BT Nagesh, Managing Director & India Subsidiary Head, Lectra Technologies

Once upon a time there was a need for faster development, data reduction and material saving in the automotive sector. “Now, these requirements are more prominent in the apparel sector,” said BT Nagesh, Managing Director & India Subsidiary Head, Lectra Technologies during the inauguration of new Lectra Industry 4.0 Experience Center in association with AEPC.

“A garment manufacturer can improve his efficiency by 50 per cent through automation and reduction in raw material usage,” added Nagesh. “We have the required knowledge and technology to achieve this and we should use it. That’s how we can draw parallels between the automotive and apparel industries,” he stated further.

Automation to reduce manufacturing costs

China has grown leaps and bounds by developing its manufacturing facilities through innovation and technology. “Bangladesh and Vietnam too have adopted a similar strategy and raced ahead of us,” said Nagesh. To catch up with them, India needs to concentrate on technological developments in the industry. “We spend Rs 300 crore annually only on buying raw materials or fabrics. We can save half a percent of this through automation,” he added. However, he believes that it is up to business owners to explore this. “They need to take quick decisions based on value, price, productivity and efficiency. Even if 20 or 30 percent of the industry adopts something like this, it would be exponential.”

Accelerating technology adoption

Elaborating on the new experience center, Nagesh said, “We plan to set up more such centers in Tirupur or Ludhiana. However first, we need to get the nuances right. The current market slowdown offers apparel industries an opportunity to improve their processes, practices and technology. People are collaborating with their technology providers. There is a growing need to adopt new technologies in the business, and centers like this can improve the rate of this adoption.”