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The khadi industry in India has recorded an average growth of 28 per cent in the last four years compared to 6.18 per cent between 2004 and 2014. Also in four years, total production of khadi has jumped 70 per cent.
Khadi, a versatile fashion fabric, has become a stylish narrative that is now popularly embraced by designers. They have expanded the color palette, westernized the cuts, and created new trends. Khadi has transcended itself as a sustainable fabric of the future. At a time when the world is moving towards automation, khadi is one of the few handcrafted products. A symbol of Indian textile heritage, khadi has been brought to the centerstage over the years for its uniqueness of being hand spun, handwoven and a truly sustainable fabric. The khadi industry in India is expected to cross a Rs 10,000 crore turnover in the next five years. The target for this year is set at Rs 5000 crores.
The Lakme fashion week was dedicated to sustainable fashion where designers showcased their collection made out of sustainable fabrics. Three designers, Anuj Bhutani, Pallavi Dhyani and Gaurav Khanijo, collaborated with the Khadi Village and Industries Commission to create sustainable fashion wear that was showcased on the ramp.
"In stark contrast to being crowned as the largest cotton producer in the world in the crop year (CY) 2015-16, India’s cotton production fared poorly in CY 2018-19 due to a 20 per cent rainfall deficit. The country’s production declined last year too by around 11 per cent over decadal average cotton production of 352 lakh bales."
In stark contrast to being crowned as the largest cotton producer in the world in the crop year (CY) 2015-16, India’s cotton production fared poorly in CY 2018-19 due to a 20 per cent rainfall deficit. The country’s production declined last year too by around 11 per cent over decadal average cotton production of 352 lakh bales.
Increasing awareness about quality alongwith a widespread use of hybrid seeds, led to the growth of Indian cotton exports until CY 2017-18. However, lower crop estimates pushed Indian cotton millers to import raw materials in 2018-19, which were recorded to be highest in the last decade. Even stocks hit a new low at 13 lakh bales, which was a third of the decadal closing stock of 38 lakh bales.
Quality seeds, better agronomic practices to push yield
Cotton productivity in India has peaked and pulling the country out of this slump requires long-term efforts. For
this, cotton cultivators need to first procure good quality cotton seeds with features like drought tolerance, pest resistance, etc. Secondly, they should adopt better agronomic practices such as high-quality planting of short duration varieties. This will increase their yields to about 29 per cent via lower exposure to pest attack, efficient use of water and other inputs while also suppressing weeds. They should also adopt sound management practices such as in-situ soil and water conservation with bunds, integrated pest management, soil fertility testing and management, drip irrigation, etc.
Focus on high staple length cotton
To augment cotton production and provide cotton fiber of desire length, farmers need to grow cotton varieties of high staple length. They should also adopt better harvesting and post-harvest management practices which will eliminate contamination, ensuring production and recovery of good quality of cotton that meets the requirements of domestic consumption as well as exports. Their use of commodity derivatives platforms either directly or through aggregators will help these farmers lock in their prices and create quality awareness.
Private and public sector agencies can also aid farmers by making available their desire quality of seeds at subsidised rates. As farmers get ready to sow their new crop in the next few years, they need to adopt several remedial measures to reclaim India’s position as the top cotton producer in the world.
Nike and Adidas have an ongoing battle for footwear supremacy. Nike is the larger business overall and the market leader in the global sports footwear industry with revenues from footwear of over $24.2 billion in 2018, compared to Adidas footwear revenue of $15 billion. These figures include not only Nike and Adidas branded footwear but also Converse (owned by Nike) and Reebok (owned by Adidas). Nike might be the bigger company but through sponsorship and an improving cool factor, Adidas is closing the gap. Since 2015 Adidas footwear has been growing at an average rate of 17.6 per cent whereas Nike footwear has been growing at an average rate of 6.8 per cent.
Nike’s market capitalization is more than double that of Adidas. Adidas has been demonstrating a stronger share price performance in 2019 whereas Nike has been growing in line with industry performance.
Adidas has adopted a marketing approach which focuses more on street wear sneakers through cooler collaborations with music and celebrity influencers as compared to Nike’s more sports-focused approach. Clearly with the athleisure trend moving sportswear from the gym to the office Adidas is betting that it can take even more of the market with this approach.
The textile town of Solapur will host one of the world’s biggest exclusive expos for terry towels next month to woo international buyers who will be able directly source from local manufacturers. Organised by the Textile Development Foundation of Solapur in association with Global Network (International Trade Advisory) and supported by Ministry of Co-operative, Marketing and Textile, Maharashtra, the Terry Towel Global Expo and Summit 2019 from September 25 to 27. The expo will showcase a variety of towels along with unique jacquard woven terry towels and bath linen products.
The expo will showcase large varieties of high quality towels designed through deployment of latest technologies. Over 200 international buyers from 20 countries will attend this expo including department stores, wholesalers and retailers, corporate buyers, purchasing agents, merchants and exporters. Buyers from countries such as the US, UK, UAE, Canada, Poland, Germany, Australia, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will be present.
During April to June 2019 India’s exports of cotton yarn fell by 34.6 per cent. The cotton and blends spinning industry is witnessing the biggest crisis in the past nine years. More than 600 spinning mills have shut down across India. Out of this, 225 mills have been closed down in Tamil Nadu. The steep fall has been caused by a variety of reasons, including a decline in exports to leading export markets like China, Bangladesh, South Korea and the duty-free access given for import of cotton yarn by China to countries like Pakistan and Vietnam.
The cotton yarn sector is one of the pillars of the Indian textile industry and is also highly modernised and technology driven and also provides sustainable income to farmers. Considering the large scale investment in the spinning sector and the sluggish demand in the domestic markets, exports are the only avenue to ensure uninterrupted production and capacity utilization. Even though cotton yarn is a value added product, it has been excluded from export benefits like interest subvention, the Merchandise Export of India Scheme and the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies schemes. There is no rebate on embedded taxes like agricultural cess, mandi tax, power and fuel surcharge, which are incurred in the production process.
Some key factors influencing the spunmelt nonwoven fabrics market are: growth of modern healthcare in developing markets, rise in birth rate in emerging economies and increase in the geriatric population in western countries.
Spunmelt nonwoven is a fabric-like material made from staple fiber and long fiber, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. The term is used in the textile manufacturing industry to denote fabrics such as felt which are neither woven nor knitted. Some nonwoven materials lack sufficient strength unless densified or reinforced by a backing. In recent years, nonwoven has become an alternative to polyurethane foam. Based on application, the upholstery segment is expected to grow at a significant rate till 2026. Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. It is equally applicable to domestic, automobile, airplane and boat furniture, and can be applied to mattresses, particularly the upper layers, though these often differ significantly in design.
Volatility in the prices of raw materials, concerns about balancing performance and cost among small manufacturers restrict the market growth of spunmelt nonwoven fabrics.
For the first half of the year L Brands’ revenue fell 1.4 per cent. The group is the owner of brands like Victoria’s Secret. This brand’s revenue fell six per cent. But another brand, Bath & Body Works, saw revenues rise by ten per cent.
L Brands, based in the US, has a total of 2,927 stores. In the second quarter of the year there were 36 store openings and 52 closures. Most of the closures were of Victoria’s Secret stores. There are a total of 37 Victoria’s Secret stores in the United States. As for stores managed by third parties, L Brand had at the end of the first half 687 stores. During the last quarter, the company opened 36 new stores under this model and closed other 23.
L Brands’ gross margin has been contracting year over year for the past few quarters. For fiscal 2019, its gross margin rate is likely to decrease year over year, mainly due to lower merchandise margins. Also, SG&A costs are expected to increase year over year, stemming from higher wage rate and inflation-related pressure. Further, L Brands’ balance sheet doesn't look healthy, owing to a high debt level. Victoria’s Secret was once known as the success formula for mass-market lingerie in the United States.
Munich Fabric Start will be held September 3 to 5, 2019. A broad spectrum of fabrics, additionals, prints or denim, manufacturing services and a supporting program will be on offer to around 20,000 visitors. The trade fair will present a range of products and innovative process solutions and cutting-edge material resources and is focused on the strategic approach of showcasing new fields of inspiration in a unique, exclusive and appropriate setting.
The trend presentations will take on a brand new form. The resource area will be extended and establish itself as the center for sustainable fabrics and additionals with proven expertise and know-how. A special opening will be the sourcing area. Keyhouse will span the fashion spectrum, from technology to sustainability, from digitalisation to new material resources and manufacturing processes, offering a wealth of cutting-edge research projects, inspiring collaborations and high-tech product and process developments.
The latest creations for buttons, ribbons, decorative stones, fasteners, lace, embroidery and labels will be presented by over 200 leading suppliers of additionals and accessories for autumn/winter ’20/’21. More than 800 fabric suppliers will demonstrate the versatile and individual ways the trend of sustainability can be understood and translated. Inspiring print designs and creative energy will be provided by textile designers and trend agencies.
China is the largest consumer of textile chemicals owing to the growing apparel and textile production and the huge production of synthetic fibers and cotton. The Asia Pacific is growing at 5.1 per cent. Textile production and chemical consumption have shifted from North America to Asia.
Textile chemicals are specialty chemicals used in the textile industry for a variety of purposes such as coloring, dyeing, and finishing. These chemicals find applications in various divisions of the textile sector that include home furnishing, industrial, and others. Owing to the changing trends in fashion technology, coupled with the growth of the apparel section of the textile industry, the critical application of textile chemicals is found to be in apparels. Consistent advances in the textile chemical market owing to innovative efforts have enhanced the efficiency of textile chemicals.
The market for textile chemicals is influenced by the rising demand for home furnishing products, the evolution of environmentally friendly chemicals required by textiles industries, and the development of packaging industries, which require large textile chemicals. In textiles, industry surfactant is used for processes such as scouring, lubrication, and dyeing and finishing. Some common surfactants are ethoxylates, fatty alcohol ethoxylate, fatty acid ethoxylate, and fatty amines ethoxylate.
Cambodia International Machinery Industry Fair (CIMIF) is on from August 22 to 25, 2019. The trade fair is dedicated to the textile and garment industry, featuring all the crucial aspects of the industry, such as textile machinery and accessories, apparel machinery and accessories, fibers, filaments, yarn, and fabrics. Exhibitors from 15 countries are displaying a broad range of innovative products and versatile solutions. This covers plastic, packaging, printing, agriculture, auto part and accessories, machine tools, hardware and tools, energy and electricity engineering, and lighting.
The main purpose of the event is to boost industrial development and attract foreign investors to Cambodia. Particularly, it seeks to create opportunities for manufacturers to improve their machinery through new business partnerships. Entrepreneurs can learn about the latest technology and machinery and grow and expand.
The country’s economic growth for the year is placed at seven per cent, backed by a strong performance of the garment, tourism and construction sectors. From a macroeconomic perspective, the country is strong, with garments being one of the main contributors to national growth. The EU is Cambodia’s top export destination, accounting for 40 per cent of all its exports. These have risen sharply in recent years, increasing by 227 per cent between 2011 and 2016.
