FW
Senthil Kumar has been re-elected chairman of the Southern India Mills' Association (SIMA) the apex body of textile mills. Kumar has over 40 years of experience in the textile field. He has been actively serving the industry with his participation in various national and state level textile forums. He was the chairman of the Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council from December 2002 to January 2005. He is the promoter, chairman and managing director of Palladam Hi-tech Weaving Park.
Kumar is also the director, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, New Delhi, director, Apparel, Made Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, Haryana, director, Textiles Sector Skill Council, New Delhi, and managing director, BKS Textiles.
SIMA was set up in 1933. SIMA is the single largest employers’ organisation representing the organised textile industry in the world and the only employers’ organisation of the textile industry having in-house expertise to advise right from designing the textile project to marketing. Equipped with a strong data base, it advises members on all functional areas of the textile industry. SIMA has made unique contributions in the areas of industrial relations, human resource development, industrial engineering etc. It plays a lead role in all textile policy making bodies in South India including Planning Commission work group relating to textiles.
The Society of Dyers and Colourists Education Charity, India (SDC EC) successfully organised its Colour Event 10/ 2016 on September 2 at Rachana Sansad, Prabhadevi. The event included three technical lectures and an award ceremony. The technical lectures were followed by presentations by top nine entries for the International Design Competition 2016. Soon after, the process of felicitation of the winners of the competition was done.
The Technical session started with Rachana Singh’s presentation on ‘entrepruneship’. She shared her experiences on the various stages of starting an entreprunal company. The sharing was inspirational for the students to understand as to what should be their focus and what efforts they need to put in if they want to achieve their aspirational goals.
The second lecture was on ‘How did I get here’ by Aniket Satam. He communicated very well with the students about his experiences and success story of being in the fashion industry. He shared various instances of successes and failures in his career. His talk motivated the students to think out of the box & not let failures bring them down.
Lipika Nair spoke about Digital Printing and shared technical aspects of digital designing and its reproduction on fabrics. The do’s and don’ts of design and expectations from a designer’s perspective was shared with the audience.
After the technical session, all top 9 entries were invited on the stage to talk on their boards and the thought behind it. The theme for this year’s design competition was ‘Make it personal’. All top nine entries were unique with different products and usages. The event was attended by more than 120 students, faculties, heads of the department and principals of various institutes and industry professionals.
The global spandex market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of more than eight per cent from 2016 to 2023. It is also commonly known as elastane. A growing application scope in the apparel and textile industry is likely to drive the spandex market over the forecast period.
Dry spinning technology has been majorly preferred by manufacturers over the past few years. Other processes include wet spinning, melt extrusion and reaction spinning. Asia Pacific accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total volume in 2015. China accounted for a major chunk of the market in the Asia Pacific region in 2015. The market is expected to grow with the recovery in the US economy.
Increase in automobile production, particularly in the Asia Pacific, is likely to drive growth. Major automobile manufacturers are shifting bases to countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, India and China owing to cheap labor wages and favorable incentive schemes. China accounted for more than 50 per cent of the global share in 2014 and is the major manufacturer for this market. In 2012, China had around 30 manufacturing units with a total capacity of 520 kilo tons and domestic production exceeding 320 kilo tons.
More than 250 businesses, both domestic and international will take part in the 16th Vietnam International Textile and Garment Industry Exhibition (VTG 2016) at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center from November 23 to 26. VTG 2016 is considered to be a good opportunity for suppliers and manufacturers in the sector to meet others in the field.
Besides domestic firms, exhibitors from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Taiwan and China are expected to showcase their machinery, equipment and materials for the textile and garment sector in nearly 500 stalls in the exhibition. Compared to last year, the stall area of VTG 2016 will be 80 per cent bigger as there will be more exhibitors including machines and equipment manufacturers for weaving, automated fabric cutting, yarn spinning, dyeing, embroidery and knitting, chemicals, machinery for printing patterns on fabric and garment accessories.
Pham Xuan Hong, chairman of the HCMC Association of Garment- Textile-Embroidery-Knitting (AGTEK), said that companies in the sector have high demand for advanced technologies to raise their output to compete with imported products. Hence, the exhibition will be an opportunity for them to find what they want. VTG 2016 is organized by Vietnam National Trade Fair and Advertising Company (Vinexad), Taiwan’s ChanChao International Co Ltd, Hong Kong’s Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co Ltd and Paper Communication Exhibition Services, AGTEK and the Vietnam Cotton & Spinning Association (VCOSA). Last year’s exhibition attracted around 12,000 visitors and saw many contracts signed.
Cinte Techtextil will be held in China, October 12 to 14, 2016. With around 450 exhibitors from 26 countries, buyers will be presented with a wide range of sourcing options. This is a technical textile and nonwoven fair. Product groups include technology and machinery, woven and knitted fabrics, nonwovens, coated textiles, composites, surface and bonding techniques, fibers and yarns, and more.
There will be pavilions from Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, Germany and Italy as well as an European Zone and Chinese regional pavilions. Notable exhibitors from Taiwan include Mytrex, which will showcase melt-blown nonwoven fabrics with sound absorption features for automobile interiors, a product that was previously used in the filter sector. FTC is bringing its blended flame-retardant fabrics to the fair with bacterial resistance, deodorisation, anti-static and wear-proof features. Healthy Machinery has a range of machines for producing medical textiles.
Two of the big names from Korea are Sam Hwa Machinery and Daejung. Sam Hwa makes needle punching machines as well as nonwoven production lines for geo textiles, automotive interiors, artificial leather and more. Daejung produces high tenacity polyester woven geo textiles, bi-axial and uni-axial woven geo textiles made of polyester multifilament yarn and bi-axial woven geo textiles made of polypropylene multifilament yarn.
Mali, Africa’s second biggest cotton producer is set to harvest a record crop because of good rainfall. Favorable weather, subsidies for fertilizers have also helped boost the harvest due to end in March. The goal is to reach 8, 00,000 tons in 2018.
Mali’s cotton and gold account for about 80 per cent of the nation’s export earnings. The cotton industry provides income to four million people, out of a total population of 15 million. Economic growth is expected to decelerate to 5.3 per cent this year from six per cent in 2015, driven by slower expansion in agricultural output. This would still be above the historical average of about 4.5 per cent.
Neighboring Burkina Faso is Africa’s largest producer of cotton. Mali wants to step up local processing of cotton seed, which is currently at about two per cent. There are 17 deseeding factories and plans are to increase this to 22. The plan is also to increase sales of cotton fiber at the international level, mainly to China and north Africa. Europe’s large clothing retailers source from factories in Ethiopia, and Mali wants to attract similar brands. One lakh hectares planted with cotton will be watered within three years.
Intex South Asia 2016, the region's premier sourcing fair will be held at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC), Colombo from November 16 to 18. It would connect the country’s apparel and textile world to South Asia. Intex South Asia focuses on the South Asian region because it is the second largest hub for textile and apparel manufacturing in the world, second only to China. Given its strategic location, logistical connectivity and neutrality, Sri Lanka is the ideal location for a pan-regional show.
The Fair has the distinction of being the only international sourcing show in South Asia that brings together over 150 global suppliers of yarns, apparel fabrics, denims and clothing accessories from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia among many others.
This year there has been an increase of 41 per cent from last year's show. This year too, the Fair has been endorsed by the High Commission of India, Colombo; the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka (EDB); Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) and other trade bodies in Sri Lanka, South Asia and other regions.
Intex South Asia, with its theme ‘One Show - One Platform - One World’ would attract garment exporters and manufacturers, buying houses and agents, importers, distributors and traders, trading houses, local and international retail chain stores, apparel brands and fashion labels, design studios, government bodies and trade associations, etc.
As a sourcing show, Intex South Asia intends to bring international suppliers to Sri Lanka. This will enable manufacturers of the country to get world class fabrics on time thus increasing our competitive edge globally.
"For decades India’s textile industry has been cotton based with more than 60 per cent of the textiles skewed towards cotton. While world over man-made fabric has around 60 per cent share and cotton is less than 40 per cent, in India it is reverse primarily because cotton is the largest produced crop across 10 states in the country. India became the largest cotton producer surpassing China in 2014-2015 and continues its lead for the subsequent year."
For decades India’s textile industry has been cotton based with more than 60 per cent of the textiles skewed towards cotton. While world over man-made fabric has around 60 per cent share and cotton is less than 40 per cent, in India it is reverse primarily because cotton is the largest produced crop across 10 states in the country. India became the largest cotton producer surpassing China in 2014-2015 and continues its lead for the subsequent year. Despite maintaining its lead in global cotton production, India finds itself facing few major concerns including declining harvested area, yield and pests.
Concerns over declining area and higher prices
As per Northern India Textile Mills’ Association (NITMA ), India’s surplus cotton has dwindled, leading to competition between exports and domestic usage, now industry has been forced to import in end season. India is also struggling with one of the weakest stock to use ratio of 12 to 15 per cent against world average of 80 per cent. Adding to this, India’s domestic cotton prices are much higher than international prices and value added industry especially spinning has been suffering despite a strong cotton crop. In 2013-14, India had its largest ever crop of 390 lakh bales yet for nine months of the season, Indian prices were higher than global prices. In 2015-16, prices jumped up 50 per cent in two months and industry had to import, as 20 per cent crop had been exported earlier to competing nations.
The situation is becoming increasingly alarming as the country doesn’t have sufficient surplus cotton, however, exports are strong leading to forced imports at high prices at end season. Also, with countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China etc, buying 20 to 30 per cent of our crop, the industry is being forced to import. A statement by NITMA reveals, FY-2016-17 exports are same as 2015-16, domestic mills will face lack of raw material despite high imports. Moreover 2016-17 cotton balance sheet is precarious as sowing is 10 to 15 per cent less and low opening stock. Also, there has not been proper mechanism for measuring crop arrivals and forecasting crop which doesn’t give an industry insight. The uncertainty and concern also stems from the fact that India does not have a clear cotton fibre policy yet.
Domestic mills faces challenge without clear cotton policy
To address rising concerns, NITMA recommends the government interference to ensure sufficient availability of cotton at competitive prices to the industry – otherwise the industry would find it difficult to move up the value added chain and become a large manufacturer of textile products like China, Bangladesh etc and it could instead be rendered as a supplier of raw material like African, CIS nations. Addressing these concerns Sanjay Jain, NITMA President & Deputy Chairman, NITRA says “Allow funding for cotton stocking at subsidized rates of 2 per cent below the base rate for the period October – April, so that industry can stock cotton and ensure farmers get a better price. A system of direct subsidy should be started for farmers when cotton kapas prices fall below MSP.” Insisting on developing a scientific measurement system to forecasts crop arrival he adds “It needs to be conducted by an independent agency. This would avoid mishaps of 2013-14 and 2015-16 where incorrect crop estimates lead to huge losses for the industry as it induced domestic prices going above international prices for a large part of the season.”
NITMA also suggested the creation of a Cotton Board with a clear mission and goal to take India’s productivity to 1,000 kg of lint/hectare by 2020. Jain says “Farmers earnings growth needs to come from productivity and efficiency rather than industry paying more for fibre – this is only way to protect interests of both farmer and industry. There is good scope for increasing yield if agronomy research is taken up & farmer is given knowledge on Precision Farming Techniques.” As the farming techniques differ from area to area, Jain also advocated the idea of scientifically determining the area for accurate and latest forecasting . Further he strongly opines “there should be no discrimination between small and big players – both should be on the same footing government intervention should not lead to unpredictability and uncertainty of supply flow for the industry.”
Global production of apparels increased 1.9 per cent in Q2 but was outpaced by global textile production which grew 3.8 per cent. A new United Nations report states, developing and emerging economies led the gains. On the other hand, textiles registered growth of 5.3 per cent and apparel 3.1 per cent while in rich nations, production fell 0.9 per cent for textiles and 2.7 per cent for apparel.
The results, however, were mixed among producing nations in both emerging and rich economies in both sectors, the report said. This reflects the fragile recovery process in industrialised economies and the significantly weakened growth prospects in developing and emerging industrial economies.
Significant growth rates of over 9 per cent were found in production of apparels in Poland, Turkey and Vietnam in particular, the report disclosed. In the aftermath of protracted economic crisis, China, which emerged as the largest global manufacturer, entered a transition period and witnessed a more balanced growth pace. This pushed the average industrial growth of emerging industrial economies downward.
The report also said that the world’s manufacturing growth has also been affected by the generally lower growth rate in the US and Japan. The overall manufacturing growth in Europe, North America and East Asia remained sluggish during the quarter, the report found. World manufacturing output rose by 2.2 per cent in the quarter compared to the same period last year which is marginally higher than the 2.1 per cent growth estimated for the first quarter of 2016.
Textile and apparel firms in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are actively seeking opportunities in neighbouring countries in Asia and Europe at the ongoing 5th China-EuroAsia Expo which is being held in the region's capital Urumqi. Around 121 companies of Xinjiang are participating in this year's expo. Many textile and fabric products such as Idili silk, Hotan carpets and camel's hair textiles produced in Xinjiang are being presented in the five-day expo.
Nearly 12 foreign companies including some from Russia, Pakistan and Kazakhstan have shown strong interest in cooperation. Some business representatives from companies in neighbouring countries are participating in the expo especially because of the garments and carpets produced in Xinjiang.
As the company continues to grow, Yutai is carving out opportunities to expand into Asia and European countries. The company had signed agreements worth $3.15 million with foreign companies. The increase in opportunities to do business with Asian and European countries is fueled by Xinjiang's geographic location along the Belt and Road initiative and preferential government policies, industry players claimed. It is said that the time and cost of deliveries have shrunk a lot thanks to cross-border basic infrastructure building.
In line with the Belt and Road initiative, the Xinjiang government has rolled out a series of measures including credit support and electricity subsidies, in a bid to prompt industry development. The textile industry in Xinjiang has seen rapid growth in the last two years. In 2015, its total fixed-assets value stood at 31.79 billion yuan, up 231 per cent year-on-year, it has been reported. The labour-intensive textile industry has provided many job opportunities in Xinjiang, it has been reported. For example, 382 new textile firms emerged in 2015, creating a total of 97,000 jobs, said the report.
