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Jeanologia, a global leader in sustainable textile technologies, is strengthening Bangladesh’s position as the top denim manufacturer by introducing eco-efficient solutions that transform fabric treatment and garment finishing.
At the Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG), Jeanologia showcased its latest technologies designed to enhance automation, efficiency, and sustainability in denim production. These innovations help reduce environmental impact while improving productivity for manufacturers.
Jeanologia’s G2 Dynamic technology is changing the denim industry by replacing traditional polluting processes with an ozone-based alternative. This innovation reduces water and chemical use by up to 95 per cent and cuts energy consumption by 80 per cent. By adopting this technology, Bangladesh’s textile industry can enhance its competitiveness while making production more sustainable.
Beyond fabric treatment, Jeanologia offers advanced solutions for garment finishing. Its Laser Technology provides a fully digital and automated system that replaces manual and chemical-intensive processes, improving precision and creativity. G2 Indra, based on Airwash technology, achieves vintage denim looks without using water or chemicals, preserving fabric integrity. e-Flow, a nanobubble technology, applies chemicals with minimal water, reducing waste and improving fabric performance. H2 Zero, a water recycling system, ensures zero discharge in the finishing process, making garment production more sustainable.
By integrating these solutions, Jeanologia is helping Bangladesh maintain its position as a leader in sustainable denim manufacturing.
“With our end-to-end solutions, we aim to transform denim production into a more responsible, automated, and sustainable model. Bangladesh plays a key role in this shift, and our technologies support its global leadership,” said Jean Pierre Inchauspe, Jeanologia’s Business Director in Asia.
Jeanologia celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, marking three decades of revolutionizing the textile industry. Since launching laser denim finishing in 1999, the company has continuously developed innovative solutions to reduce water, energy, and chemical use. Its Mission Zero initiative aims to eliminate water and toxic chemicals from garment finishing worldwide.
With over 20 years in Bangladesh, Jeanologia remains a key partner for manufacturers, driving the industry toward a more sustainable, digitalized future.
Karachi will host IGATEX 2025 from April 24 to 26, marking the return of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, alongside the Italian Trade Agency. After years, an Italian collective participation is set, with 11 companies three in spinning and eight in finishing. Ten of these are ACIMIT members, including Audaces, Biancalani, Brazzoli, Danitech, Fadis, Ferraro, Mcs, Pinter Caipo, Pozzi Leopoldo, and Zanfrini.
Pakistan’s textile sector has faced a sharp downturn after years of high investment, driven by economic challenges. Reflecting this, Italian textile machinery exports to Pakistan fell from 134 million euro in 2021 to 44 million euro in 2023. However, in the first nine months of 2024, sales rebounded to 34 million euro, up 27 per cent from the same period in 2023.
ACIMIT President Marco Salvade emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong market presence. “Our exports’ recovery confirms the value of our participation in IGATEX 2025. Despite recent challenges, Pakistan remains a key market,” he stated.
ACIMIT and the Italian Trade Agency also support Pakistan’s textile sector through a technological training center at Faisalabad’s National Textile University, established with PISIE. Salvade reiterated that innovation and quality, hallmarks of Italian machinery will continue to enhance Pakistani textile companies global competitiveness.
IGATEX 2025 serves as a crucial platform to reinforce trade ties and drive technological advancements in Pakistan’s textile industry.
In 2024, US and EU retailers shifted cotton garment orders from China and Bangladesh to Vietnam, with India also experiencing a 20 per cent Y-o-Y growth in cotton textile exports during April-December. This shift reflects a ‘China Plus One’ strategy, where retailers diversify their sourcing.
China's market share in the US declined by 1 per cent in 2024, translating to approximately Rs 6,900 crore in lost business. This share was distributed among competing nations, including India, which gained 0.2 per cent, raising its market share to 5.9 per cent.
Data from Texprocil and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry shows, India's cotton yarn, fabric, and handloom exports grew by nearly 12 per cent in December 2024 compared to December 2023. Over the April-December period, these exports increased by 2.82 per cent, while apparel exports rose by 11.5 per cent.
Industry experts attribute this growth to diverted orders from Bangladesh, creating strong demand for domestic yarn and garment exports. The weakening rupee further enhances India's competitiveness. Additionally, new US tariffs on small parcels from China present an opportunity for India to expand its e-commerce fashion exports.
However, Vietnam has increased its cotton purchases from the US, Brazil, and West Africa due to lower prices compared to Indian cotton. Vietnam also benefits from no customs duties on cotton imports.
The Indian cotton market remains stagnant, with the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procuring 92 lakh bales under the price support program. CCI procurement is expected to exceed 100 lakh bales, providing comfortable price levels for spinning mills.
Vietnam's cotton imports and consumption are projected to reach a record 7.4 million bales in 2024-25, driven by record garment exports and increased foreign direct investment (FDI), according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Having signed 13 free trade agreements (FTAs) and six preferential trade pacts to boost exports, India has resumed negotiations with the UK for a comprehensive FTA. This comes after an eight-month gap, with Piyush Goyal, Commerce and Industry Minister and Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State, announcing the resumption of talks.
Negotiations, which began in January 2022, have completed 14 rounds. The FTA aims to boost trade and investment by reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and to expand cooperation in technology, healthcare, and education.
In FY 2024, India's merchandise exports to the UK reached $12.9 billion. According to GTRI, the FTA's impact on increasing these exports may be limited, as over half of Indian goods already enter the UK with low or no tariffs. The UK's average tariff on Indian imports is 4.2 per cent. However, Indian exports worth $6.1 billion, including textiles, apparel, footwear, cars, and agricultural products, will benefit from duty reductions.
On the import side, India's merchandise imports from the UK stood at $8.4 billion in FY24. Approximately 91 per cent of these goods, worth $7.6 billion, face medium to high tariffs in India The UK seeks tariff reductions for these products.
With negotiations resumed, both countries aim to finalize an agreement that benefits trade and investment. The outcome will shape the future of India-UK economic relations.
Vietnam, Bangladesh challenges, a hype created vested interests: Giriraj Singh, Minister of Textiles
Downplaying the challenge posed by Bangladesh and Vietnam to India’s textile industry, Giriraj Singh, Union Textile Minister calls it a ‘hype’ created by a few vested interests.
The Modi Government aims to expand India’s textiles market from $176 billion to $350 billion by 2030, Singh informs.
In the 2025-26 Budget, the government has increased its allocation to the ministry by 19 per cent to Rs 5,272 crore. This will lead to job creation and exports from the textiles sector, he adds. Committed to reviving the jute sector, the government has also earmarked Rs 12,000 crore for the sector with efforts also on to organise craft village initiatives in India’s tourist destinations.
The government is also intensifying efforts to boost cotton productivity by adopting global best practices to increase the per-hectare yield, notes Singh. With an aim to adopt the Akola model, it has tasked the Cotton Corporation of India to identify one district in each state for conducting cotton productivity trials. It plans to implement this model to bridge the yield gap with global competitors. The government is targeting 1,000 kg per hectare in 11 major cotton-producing states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, by expanding the Akola Model, adds Singh.
In the technical textiles sector, the government has set an export target of $10 billion of technical textiles by 2030. It aims to start producing carbon fiber in the country by 2026, he adds.
The government is also promoting Make in India in the textiles sector to meet the growing domestic demand. It has set an ambitious target of $100 billion in exports for textile products by 2030, Singh.
Lastly, the government aims to increase jobs in the sector to 6 crore by 2030 from the current 4.5 crore. It plans to create 21 lakh jobs from the proposed seven PM-MITRA parks, Singh adds.
To mitigate the impact of potential reciprocal tariffs from the United States, India is pushing for increased textile exports through the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA).
Indian officials are prioritizing the BTA to shield key sectors, including textiles, agriculture, steel, and aluminum, from these potential tariffs. They aim to more than double bilateral trade with the US to $500 billion by 2030, a target agreed upon during Prime Minister Modi's recent US visit through this agreement.
India aims to negotiate the first phase of the BTA by fall 2025, with a focus on protecting its textile exports, which stood at $10.8 billion in 2024. The country is particularly concerned about significant tariffs differentials faced in the textile sector. It sees BTA as a crucial mechanism to protect Indian exports and ensure a mutually beneficial trade relationship with the US, India's top export destination.
Owned by Turkish entrepreneur Cafer Mahiroglu, Select Fashion plans to close 35 stores in the UK by mid-March. This would downsize the affordable fashion brand’s UK presence by half.
The retailer had initially planned to shut down 12 stores in locations like Southshields, Peterlee, Thornaby, Hartlepool Scarborough Hull Hessle Hull St Stephens, Ashington and Scunthorpe. But, it now plans to close two more stores in Bristol.
Struggling since the last few years, Select Fashion entered administration in 2019 as the affordable fashion brand faced difficult trading conditions. The retail chain failed to revive in the following years and entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) last summer to restructure its debts.
Besides Select Fashion, New Look, Caffe Nero, Body Shop, and Jigsaw are also entering into CVAs. Brands like Ted Baker are also being forced to shut down their physical stores due to the 0 per cent economic growth registered by UK and a drastic rise in cost of living in the country.
India's cotton industry is set to receive a significant boost with the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) pledging support for the government's National Mission on Cotton. This Rs 500-crore initiative aims to enhance cotton productivity, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
During an ICFA-organized roundtable discussion, Dr MJ Khan, Founder announced this collaborative effort, emphasizing on the need to address critical challenges facing the sector. Eric B Trachtenberg, Executive Director, ICAC highlighted issues such as stagnant productivity, pest infestations, and climate vulnerability, stressing the importance of technological and policy interventions.
Trachtenberg warned, India risks becoming a major cotton importer due to persistent productivity issues and outdated hybrid seeds. Devastating impact of pests like the pink bollworm cause annual losses of Rs 3,900 crore, he pointed. Climate change further exacerbates the problem, threatening to destroy millions of cotton bales in key producing regions, he added.
To combat these challenges, experts advocate for stronger biotech interventions, including advancements in the Cotton Genome Initiative and the adoption of genetically modified organism (GMO) solutions. Speakers like Dr Satbir Singh Gosal and Dr M Prabhakar Rao emphasized the need for innovation, research, and improved breeding techniques.
Raghavan Sampath kumar, Executive Director, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) called for enhanced collaboration between the textile-seed industry and suggested an International Year of Cotton to drive reforms. Dr YG Prasad, Director, ICAR-CICR emphasized on the importance of developing climate-resilient cotton varieties and integrated pest management strategies.
The roundtable concluded with key recommendations, including the introduction of advanced hybrid seeds and pest-resistant strains, bridging biotechnology research gaps through international partnerships, advocating for regulatory reforms in seed and biotech approvals, strengthening climate resilience, and enhancing export potential.
These discussions represent a crucial step towards revitalizing India's cotton sector, ensuring higher farmer incomes, and solidifying India's position as a global leader in cotton production. Shreyasi Agarwal, CEO, ICFA, underscored the importance of technology-driven solutions and multi-stakeholder collaboration in achieving these goals.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) is urging industry leaders to increase value addition to cotton to reduce imports in the textile and clothing sector and boost the economy.
As outlined in the National Developmente Strategy 1 (NDSI) for re-industrializaiton, this will also help boost jobs and offer economic benefits, aligning with Zimbabwe's strategy of import substitution to strengthen its manufacturing sector, CZI says.
Cotton production in Zimbabwe declined from 360,000 metric tons in 2011 to just 13,000 metric tons in 2024. This shortage is forcing local industries to increase fabric imports.
In collaboration with farmers and the private sector, the government is trying to revitalize cotton production through increased farmer support and policy changes.
As per CZI, although the sector’s ginning capacity in the country is 750,000 metric tons, it operates at only 20 per cent, with most cotton exported as lint. Only 12,000 metric tons are processed locally, which is a significant loss for value addition and job creation, adds CZI.
Experts have expressed concern over the low level of lint processing, especially for an economy aiming for greater value addition.
Cotton production in Zimbabwe has declined since 2013 due to insufficient resources and farming support, leading to low yields. In 2015, production hit a low of 28,000 tons, prompting government intervention with the Presidential Input Scheme.
Last year, farmers produced only 13,000 tons of cotton, below the government's 42,000-ton projection, due to the El Niño drought.
In 2021, Zimbabwe's cotton to clothing exports grew by 132 per cent, earning $102.2 million. This growth was mainly driven by cotton lint and yarn exports, which increased to $85.7 million from $29.1 million the previous year.
This year, the country has increased the cotton planting area substantially expects a good harvest, states Professor Obert Jiri, Ministry of Agriculture.
The value of Bangladesh's apparel shipments to the EU rose by 4.86 per cent to $19.77 billion in 2024. The volume of the country’s apparel exports to the EU also increased by 10.18 per cent from the previous to 1,230.51 million kg.
However, the price per kilogram decline by 5 per cent, from $16.88 in 2023 to $16.07 in 2024.
EU's overall apparel imports increased in value by 1.53 per cent to $92.56 billion, while import volume grew by 8.98 per cent, as reported by Eurostat.
This resulted in a 6.83 per cent decline in average unit prices, affecting major suppliers like Bangladesh, according to Mohiuddin Rubel, Denim Expert.
China remained the top apparel exporter to the EU, followed by Bangladesh, Turkey, and India. All these countries, along with Vietnam and Cambodia, also saw price declines.
While Bangladesh maintained its position as a key EU supplier, the lower prices raise concerns about profitability amid global price reductions.
Falling prices make it harder to maintain profits, notes Rubel. Increased export volume and value were supported by producing higher-value garments, duty-free access, workplace safety, and the efforts of manufacturers and workers. These factors increased buyer confidence and strengthened Bangladesh's position in the export market, adds Rubel.
Although exports in 2024 were better than 2023, they were still below 2022 levels.
According to Rubel, while Bangladesh has shown resilience, it needs to shift strategies for future growth. The country can remain competitive and protect profit margins and global price declines by adding value to the products and diversifying markets, he adds.
