free Disinfectant, Eco-friendly Surface Disinfectant

The current COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging nations across the world has created new challenges for the health infrastructure across the globe. From shortages of PPE to availability of adequate ventilators and hand and surface sanitization systems, governments and health systems across the world need all the support citizens can provide. A new Indo-Swiss joint venture between one of India’s established corporates Forbes Marshall and the Swiss technology start-up, SymbioSwiss, based in Geneva have joined hands to provide a new and unique chemical free eco-friendly surface sanitisation system that enables a quick and easy generation of disinfecting water without the need of any large industrial infrastructure and can be quickly deployed across various regions where basic surface disinfectation is necessary

With the rising demand for disinfectants and hand and surface sanitization systems, most hospitals in India are facing difficulty in getting disinfectants to fulfil their daily requirements. Keeping that in mind, this Indo-Swiss Joint Venture called Swiss NeWater India will provide the eco-friendly, surface sanitization disinfectant, free of charge to public and private hospitals, laboratories, pharmaceutical industries and also to public governing bodies like municipalities, local councils hospitals and public communities in Pune and Mumbai where disinfecting of basic surface is necessary. The disinfectant is tested to various pathogenic deactivation test procedures and is effective against vaccinia virus, papovavirus, adenovirus, and poliovirus. In addition to this, the solution appears to have the efficacy to neutralize various new strains of contagious viruses, spores and allergens.

The chemical-free new technology has powerful disinfecting properties owing to oxides and radicals in its composition produced by electrolysis with the help of the HydroCleaner^TM machine from Swiss NeWater. The only raw material required is 99.9 percent pure common salt, tap water and electricity, and the cost of the disinfectant would be 25 percent cheaper than the chemical options available in the market. The machine can produce 200-250 litres per shift, and the company can provide anywhere between 600-800 litres of disinfectant per day.

This disinfectant solution has also been provided to the Khed Panchayat Samiti, one of the communities to which Forbes Marshall is extending support in response to the current health situation. It will be used in the isolation wards of the ten primary health care centres treating cases emerging from the current viral pandemic in the area, and a larger facility that is being set up. Earlier this month, Forbes Marshall made a contribution towards the purchase of PPE and sanitizers for the frontline workers and medical professionals at these centres.

The Founder of SymbioSwiss, Dr. Claude Begle, with his rich experience in public service had the vision of providing the world with a solution that while providing safe hygienic practices across the world, also reduces the chemical load on water bodies that eventually absorb all the chemicals from the existing sanitary systems that exist as solutions today.

Dr. Claude Begle states, “Our aim in starting up this venture was to provide an affordable and easy to deploy solution that could equally be applicable in the developing and developing regions of the world.”

Mr. Farhad Forbes, Co-chairman of Forbes Marshall said, “This present action is fully in line with the core of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy of our Company. We have always believed in contributing to community development, by working as a catalyst for social change, particularly in the local areas of our corporate operations.”

Dr. Naushad Forbes, Co-chairman of Forbes Marshall, and past Chairperson of Industry body CII said, “The need of the hour is for Industry to play a very proactive role in combatting COVID-19 spread and I believe that this new eco-friendly sanitisation system has immense potential to reduce the spread of various pathogens. The Swiss NeWater technology therefore comes at a very opportune time to help our health infrastructure battle the spread of various pathogens and also alleviate the current situation.”