The centre has sanctioned Rs 43 crore to Meghalaya under the Integrated Sericulture Developement Project and Intensive Bivoltine Sericulture Development Project. It gave new seeds and taught people about new technologies to breed silkworm. As a result the production of mulberry, eri and muga in the state has increased to 1,000 metric tonne from 500 MT before 2014. Those who were producing one crop earlier are now producing three crops in a year.

Meghalaya will also get Rs 7.8 crore from the Centre for setting up a textile tourism complex in Nongpoh. The Ministry of State for Textiles will provide all infrastructure and machines to the centre to enable it to export local garments worldwide. The apparel centre will be linked with all fashion designers.

The sixth ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 exhibition opened in Shanghai with industry players focusing on technology’s impact on taking China’s textile industry forward into the future. The combined show is spread over 180,000 sq. mt exhibition space and has attracted a total of 1,733 exhibitors from 28 countries and economies to showcase a wide array of latest technology solutions that will help textile makers to become more competitive.

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 is owned by Cematex and its Chinese partners – the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC). It is organised by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition and co-organised by ITMA Services. The Japan Textile Machinery Association (JTMA) is a special partner of the show. China occupies over 68,000 sq. mt. net space at the exhibition. In Asia, Japan takes up over 3,500 sq. mt. net space while Taiwan occupies nearly 2,500 sq. mt. net.Among European participants, Germany takes the largest space of nearly 6,400 sq. mt. This is followed closely by Italy and Switzerland.

In product categories, spinning has the largest space, occupying 22 per cent of the total exhibit space. Finishing machinery forms the next biggest group at 20 per cent, followed by knitting (19 per cent) and weaving (17 per cent).

Karl Mayer has launched a brand for delivering digital solutions called KM.ON. KM.ON stands for digital driven innovation. This brand brings together the digital solutions portfolio of the Karl Mayer Digital Factory and the entire Karl Mayer Group. KM.ON’s digital portfolio of services will support customers in selected areas and is made up of eight solution categories. The platform of hardware and software can be installed easily and links the machines securely to the protected cloud.

Karl Mayer Digital Factory is a new digital start-up. This is a pioneering company operating alongside this innovative market leader. It employs a team of software specialists and technology experts in a new, creative environment away from the main company headquarters. With this corporate start-up, Karl Mayer has a software company at its disposal that can act quickly and be customer-oriented on the market.

Karl Mayer is systematically driving the topic of digitisation forward in order to seize the opportunities offered by the upheavals of today’s time. Another integral part of Karl Mayer’s digitisation strategy is its participation in Adamos, a strategic alliance of German global market leaders in machine construction.

Karl Mayer is expanding the offers of KM.ON. Other solutions and the expansion phases for existing products are already being planned e.g. in the areas of data analysis, condition monitoring and the digital machine logbook.

Orders for garment exports are shifting from China to the Philippines. But the garment manufacturing industry in the Philippines doesn’t have enough good factories to meet the demand. There are compliance issues. These include compliance of labor, child labor, good working condition, including waste management.

There are few compliant garment firms. These are 15 to 20 big garment manufacturers with a production capacity of 1000 pieces a day. The Philippines has lost its position as the world’s top garment supplier. China, Bangladesh, Africa and sub-Saharan countries have all overtaken the Philippines.

The country lost 70 per cent of its market over 15 years due to a number of reasons, primarily the removal of the quota system that led buyers to source from other countries offering the same products at half the price.

The Philippines now ranks fifth among Asean countries in garment exports. The country has also lost its efficiency and factories have become outdated especially with the advent of robotics, digital cutting and sewing. The industry needs power and labor subsidies. Reduced incentives to exporters have led some companies to freeze their expansion.

The US accounts for 60 per cent of the Philippines’ garment exports. The rest are sold to the EU and Asian countries.

India is discussing a free trade pact with the UK. This could include an agreement on services and financial markets and could be signed after Britain negotiates its Brexit deal with the European Union. Britain is trying to build safeguards into its Brexit pact which would allow Indian companies to continue to operate out of London and access the European markets.

Indian firms employ more than 1.1 lakh people in the UK. Britain is trying to continue its hold on Indian businesses post-Brexit by wooing them with technological partnerships in high-tech areas such as low-carbon automobile engines, graphene engineering and aerospace. Britain is interested in expanding its footprint in the financial sector in India and in projecting London as the first choice for Indian companies raising global finance, so a deal involving financial markets is important for Britain.

India, in its bid to pave the way for a post-Brexit deal, will allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in insurance brokerages. India is also keen on deals to ease the export of software as well as the movement of IT and healthcare professionals. India’s textile and garment sectors are also extremely keen on a trade pact with the UK. These sectors are major forex earners, after software and gems and jewelry.

IHGF is on in New Delhi from October 14 to 18, 2018. The fair aims at increasing exports of handicrafts from the country. This is among Asia's largest gifts and handicrafts fairs. It has the most extensive range of handcrafted products like home textiles, furnishings, carpets, decoratives, tableware, furniture, garden and outdoor, bathroom accessories, spa and wellness, lamps and lighting, Christmas and festive décor, handmade paper items, fashion jewelry and accessories.

Overseas buyers find this fair as the most effective sourcing medium for their requirements. Some 3,200 exhibitors are participating and buyers from more than a 100 countries are visiting. This is a distinctive business platform for importers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, fashion designers, potential franchises, mail order companies and a few more to source an unparalleled variety of handicrafts, gifts and lifestyle products from a cross section of handmade manufacturers from India.

India is not only providing assistance to these craftsmen in the form of subsidies through various schemes in minimising their expenditure on health and educational needs of their families but also on transport for bringing their products to the common facility centers. A portal is being created to provide more assistance to these artisans for healthcare and education of their children.

Denim Summit 2018, to be held from Oct 24-25, 2018 in Des Moines will feature a strong line up of experts and innovators who will offer exclusive insights on the financial services industry. Hosted by Des Moines-based tech company Denim, the event will bring together insurance, banking, financial services and innovation thought leaders to experience thought-provoking perspectives and out-of-the-box networking opportunities. All-access passes for the event will be available until Oct. 17 at the cost of $95 each.

Du Pont Biomaterials and Mud Jeans have joined the Circular Economy 100 (CE100) Network. Circular Economy 100 is a pre-competitive innovation program established with the aim of advancing circularity across a variety of sectors. Corporate organisations, governments, cities, academic institutions and innovators all make up the platform’s membership, which helps participants build capacity and integrate circular economic practices.

The goal of the network is to connect leaders and innovators from all sectors and locations around the world, with new members contributing towards a transition to new, circular business models.

Dutch denim brand Mud Jeans has been selected for inclusion as an emerging innovator due to its manufacturing technique which combines organic and recycled denim through proprietary recycling techniques. The firm is also now undertaking research into getting a 100 per cent cellulose-based yarn and wants to increase its level of transparency.

Du Pont Biomaterials works towards product development that facilitates better life cycle analysis and easy integration into existing supply chains and production systems. The company adheres to Circular Economy Network through its work in developing renewable biomaterials aimed at solving problems customers face with sustainable packaging. DuPont Biomaterials has the goal of developing innovative solutions to the industry’s problems. Circular Economy 100 is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

As per a report in South China Morning Post, China is reconsidering its decision towards the revised TPP, signed by 11 countries, including Australia, in March despite the Trump administration pulling the US out of the deal.

While China originally had no interest in joining the TPP, officials were rethinking their strategy with the possibility of joining the regional trade pact as a counter act to Trump. Besides increasing its anti-Chinese trade measures, the US has forced its two North American trade partners — Canada and Mexico — to agree to a possible veto of any trade deal they make with Beijing.

Wang Huiyao, Director of Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation, points out joining the CPTPP could send a strong message to the world that China was serious about further opening up its economy. It could become a tool to hedge against the US and help China establish a new trade circle in addition to the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group will have a strong presence at SGIA Expo 2018 with its products being displayed at several booths. The company will host its own booth on the main floor of the exhibition at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, from October 18 to 20, 2018.

Aurora’s printable textiles will be used by several major digital printer manufacturers and finishing equipment brands including the company’s new fully-expanded, Expressions canvas line – to demonstrate their newest advanced printing and finishing technologies on the convention floor.

At HP booths, 120” wide Expressions Matte Canvas will be used to demonstrate HP’s Latex 3600 printer and Expressions 60” wide Gloss Canvas and 60” wide Expressions Décor Semi-Gloss Canvas will be used on the HP Latex 570. Mimaki will use Aurora’s Linen FR, Twill FR, and Uncoated Cotton Fabric to demonstrate Mimaki’s textile pigment Inks. Durst will run Dual rolls of 96” Expressions Matte Canvas on the Durst Rho 512R LED printer. Fujifilm will use Aurora’s 63" Pearl on Fujifilm’s Acuity Ultra 3208W, which is making its debut at SGIA. SwissQprint will use 122" wide Expressions Semi-Gloss Canvas to demonstrate the new Newsprint Nyala 3, another show premiere.

Zund will run Aurora’s 60" Triple White on Zund’s S3 L-1600 and the G3 3XL-3200 digital cutters. Finally, IT Supplies will use Aurora’s 60" Expressions Semi-Gloss and Matte canvases on the Canon OCE Colorado UV Gel ink and Epson S80 Solvent printers. IT will also transfer print on Aurora’s Accent Soft Knit 5oz with an Epson 9370 and IT will demo heat transfer on Aurora products with a Therm TX Rotary unit.