India Imports Oxygen Tankers & Concentrators to Battle Covid-19

14 May 2021

During the second wave, India is facing inadequate beds and oxygen cylinders. To fight off the battle, the Government of India, on Tuesday, imported cryogenic tankers. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has allocated the oxygen imports the most to severely affected states of India. Due to growing demand of medical equipment in India amid pandemic, India is importing oxygen concentrators, oxygen cells, high pressure cylinders and oxygen equipment.

 

India Imports Oxygen Concentrators (Jan 2020-Mar 2021)

 

In a recent development in India’s imports of medical equipment, Indian companies have placed orders for more than 60,000 oxygen concentrators with Chinese medical equipment manufacturers to meet the shortage of medical oxygen in India. India also faced shortage of oxygen concentrators last year when pandemic started spreading in many areas. As per India import statistics, India’s imports of oxygen concentrators shot up in 2^nd and 3^rd quarter of 2020. Below given chart shows value in percentile of India imports oxygen concentrators between Jan 2020 and Mar 2021.

 

 

 

 

The demand of oxygen cells also rose in 1^st quarter of 2021. According to India import data of oxygen cells, India imports of oxygen cells rose to 84.9% in January 2021 as against 0.49% reported in January 2020.

 

India Imports High Pressure Cylinders (Jan 2020- Mar 2021)

 

In the beginning of 2020, India experienced first wave of Covid-19 pandemic when demand of medical equipment gone up. As per India import data, India’s imports of high-pressure cylinders shared 24% in Q1 of 2020, which increased greatly to 44% in Q1 of 2021. Let’s take a look at value in percentile of high pressure cylinders into India reported from Jan 2020 to Mar 2021.

 

 

 

India Imports Oxygen Equipment (Jan 2020- Mar 2021)

 

As per India trade data of oxygen equipment, the import value of oxygen equipment saw a fluctuation from Jan 2020 to Mar 2021 due to ups and downs in coronavirus cases. In first quarter of 2020, India imported 36% worth of oxygen equipment from the world when Covid-19 was spreading as compared to 8.2% in Q1 of 2021 at the time when coronavirus cases went down. Here is a chart which shows value in percentile of India imports oxygen equipment reported from Jan 2020 to Mar 2021.

 

 

 

 

India’s Top 10 Import Partners of Medical Oxygen (Jan 2020 to Mar 2021)

 

India’s top 10 import sources of medical oxygen are China and the United States. If we look at India import statistics of medical oxygen reported from Jan 2020 to Mar 2021, China was the leading supplier of medical oxygen to India. Here are percentage shares of India’s top 10 import partners of medical oxygen.

 

 

 

Catalyst To Overcome The Situation

 

Tata Group has also announced officially through social media that they are going to import 24 cryogenic tankers to help the transportation boost of liquid oxygen in the hospitals of the nation.

 

A part of the Tata Group, Tata Steel announced on April 18 through social media that it will help India fight the deadly virus upfront courageously by shipping 200-300 tons of liquid medical oxygen daily to various state governments and hospitals.

 

According to sources, Reliance Industries also uplifted the manufacturing of medical-grade oxygen at its Jamnagar Oil Refineries, with an objective to produce over 700 tons a day of medical-grade oxygen. It is being exported free of cost to states badly affected by the virus.