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Saurer’s vision is to become a smart industrial solutions and services provider. Based in Switzerland, Saurer is a global leader in rotor spinning and winding machines. It developed the first hand-knitting machine in 1869, the first automatic embroidery machine in 1912 and invented the modern truck in 1905. Saurer is a technology group focusing on machinery and components for yarn processing. Saurer Technologies specializes in twisting and embroidery as well as engineered and polymer solutions.
The group has developed a technology centre in Switzerland. This will work closely with existing research and development departments of the Saurer Group. The center will combine Saurer’s leading expertise in sensor technology and automation with the latest innovations of Industry 4.0.
Saurer’s central development philosophy is summarised in the formula E3+I, which stands for Energy, Economics and Ergonomics plus Intelligence. The formula symbolises Saurer’s efforts to manufacture machines with maximum production efficiency, minimum energy consumption and pioneering ergonomics and at the same time it intelligently integrates all of the data gathered during production with a view to putting in effect, for example, self-optimising systems, intelligent quality control or preventive maintenance.
The group has evolved from being a machinery and component supplier to a leading provider of intelligent solutions and services for processing fibers and yarns.
The special package announced in 2016 for the Indian textile and apparel sector has not only boosted exports but also helped in increasing investments. In the first twelve months of the rollout, the package generated additional investment of around Rs 2500 crores and additional employment of around 1,00,000 people.
Rebate of State Levies (ROSL) has had a positive impact on the garment industry. As a result, India’s apparel exports increased by 2.7 per cent in value terms and by 6.4 per cent in volume terms.
In August, September and October 2016 India’s apparel exports grew 3.9 per cent, 12.9 per cent and 10.97 per cent. Similarly, in the months of disbursal of ROSL -- March and April 2017 -- apparel exports increased 20.3 per cent and 31.7 per cent.
So there is a direct correlation between the release of ROSL to exporters vis-a-vis an increase of India’s readymade garment exports. Though demonetisation and the GST rollout temporarily slowed down the industry, the positive impact of ROSL is expected to bring results in 2018-19 as the industry settles down post the GST rollout. An overwhelming proportion of beneficiaries of the ROSL scheme are exporters with a turnover of less than Rs 10 crores a year.
The Karnataka workforce, largely comprising of female population employees is currently engaged in a tussle with the governments at the Centre and state as well as textile unit owners over payment of wages and other facilities that they have an entitlement to.
Karnataka has 5 lakh garment workers across the state; and nearly 80 per cent of these comprising female employees. These employees working in subhuman conditions are neglected by all political parties due to pressure from influential manufacturing barons. Bangalore alone has around 1,200 factories, but the city offers no solution to problems such as low wages, gender disparity, and sexual harassment. The female garment employees have complained that none of the political parties have reached out to settle their outstanding issues.
In recent months, the Centre had also proposed to amend employee’s provident fund withdrawal rules, which intensified the employees protest and the government, had to withdraw the clause.
ICC , a leading Indian company engaged in manufacturing card clothing products and card room accessories for the textile spinning industry, has consolidated its entire production at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. The company has shifted all card clothing production from its Pune plant to the Nalagarh facility.
The Himachal Pradesh plant currently specialises in addressing the card clothing requirement of the latest generation of carding machines. With the strategic move of closing down the Pune facility, ICC will now be focusing production from that plant and ensure that this single plant caters to the whole range of ICC’s card clothing market.
Vinod Vazhapulli, CEO at ICC says that the move is strategic, since the Pune plant is 63 years old and was primarily engaged in manufacturing card clothing catering to the low speed and low throughput carding machines segment, while the market is now gradually shifting towards high speed and high throughput carding machines.
He further added that being a pioneer in the industry, ICC foresaw this shift in market behaviour nine years back, when we started our facility in Himachal Pradesh, where we have installed the most advanced machines which cater to precision manufacturing and highly evolved production technologies.
ICC is also in the process of automating the Himachal plant. Additionally, some of the machinery from the Pune plant will be moved to Himachal Pradesh. In the next six months, the company is planning to come up with an array of products targeting high speed carding machines with improved life and surface technology and also, productivity enhancers in the carding equipment and accessories segments.
Georgia has been selected as guest nation at the next Pitti Uomo, scheduled from June 12-15, 2018. Pitti Uomo, being organised since 2015 in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, has selected six Georgian labels for its next edition in June. Among the designers include, Irakli Rusadze who will present Situationist, his women’s ready-to-wear label and menswear label Aznaur. Gola Damian will showcase his eclectic and colorful men’s and women’s collections.
Tatuna Nikolaishvili will also display his collection which will at once be both classic and modern. Anuka Keburia introduced the women’s ready-to-wear and an array of unisex items, her style is both minimalistic and a touch streetwear, with black as the predominant colour.
Anuka Keburia, launched her own footwear label in 2006. Keburia’s focus is on natural materials, mostly leather, and artisanal manufacturing. Pitti Uomo’s Guest Nation Georgia programme is supported by LEPL Enterprise Georgia, the country’s national agency for economic development, and by Pitti Tutorship, the division of Pitti Immagine which runs the show organiser’s mentorship programme
The fashion industry, ranging from global discount retailers to exclusive luxury brands, drives a significant part of the global economy. Fashion being the most challenging fields, is highly impacted by global economic uncertainty as well as distinct trends and industrial changes. In response to the pressure for growth and cost efficiency, many brands have started a series of initiatives to improve their speed to market and implement sustainable innovation in their core product design, manufacturing and supply chain processes.
Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, put theory into practice at its recent fashion event by unveiling their latest 4.0 cutting room to more than 100 privileged industry professionals. To examine the real-life application of digitalization in fashion fashion Goes Digital” drew industry stakeholders and market experts from 20 countries, who gathered at Lectra’s International Advanced Technology Center (IATC) in Bordeaux-Cestas, France.
Lectra’s Cutting Room 4.0 is an embodiment of Lectra’s commitment to empowering its customers with the best solutions to thrive in this new digital era. This avant-garde technology leverages industry 4.0 principles to provide greater agility, throughput, cost efficiency and in particular scalability in order to respond seamlessly to small batches orders and shorter lead times.
Jean-Yves Collet, CEO of Treize Roches Couture, a high-end French womenswear manufacturer, says that Lectra’s latest technology would help Treize Roches speed up their artisanal production process to bring products faster to market and this would allow in the preparatory stages to automate the processes as much as possible and improve quality, productivity and training time.
Chinese investments in Vietnam have been increasing continuously over the last decade. In Vietnam, China ranks third in the number of projects and fourth in total investment value. China has become the second largest FDI contributor to Vietnam, after Singapore.
The FDI flowing in from China now covers textiles, garments, services, metal processing, manufacturing, and processing industries. They amount to 50 per cent of the total capital investment.
Chinese industrialists and investors have used a diversified strategy over the years. They began by entering into joint ventures and later graduated to 100 per cent fully foreign owned businesses. In the previous year alone they set up 284 fresh projects totaling 1.41 billion dollars.
There are mixed reactions in Vietnam about these investments. Some cite risks like industrial pollution, use of outdated technology by the Chinese and migration of Chinese labor, all of which can disturb Vietnam’s economic and social environment. Most Chinese-invested projects in Vietnam are concentrated in areas which have cheap labor but face a high risk of pollution such as garment and textiles, hydropower, steel production, chemicals and cement.
However, there are others who welcome Chinese capital on the grounds that Vietnam needs investments especially in high technologies, startup development, and key industries.
Chinese entrepreneurs plan to expand the garment industry in the industrial zones in Yangon. Currently, Myanmar’s textile industry is rapidly growing as entrepreneurs from Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan have opened several joint-venture garment factories in the country and the number of garment factories in the country has crossed 400. In 2016, the garment sector created 350,000 jobs, with female workers representing 90 per cent of the total workforce.
The garment industry has long been practicing Cut-Make-Pack (CMP) system for over 20 years. But it is not in a position to shift from the CMP system to the FOB system due to lack of infrastructure, transparency in banking system, information and investment power. In 2017-2018 FY, export earnings from CMP garment sector hit $2.58 billion. It is one of the top export items with Japan and European countries being the top importers.
China’s Fosun has acquired a majority stake in Austria’s Wolford. Fosun invests in the global fashion and consumer goods industry. Wolford, based in Austria, makes tights, bodysuits, and innerwear. The capital increase guaranteed by Fosun will sustainably strengthen the equity base of Wolford, enabling the brand to expand its online business and redesign its market presence.
As China continues to drive the global luxury market, Wolford can leverage Fosun’s resources to grow and strengthen its high luxury positioning while maintaining its exceptional high quality of production in Europe.
Wolford has 16 subsidiaries and markets its products in approximately 60 countries through over 270 own and partner-operated retail stores, 3,000 trading partners, and online. It reported a loss before interest and tax of 7.4 million dollars for the six months through October, an improvement of 21 per cent on the previous year’s first half.
Chinese firms are buying famous brands in the hope of upgrading their image. Buying famous foreign brands is seen as helping them build up their own brands, and proper management and deployment of sales channels may help them gain more popularity with domestic consumers. Chinese e-commerce players are also moving quickly into western markets.
Indian entrepreneurs have begun to look at the domestic market. A few manufacturers have come up with new brands and marketing campaigns to woo local buyers. They are confident of creating over a dozen clothing brands that can rake in Rs 500 crores in revenue in the domestic market.
This is true especially in Tamil Nadu. Traditionally evolved as an export-oriented ecosystem, manufacturers of Tirupur or Coimbatore have had to decode currency undulations, rising labor costs and make do with a lighter incentive basket even as states such as Gujarat and Telengana gave periodic boosts to manufacturers. On top of that remains the heightened competition from Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia, which enjoy duty-free access into the European market.
Exporters also want to have a share of the widening e-commerce market, as a hedge against the vagaries of the exports market that they have been faced with for the past few decades. The online fashion market in India is projected to grow nearly 3.5 times from the current size and entrepreneurs do not want to miss the wave.
Global apparel trade has been seeing sustained sluggish growth. In the absence of free trade agreements, or because of similar arrangements enjoyed by competing nations, Indian entrepreneurs have become conscious of the need to get deeper into the domestic market.
