Italian textile technology is poised to fortify its partnership with India's textile industry through a new promotional initiative set to enhance trade relations. Scheduled from April 9 to 12 in New Delhi and Mumbai, 11 leading Italian textile machinery manufacturers will participate in technological symposia organized by the Italian Trade Agency and backed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. This initiative aims to provide a platform for Italian companies to exhibit their cutting-edge technologies to a curated audience of Indian textile entrepreneurs.
India's textile sector holds significant economic weight, contributing over 2 per cent to the GDP and securing its position as one of the world's largest exporters of textile and apparel items. Notably, India stands as the third-largest foreign market for the Italian textile machinery industry.
Marco Salvade, president of Association of Italian Textile Machinery (ACIMIT), highlights India's evolving textile landscape, emphasizing the growing demand for technical and innovative textiles in sectors such as geotextiles and medical applications. Salvade underscores the role of these symposia in showcasing Italian manufacturers' expertise, particularly in sustainability and digitalization of production processes.
In 2022, India imported Italian textile machinery worth approximately €200 million. Although the value exhibited a slight decline in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the previous year, projections for the current year remain optimistic.
Salvade emphasizes that these technology symposia are integral to a longstanding promotional program by ITA and ACIMIT aimed at strengthening trade ties between Italy and India in the textile sector. He also acknowledges the pioneering role of the first Italian textile technology training center established at DKTE’S Textile & Engineering Institute Ichalkaranji.
Participating Italian companies, all members of ACIMIT, include Autefa, Cubotex, Danitech, Lafer, Mcs, Monti-Mac, Reggiani Macchine, Salvade, Savio, Sicam, and Testa.
