Apparel Online India3.imimg.com/data3/VI/JR/MY-2/ao-july-16-31-2013.pdf · DEEPAK MOHINDRA Editor ILA SAXENA Deputy Editor-Textiles VINITA PANDEY Copy Editor VEERESHWAR SOBTI Asst

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CONTENTS July 16-31, 2013

WorldWrapBack-to-School 2013: Retailers Gear UpAfter one exciting retail season ends, another one begins as July kicks off, what is well-known as the second biggest shopping time in the year...

BusinessStrategy“Aim at Perfection and Profits will follow”Meeting SP Oswal, the Chairman of the US $ 1.1 billion

Vardhman Group of Industries, is always a learning experience, and why not…

Tex-FileFabric Suppliers of Chandni Chowk Moving Nearer to Garmenting Hubs; Okhla to see more activityWalking down the streets of Chandni Chowk, it is impossible to get your eyes off the wide range of fabrics available...

H2FIndia Home Furnishings: From Domestic to

Exports, Back to Retail with its Own Brand ‘belle'In today’s world, home furnishing business has taken strides with many buyers adding home furnishing to their profile, becoming a

good market for international retailers...

Trends2014Menswear Spring/Summer 2014Towards A Synthesis of Sports and FormalsWhat started as a trend at resort of 2014 for women has continued to gain momentum to take form in menswear...

FashionBusinessThe Reign of ‘Indigo’… A colour that continues

to seduce the world from past, present, into the future…

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vol. XvI Issue 8

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Editor-in-Chief DEEPAK MOHINDRA

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8 Apparel Online India | JUly 16-31 2013


10 Apparel Online India | JUly 16-31, 2013

Sanjay Yadav, Proprietor, Rama Exports (India), Delhi I have not seen any major corruption or wrong practices at any level in this industry. Small things like cash on any festival, etc. should not be treated in this regard. We have a small unit and are working with very selective buyers, so this could be the reason that small players do not face such issues. At the end of the day, it depends on you and your style of working also.

Dilip Kumar Khairajani, Director, Nazrana Chikan Industries, Lucknow We are used to these things in our business and you have to ignore it because if you indulge in these issues, you will waste your productive time and can’t focus on your main tasks. Basically, we are creative people and can’t solve such things, so the only solution is to be more aware of the rules and happenings because what I learnt is that people involved in such things, will misguide a lot. If someone is fully aware, he can better handle the situation. Whenever the business community has to tackle any government department, we feel helpless and lose our confidence, which needs to be strong also.

Anil Buchasia, Director, Amrit Exports, Kolkata In the given circumstances, I would

like to say that we have not seen corruption on

a large level, so business is alive and growing. I

am not disappointed but reasonably happy in

this concern. Basically, our country has strong

roots of chalta hai culture and being a part of

this system, one may see or bear little bit of that.

Honestly, I don’t see any solution, as India is a

very big country and such practices start from

the top.

Kailash Karwa, Proprietor, Priva International, Jaipur As far as our company

is concerned, we had seen some problems

in labour department but now the same has

been solved. In fact, one has to work 100 per

cent as far as the law of the land is concerned,

otherwise corruption or the wrong practices

may continue to remain. Even being fool-

proof, the routine Holy/Diwali expenditure will

continue. It has become a part of the Indian

culture and it doesn’t have any solution.

Ajay Desai, Kamini Krafts, Mumbai Our

company is based in Mumbai and if any buying

house’s representative comes here, he/she

expects something which is not fair. Sometimes,

they work on just ‘give and take’ relationship.

Sometimes, they misrepresent or don’t put the

things in a right way putting the company in an

awkward position.

There is an undercurrent in the industry that wrong practices have crept into the business and many are talking about corruption at different levels – from worker unions to buyer offices... Have you ever faced any such issues, please share your experience and also suggestions to weed out these irritants.

TO P I C O F D E B AT E

MindTree

JUly 16-31, 2013 | Apparel Online India 11

Alok Sadh, Partner, Kamal Overseas, Noida Yes, there is corruption at many levels and most of us face it also. Some feel it at bigger levels, some at small levels. I will not like to go into details but solutions are there, like one should follow all the rules, but it is easy to say and hard to execute. There are laws that are not possible to follow, so what can one do. To prevent corruption, such rules should get changed immediately. Putting things online is another good solution as PF/ESI and few other departments have improved after they went online. Meanwhile, a bigger solution needs to be found to fight corruption, which is not possible for an individual businessman; we try to look at most of the things ourselves so that no one can take advantage of it.

Ujjwal Garg, Director, Garg Acrylic Limited, Ludhiana Such things are there but at minor levels and they are a part of the trade. We have never seen any serious issue in this regard. Of course it should not happen but you can’t do anything about it. Solution or prevention of such a thing is the responsibility of the concerned department of the government; we can’t change anybody’s thinking or teach

anyone. Moreover, business is going good and we are working within the system, so there is not too much to say.

R. Rajasekar, Director, AAA Iimpex, Karur As per market conditions, business is becoming tough day by day, compliance and auditing are also an unavoidable part of business, so to fulfil all the norms is a necessity. And if you are doing everything according to the system, then there is no question of bribery and unethical things. We are following the same track and are not facing such problems. As far as undercurrent in the industry is concerned, it may be right as well as wrong also.

Atman Shah, VP (Marketing), Artex Apparels, Ahmedabad I can’t say anything about the undercurrent of the industry but our company has not seen such hurdles till date. To the best of my understanding, this is quite an individual thing. We take care of our workers and offer them all their rights, so there is no question or possibility of any unethical situation. Overall, in Ahmedabad, I have not heard too much about it though awareness is also increasing against corruption.

With the Rupee weakening by almost 20% since May, have Indian products become more competitive… Have you as a company witnessed better order positioning? How long do you think this situation will remain the same? There is always a fear that the situation may reverse, has your company taken some precautionary measures in this regard?

Q U E S T I O N

MindTree

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Deloitte’s study of BTS shopping habits last year

21% start in early July

29% start in late July

37% start in early August

52% said they’d complete most of their shopping by mid-August

According to Ebates, BTS shopping includes a lot more than school supplies

42% said technology

29% said clothing

10% said shoes

8% said backpacks

The role of social media and mobile continues to grow. Deloitte found that 22% of those surveyed, use social media in the BTS shopping:

70% to find promotions

49% for product research

36% to visit a retailer’s website

Deloitte also found that 65% of shoppers planned to use a smartphone for these BTS tasks:

62% looked for price information

44% viewed ads from a retailer

38% got a nearby store’s location

25% shopped online

Some InTereSTIng FacTS

Back-to-School 2013RetaileRS GeaR Uppoor economic growth likely to impact Back-to-School salesAfter one exciting retail season ends, another one begins as July kicks off, what is well-known as the second biggest shopping time in the year with brands and retailers reinventing ways to ensure that students and parents spend this year on Back-to-School (BTS) shopping. BTS brings in around US $ 70 billion in sales each year, and for many brands, this represents a vital share of their overall yearly revenue.

Following years of uninspiring economic growth, consumers have already adapted to a certain lifestyle when it comes to budgets

and expenses. And, when it comes to BTS spending this season, retailers are likely to see much of the same. Nearly 77 per cent of families with school-aged children believe that the state of the US economy will impact their BTS spending plans, according to a recent survey conducted by BIGinsight. While this is down slightly from 80 per cent last year, it is clearly evident that consumers still feel the pressure. Last year saw many brands in a bid to target spenders in economic crisis coming up with aggressive retail strategies, such as Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) slashing their denim prices to half, followed by other brands like Justice, Aeropostale, GAP, etc.

This summer, economy-affected parents may place responsibility on their children to help with school expenses: one-quarter of families with students in grades K-12 will ask their children to dig through their closet to find items they can reuse for the upcoming school year, which has increased from last year. Whereas, others will head to the Internet to compare prices and seek out deals to get the best alternative for their money. Although economic challenges seem to be on the top-of-mind for consumers, parents will also look for coupons purchasing generic products to save money. However, the economy is not only impacting a consumer’s purchase decision, but also on their household as they are cutting back

on extracurricular activities and choosing whether their child goes to public or private schools.

Meanwhile, retailers continue to seek innovative ways to communicate with consumers to build a compelling cross-channel shopping experience. Most retailers deploy mobile and social marketing strategies that integrate with e-Commerce sites, which offer consumers capability to connect with brands across their channel of preference to make purchases for shopping seasons such as BTS. With the advancement in technology, students and parents alike will be browsing web stores and spending money online like never before as the consumers’ engagement with social media and mobile devices has fundamentally changed.

As parents and students alike seek the best deals on latest trends, mobile will play a pivotal role in this season. Due to a competitive market, marketers need to be sure that their campaigns are effective and timely. It has become essential for them to find out how to connect with kids, and more importantly, their parents. Not only are consumers highly active on social networking sites, they are accessing emails and making purchases on many different devices. Optimizing campaigns for different devices is necessary for marketers to reach them wherever life takes them – including the office, the grocery store and soccer practice.

Many marketers make the mistake of approaching BTS as a one-off campaign, it

Contd. on page 14



might be a once-a-year execution, but the customers you create during that time are still yours for the remainder of the year, not to mention years to come. Therefore, it is valuable to have a long-term plan in place to tap consumers at different points throughout the year. The solution is to approach your BTS campaign as a platform for generating a conversation with your target audience, and then utilizing that platform as a means for obtaining and collecting meaningful information from your consumers that will be used in post-BTS initiatives and social channels are the perfect tool for initiating and maintaining this relationship with consumers. A nice campaign to reference in terms of generating a relationship with their consumers is American Eagle’s 2012 “Live Your Life” campaign.

The loss of a BTS purchase due to poorly executed retail fundamentals this year will be a huge loss as the spending powers of consumers are finite due to the post-recession consumption patterns. It remains to be seen what families will spend on school items this BTS season, but one thing is purely evident – the economy remains a big concern for many Americans.

Trends to look forward to at BTS fashion in 2013Denims in a variety of colour, patterns and textures, whether it’s super-skinny, bleached, neon-coloured, your-boyfriends, super-distressed grungy, cropped, printed, high-waisted and boot-cut… would be the best options for any body type in this summer. In addition, signature 80’s puffed shoulder looks though fashion forward, would be seen everywhere in a month’s time. Also, bombers, long and sleeveless blazers and leather jackets will enjoy their share in this year BTS trends. Prints such as tribal, floral, plaids and thin stripes would be in this season, along with accessories such as bangles, cuff bracelets, brooches, chunky-flowered rings and layered chain necklaces.

Fast fashion, which promises consumers rock-bottom prices on runway-look-alike fashion, is demonized

as it pushes low quality disposable garments, dubious labour practices, and environmentally irresponsible fabrics. Regardless of this, fast fashion is here to stay as consumers demand lower prices and more fashionably trendier clothes, within a much shorter span of time. During 2010, when many apparel industries suffered due to recession, ZARA, a subsidiary of Spanish parent

company, Inditex, reported a 13 per cent increase in sales and a 32 per cent increase in net profits. Though sustainability is questionable when being associated with fast-fashion, the brand has taken major steps towards remaining ‘ethical’ and environment-friendly.

The brand continues to leverage its enviable logistics system, which enables store managers to communicate directly with designers – providing them with valuable information on what is and isn’t selling. This allows

ZARA to be remarkably receptive to quickly changing consumer demands as the designers can easily respond to trend shifts which secures their competitive advantage in today’s hoard of fashion-conscious consumers. Most ZARA styles are produced in smaller quantities first, and tested in close-to-home markets before being mass produced and shipped internationally based on their domestic sales result. This is why the garments usually sell completely, or the company has less unsold stock, therefore it wastes less raw materials and energy leading to higher profits.

Owing to many sustainable initiatives, one primarily being building an eco-friendly store in New York using various green features has brought ZARA on the helm of being amongst the top global brands working towards a sustainable future. The in-store facility imbibes a host of green elements such as installation of high-performance heating and air conditioning units, and automatic-adjustable thermostats. It has also been equipped with motion detector-controlled lighting fixtures in the store rooms and less-transited spaces, which allows the detectors to dim lights by 80% when not occupied. The property features electronically regulated air curtains at its entrance, which restricts influx of hot or cold outside air. It also consists of energy-intensive systems that are turned on in a sequential pattern to avoid demand spikes and also, the wood incorporated in the building’s store fittings and furnishings, as well as the shopping bags used is PEFC-certified, which uses plastic bags that are biodegradable.

Leading Fast Fashion SustainabilityZARA ranked amongst top 50 best global green brands Despite the global economic downturn, ZARA’s extensively appreciated business model has kept its customers happy and fashion forward. Though many believe that fast fashion is contrary to the concept of sustainability, ZARA is today among the 50 most sustainable brands in the world according to the latest Best Global Green Brands report by Interbrand, a brand consultancy firm, witnessing a sharp 18 per cent increase in its brand value.

ZARA being amongst the top global brands working for sustainability reported increase in sales by 13% while net profits were also up by 32%.

Contd. from page 12

SuStainability



Installation of speed-controlled mechanical escalators, and automatically opening double entrance doors add to the sustainability. The use of various green features reaps energy savings of 30 per cent and water savings of 70 per cent per year over a traditional shop while reducing its carbon emission rate by over 150 tonnes annually.

In addition, the clothing label has promised to eradicate discharge of hazardous chemicals from its supply chain and product by 2020 following public pressure, in response to the Greenpeace’s Detox campaign. As part of this radical change in production, ZARA plans to enforce its suppliers to disclose all releases of toxic chemicals from their facilities to surrounding communities. With the target of zero hazardous discharge by 2020, ZARA has already asked 20 suppliers to achieve it by the end of 2013. Meanwhile, in order to improve worker safety, ZARA has also signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, in the wake of the deadly building collapse at Rana Plaza that claimed around 1100 lives. Under the agreement, parties will be committed to the goal of a safe and sustainable Bangladeshi Readymade Garment (RMG) industry that protects workers from fires, building collapses and other accidents that can be prevented with reasonable health and safety measures.

Through implementation of an eco-friendly management model in all the ZARA stores, the clothing label aims to reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent, including the design itself, the lighting, heating, cooling systems and the possibility of recycling furniture and decoration. Recycling hangers and alarms,

which are picked up from any of the stores, are processed into other plastic elements, which is an example of the label’s waste management policy. Millions of hangers and alarms are processed each year and both the cardboard and plastic used for packaging are also recycled. Various awareness campaigns and specific multimedia-based training programmes are also organized to educate the staff in sustainable practices, such as limiting energy consumption, using sustainable transport and modifying behaviour patterns. ZARA uses ecological fabrics and supports organic farming by making some of its garments out of organic cotton (100% cotton, completely free of pesticides, chemicals

and bleach). Also, ZARA’s fleet of lorries, which

transport more than 200 million items of clothing a year, use 5% biodiesel fuel which allows reduction of CO2

emissions by 500 tonnes.

Although, ZARA has expanded its presence

globally, the Spanish apparel company has built its strategy around consumer trends, embracing the fast-changing tastes of its customers. To do this successfully, ZARA has developed a highly responsive supply chain that enables delivery of new fashions as soon as a trend emerges. Rather than subcontracting manufacturing to Asia, ZARA has built 14 highly automated Spanish factories, where robots work round-the-clock cutting and dyeing fabrics and creating unfinished “gray goods”, the foundations of their final products. Strategic global expansion, a commitment to sustainability efforts and keeping consumer demands at the forefront, ZARA continues to be a leading global retail brand.

The clothing label

has promised to eradicate discharge of

hazardous chemicals from its supply chain and product

by 2020 following public pressure, in response to the

Greenpeace’s Detox campaign.

UK retailers pledge to reduce carbon footprints

Dutch clothing sector plans for sustainability

With ‘sustainability strengthening brands’, UK clothing retailers have signed a pledge to measure

and report the environmental footprint of clothing and to take action to reduce its impact. Retailers such as ASOS, British Retail Consortium, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, Clothes Aid, Defra, I&G Cohen, John Lewis, Marks &

Spencer, Next, Sainsbury’s, Salvation Army Trading Company, Tesco and the Textile Recycling Association are amongst the first to sign up to reduce waste, carbon and water footprints by 2020.

“The fact that 22 organizations have already signed a commitment that explicitly sets out their determination to reduce the carbon, water and

waste footprints of clothing is very encouraging,” says Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive, The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

In order to facilitate the organizations to measure their overall environmental footprints, WRAP, on behalf of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP), has developed for the first time a spreadsheet-based footprint calculator which will enable companies to quantify and report the total global impact of the clothes they make in a consistent manner.

During the second edition of the CSR conference which had ‘Green’ as the main theme, textile and clothing

sector bodies based in the Netherlands such as Inretail, VGT and MODINT have prepared a joint plan towards sustainability of the apparel sector, which was presented

in the conference to Lilianne Ploumen , Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Netherland’s.

The minister believes, “it is a good start for the improvement in the working conditions of clothing workers in other nations such as Bangladesh.” The action plan also takes into consideration various issues such as living wages, child

labour, workplace health and safety, the freedom to form and join trade unions and environmentally sound use of water, chemicals and raw materials.

Through this plan, the clothing sectors trade associations are going to help companies to identify and minimize risks in the supply chain and also, investigate the harmful effects of procurement practices, like rapidly relocating production and spreading production over an extensive number of suppliers.

SuStainability


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A man with a vision, SP Oswal is very firm that textile is his karambhoomi,

and he does not want his Group to divert into any other business however lucrative it may be. “There are a few companies in the textile industry who have taken the challenge to put India on the textile map, and we are one of them,” says a proud SP Oswal. Admitting that it has not been an easy journey, with every new venture from yarn to garments facing initial problems, Oswal believes that the commitment to doing things in the rightway to achieve excellence has stood him on firm ground. “We work to create a good organization, identifying benchmarks for better efficiencies, raw material management, training and processes… profits follow naturally,” reasons Oswal. Identifying the basic philosophies that guides him, Oswal says, “Building an organization is not the challenge, creating a culture is important; people, processes and policies should all synergize for collective shared values that lead to unflinching commitment for excellence.”

The company as a Group has grown under the visionary guidance of the Chairman, and today it is a leader in all four core segments of its business, yarn being the biggest earner followed by fabric, threads and acrylic fibres. “We take pride in being among the first companies that ventured into yarn exports in 1985-86, which today has become a symbol of strength of Indian Textile Industry,” says Oswal. Though, India may be small player in the overall textile business with around 4.5% market share, but in spinning we are world leaders accounting for around 30% of International trade. “I remember how we struggled in the first 10 years with people questioning the quality of yarn, raising doubts on the technology used and frowning on the India tag, but things have changed drastically and now many markets are dependent on Indian yarns, particularly cotton yarns,” says Oswal. Last year the Indian industry exported 1200 MT of all yarns and out of which 1000 MT was cotton yarn; this is very commendable considering that last year total yarn in the world market was 2500 MT.

Meeting SP Oswal, the Chairman of the US $ 1.1 billion Vardhman Group of Industries, is always a learning experience, and why not… with his

46 years of experience in the industry he has many perspectives to share. We at Apparel Online make sure to catch up with him every few years for a one-o-one on his observations on a variety of topics concerning the industry and also his philosophy and vision which guides the future of Vardhman. It was no different this time, sitting in his corporate office in the heart of Ludhiana with a huge picture of him receiving the Padma Bhushan award from the then President of India Pratibha Patil in 2010 in the backdrop, Team AO could only admire the way Oswal has built the company with strategic understanding of the textile industry.

SP Oswal, Chairman, Vardhman Group“Aim at Perfection and Profits will follow”


Building an organization is not the challenge, creating a culture is important; people, processes and policies should all synergize for collective shared values that lead to unflinching commitment for excellence.

We take pride in being among the first companies that ventured into yarn exports in 1985-86, which today has become a symbol of strength of Indian Textile Industry.

Today, Vardhman is the largest producer of yarn and among the first to manufacture core spun yarn in the country. As a leader, the yarn division at Vardhman is manufacturing almost all kinds of yarn from basic yarns to value added core spun yarn, slub yarn, fancy yarn and mercerized yarn. “We believe in going ‘narrow and deep’ into each segment and have invested in the best of technologies to produce high-quality yarn in a large variety,” informs Oswal. While 70% of the yarn is still commodity yarn, a PD team closely works with buyers and visits some international fairs to develop innovative yarns as per future trends to keep the company among the top of innovative yarn manufacturers. “It is our pursuit of excellence that drives the culture,” says a passionate Oswal. The company also has a consistent business from its acrylic fibre division started in 1999. While around 45% of the fibre is used for in-house production of yarn, remaining is used by the Ludhiana industry as it is a prime raw material for winter wear for which Ludhiana cluster is renowned.

The second core business for the Group is fabric, which they initiated in 1992 with 48 looms. The finishing unit came up in Baddi in the year 2000, and though the initial few years were difficult, the company has consolidated its position and produces 110 million metres per annum of fabric for shirts and bottom weights from 1300 looms. The company claims to be the biggest in piece dyed fabric and 40% of its fabric is being exported to neighbouring countries. “It was a challenge to export fabric when even our local garment manufacturers had no faith in Indian fabrics, there were issues of quality, consistent colour shades in large quantities and uneven roll sizes, but we build systems, and did not compromise on technology and today we are

The sprawling unit of Vardhman Fabrics at Budhni, near Bhopal

approved suppliers to some world renowned retailers including GAP, C&A, H&M, S’Oliver, Uniqlo etc. and also working with biggies like Shahi Exports, K Mohan and Gokaldas Exports,” says Oswal.

Always setting the benchmarks higher, giving the industry best run for their money, the Vardhman Group ventured into thread manufacturing in 1980, in fact, even before the commissioning of the fabric division. “The competition was with Coats, which was almost invincible, but I don’t believe in giving up and today we are the second largest thread suppliers in the country and about 80% of how big Coats is,” informs Oswal. Impressed with the ability and quality of threads being manufactured from four units, A&E from the USA came forward for a tie-up with Vardhman, giving a global face to the thread business. With the introduction of Vardhman colour cards last year, the company has taken the next step to be closer to the industry and the business has seen consistent growth.

“My desire during student time was to become a teacher, but I was pulled into the business; now I have translated that passion into

creating in-house training modules, as a coach,” says Oswal, throwing light on why training is a major focus for the company. The Group, besides having training facilities at the plants, also has a residential training development centre in Ludhiana for all its executives, where training is conducted on a regular bases and every person is expected to stay at the facility during the course. This helps in imparting the culture, processes, vision, ethical values and team spirit among our employees. His love for education is also evident in setting up of a school in Baddi and a commerce college in Ludhiana.

Yet, Oswal is very critical of the education system and rues that the textile industry does not attract the best of talents even from textile courses. “The IIT has a textile course, but it should be scrapped as hardly 1% of the brilliant students join the industry, they only go for the IIT stamp and then join multi-nationals or financial sector. Even students coming from Bhiwani Textile Institute don’t want to be on the shop floor, they are not taught to start from the beginning,” argues Oswal. However, he feels that a good company does attract good talent and in 1973 he had picked up three MBA students, all of whom are today MDs in various companies of his Group. “We run our company professionally and also encourage growth, but then students have to realize that we cannot afford hefty salaries from day one like FMGCs. There has to be a learning curve, also most of the mills are in small towns and most of the younger generation wants to live and enjoy the metro cities,” he adds.

A very focused leader, Oswal says that expansions at Vardhman are need based and they are not on an ego trip to be the biggest. “All expansions are based on in-depth market analysis and I believe there

buSineSSStrategy



is still scope for expansion in yarns and fabric,” says Oswal. He is also bullish about their latest venture into garmenting, which is in technical tie-up with Japan based Nisshinbo Garments. “It has not been easy and we are struggling, mostly due to huge labour turnover issues and the factory is running only at around 45% capacity, but I am confident that 2014 should be a good year and we may finally sort out all the issues that are holding back the factory,” adds Oswal with assurance.

Not a person to give up, Oswal is very clear that the textile industry has a huge opportunity, especially since China is no longer investing in the segment, but he is also clear that unless a strong integrated textile policy framework is developed, the industry can never reach its true potential. “I believe that the textile industry has the potential of investment in the range of US $ 75 to 100 billion in the next 10 years as both export demand and domestic demand will tend to grow, provided the country gets its acts together. We must comprehend the pre-requisites of its growth namely – flexible labour laws, improved infrastructure, fairness in the determination of prices of power and railway freight, reduction in the transaction cost etc. to take the textile export industry to US $ 80-90 billion from the current US $ 32 billion,” says Oswal.

In his long career spanning almost five decades Oswal has seen the ups and down of the industry, and today he is proud of building a strong Group with a sound culture and also contributing to the growth of the textile industry in India. “I want to retire in a few years to follow my passion to work for the society, handing over the Group to the next generation that has been trained and groomed by the organization, who have to now take not only the group but the industry to the next level,” he concludes.

adhya Pradesh is not new to the Vardhman Group, who entered the state

in 1990 with its spinning unit in Mandideep which is close to Budhni. Investor-friendly schemes of the Madhya Pradesh Government prompted the company to go beyond Punjab (Ludhiana) and Himachal Pradesh (Baddi) and today they have major presence in the state with more investments to follow. Yet, it is not only about infrastructure, which is no doubt very updated, but it is also about the way the unit is run and the passion with which the company trains people and balances commercial needs with CSR.

The integrated setup at Budhni right now is on expansion mode, doubling its capacity in all of its divisions – spinning, weaving and processing. With its own thermal power plant, for electricity this composite unit of Vardhman came up in 2008 with 60,000 spindles and by this November it is adding another 55,000 spindles, taking the total capacity to 1,15,000. In open end spinning, 2,400 rotors are being added to the existing 3,240, in weaving, the loom capacity would be 820 and in processing the capacity would reach 65 million metres/annum which right now is 40 million metres/annum.

With a total workforce of 3,600 people approximately, with a large number comprising of locals, the unit has opened employment opportunities for populace from surrounding villages. “Before Vardhman’s

entry in Madhya Pradesh, the villagers of this belt had very little opportunities of employment, other than agriculture. Today, the scenario has changed; people have started looking at textiles as a good source of income. The most challenging aspect for us was to convince the women and girls to join our company and today we have 800 women workforce, we are happy to be contributing in this social change and women empowerment,” says t.C. Gupta – GM Operations – Vardhman Fabrics, according to whom after the completion of the expansion, the total manpower would be around 4,000 including the staff officers.

While taking a tour of the vast unit, Team Apparel Online observed that at every stage of manufacturing and in each operation there was a trainee working along with a trained supervisor. There are white boards on the shop floor on which the team leaders from time to time teach the trainees the processes which they have seen on the shop floor so that they can register the same both practically and theoretically. “We have a very strong training system and we believe in developing the people not just at the worker level but also at the officer level. We have Manav Vikas Kendra (MVK) in all our units where we conduct classes for absolute raw candidates from surrounding areas and simultaneously we also give on job training. Besides orientation

Team Apparel Online was invited to visit the king size unit of Vardhman in Budhni, near Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. Riding through the picturesque highway on the way to the unit, one is hit by the natural beauty, and the unit blends perfectly into the habitat with its open space and peaceful environment. Created with an investment of Rs. 1,600 crore, the unit is spread out in 780 acres of land, of which 400 acres is only for irrigation purpose to maintain zero discharge from its ETP & WETP facilities.

Doubling its Spinning, Weaving & Processing Facility in Budhni Plant in Madhya Pradesh

people Development and training is THe VardHman culTure

buSineSSStrategy


about the company and its culture we teach them about machines, how to handle them, trouble shooting etc. It takes at least seven months to skill them to be able to operate the machines. We take young workers who can be moulded according to our needs and groomed as per Vardhman’s culture,” avers Gupta. The basic qualification for a worker to join as a trainee is either 10th or 12th pass, for spinning 10th pass are eligible, whereas for weaving and processing it is minimum 10+2. “B. K. Choudhary, Director (Operations) has immensely

contributed in bringing the unit to its current stature. From selection of site, basic layouts to the minute details of buildings, selection of technology and machines, training practices, installing processes, he is involved in each and every aspect of the project and operations,” shared Gupta.

Vardhman’s team scouts nearby villages to interact and inform the villagers about Vardhman and the nature of work and how it will be a career opportunity. It is tough to convince the parents or husbands of women folk to allow them to come out and

T.C. Gupta, GM Operations, Vardhman Fabrics with his team members in the board room

Classroom within the factory premises

We have a very strong training system and we believe in developing the people not just at the worker level but also at the officer level. We have Manav Vikas Kendra (MVK) in all our units where we conduct classes for raw candidates from surrounding areas and simultaneously we also give on job training.

buSineSSStrategy


work in the industry. “Our team used to make several visits to village Panchayats to convince the family members of the girls and assure them of their safety and healthy environment. We also organized family visits to the factory. Gradually, we now stand amongst happy girls,” proudly says Gupta. In addition to giving training and employment, the company takes care of their overall development, be it socially or culturally. “We organize sports activities for them, competitions, quizzes, etc. We involve them in every sphere of life. They are taught about hygiene, sanitation, etiquettes and good mannerisms,” shares Gupta.

The company’s management strongly believes that the natives of the place should not feel that the management is not part of them or that they are outsiders, so conscious efforts are made to sync in the culture of that region. “Our Chairman is very particular that where we go, be it Himachal Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh, we have to take care of the area where we have our units. Our basic aim is to uplift the society, bring in changes and take care of the environment, to mould ourselves as per the society so that we do not look or sound as outsiders,” passionately expresses Gupta. The company believes in sharing its progress with its employees. It is part of Vardhman philosophy to adapt to the place where they move in, feel as one amongst locals and take them along while moving ahead. In fact, to develop the area and also support communities, wherever Vardhman puts up its unit, along with generating skilled workforce is the underlining culture of the company.

In line with the vision of the CMD, Vardhman has taken upon some mega CSR activities in the region. From its power plant it is providing street lights to the surrounding villages, while the responsibility of providing electricity to the homes resides with the Government. The company has also constructed a police chowki in the area. It has adopted 10 villages of Anganwadi and taken care of their needs in every possible way.

expansion in each division is taking place in Vardhman’s Budhni plant. It goes without saying that each and every machine is highly state-of-the-art.

Spinning: Presently with 60,000 spindles the daily production in 100% cotton yarn is 30 tonnes/day in 16s to 40s counts both in carded and combed. 100% captive consumption of yarns for own weaving. In India it is one of the most modern plants.

The company has open end spinning too with 35 tonnes production/day deploying the latest generation of machines.

The new unit which is coming up has 55,000 spindles and would be operational in November. By next month, PC yarn manufacturing will also start.

Weaving: Producing 2.50 lakh metres fabric per day. The full weaving setup would be operational by November 2013. The total loom capacity of this plant would be 820 Rapier and Airjet looms sourced from Japan and Europe out of which 610 have already been installed and are in operations. The looms are of latest design and technology to achieve efficient and high quality weaving operations. The preparatory section deploys modern European and Japanese technology.

processing: The fabric processing facility is very impressive and comprises of contemporary technology and machines sourced globally. The machines and equipments have special features developed by collaboration of Vardhman team with the suppliers. The Colour Kitchen is fully automated to ensure precise and reliable dyes recipe making and dispensing to user machines. The pilot plant is well laid out equipped with automatic dye and chemical dispensing units and pilot lines.

Spinning Division

Weaving Floor

Processing Unit

Pilot plant for fabric dyeing where lab dips are produced for customer's approval for exact colour matching

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Technical and infrastructural developments at Budhni

The packaging of the fabric rolls is through automatic packaging machines which require very little human intervention. The entire setup is to achieve operations with high degree of accuracy and predictability.

Automatic packaging machine

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Vardhman Fabrics has been setup with a vision to be a world class processed fabric production facility with synergies of an integrated textile complex. A combination of technology, processes, Vardhman culture and value system and engaging people have been put together to realize this vision.

Contemporary technologies, machines and equipments from the global leaders in the respective fields have been carefully sourced supported by robust plant infrastructure including a captive co-generation power plant. Above all, a blend of experience and expertise with energy of trained and skilled young workforce has been brought together. Within a span of about 5 years, a high degree of efficient and reliable full capacity operations have been achieved. The consistent quality of products and high customer service standards have brought wide customers’ acceptance and Vardhman Fabrics is emerging as a preferred fabrics source of leading global and domestic retailers and labels.

central Ware House to start operating from 2014A modern day Central Ware House, which will have automated storage and retrieval system for its greige and processed fabric, will start operating at Vardhman. This warehouse which would be 100% robotic with no human intervention would be ready by second half of 2014. It will be fully automated. This project is again the brain child of Choudhary.

Quality assurance a continuous processThe unit has strong dedicated QA team and in a short span the unit has obtained accreditation from several international brands. The QA laboratory is well equipped to undertake thorough evaluation of product quality and provide support to production operations by way of online quality evaluation.

effluent Treatment to achieve zero dischargeIn addition to manufacturing, the unit has state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant with air evaporators setup by an Italian company and vast pool of land to ensure zero liquid discharge. The unit has also setup a biogas plant integrated with the effluent treatment plant, which is amongst very few installed so far in the textile industry.


Tex Find

FABriC FrOM LOTUS STeM

Raymond is looking at setting up unit in Vidarbha

“Advantage Vidarbha”, an initiative by Maharashtra

Government in February this year to invite and attract potential investors into this backward region of Maharashtra has started paying dividends with some big companies like Raymond looking at setting up a new unit in Vidarbha. The company was allotted 25 acres of land in June for the purpose in Yavatmal district where the company already has a major presence. The expansion plan of Raymond may involve infusion of fresh capital in the

Described as a cross between silk and linen, lotus flower fabric was once used to make robes for high-ranking Buddhist monks. Extracted from lotus, also known as the aquatic perennial “Nelumbo nucifera”, the dried seed heads have been popular in flower arranging, for which the flower is generally picked from its stem, leaving the stems to create a big waste in the lakes.

Putting the waste into use now, Samatoa, an eco-friendly design and textile mill which pioneers in fair trading in Cambodia, is working with Cambodian women to improve their living conditions by providing them quality training in making the lotus fabric which is naturally stain resistant, waterproof, breathable, wrinkle-free fabric and soft to the touch.

Even though a commercial process needs to be worked upon for the future, currently creating the fabric is a handmade artisanal process. It takes approximately 32,000 lotus stems to make just 1.09 yards of fabric; approximately 1,20,000 for a costume, available in colours like light red, green, yellow, chocolate, orange, and light purple.

Karnataka sets target of 32,000 metric tonnes of raw silk production

The Karnataka Government has set a

target of producing 32,000 tonnes of raw silk, including 5,000 tonnes of superior quality of bivoltine raw silk, during the 12th Plan period. The employment generation would be around 9.27 million by the terminal year of 12th Plan period directly and indirectly. With a view to improving the living standards of stakeholders of sericulture industry and to increase income of the rural poor as also to boost production of raw silk in the country, an additional area of 59,000 hectares of mulberry is proposed to be raised during 12th Plan period.

In order to achieve the targets in the 12th Plan, the Central Silk Board would integrate the present scheme of Catalytic Development Programme and focus on cluster approach to improve the quality of cacoon and silk.

Rajasthan to extend a special package for the textile industry

Rajasthan is inviting investment in textile industry with strong policy frame work – picture from Ajay Group of Industries, Bhilwara

The industry in Rajasthan has been waiting eagerly

for a new textile policy and the Government of Rajasthan has responded with a promise to extend a special package for the textile industry. A Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took the decision to come out with a special package for the textile industry, following instances of textile units from Bhilwara relocating to Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The new textile policy would be adopted under the “Special Customised Package 2013” approved by the Cabinet. The package is aimed at attracting an investment of Rs. 100 billion

over the next seven years and generating employment opportunities for about 50,000 people. The package will be applicable to both new textile enterprises as well as to existing textile units that plan to invest in modernization, expansion or diversification. The sops to the textile industry would include VAT reimbursement, subsidy and interest-waiver. The Cabinet meeting also cleared setting up a Petroleum University in the state on public-private partnership (PPP) basis, in order to make available manpower and technical know-how for the upcoming petrochemical complex at Pachpadra in Barmer district.

range of Rs. 300-400 crore by the company.

Vidarbha is expected to get a much-needed boost with a fresh investment of Rs. 3,000 crore likely in textile sector through 26 projects. These new ventures have a potential to generate 3,500 new jobs. The state textile ministry had announced a new policy around two years ago in which an additional 10 per cent subsidy is given to investors coming to cotton growing regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada.

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till a decade ago was the biggest wholesale market of fabrics catering to almost all the big exporters, pan-India, but now the streets are no longer inviting as the exporters and international buyers and suppliers are moving closer to the hubs for growth.

Walking down the streets of Chandni Chowk, it is impossible to get your eyes off the wide range of fabrics available. The historical bazaar Chandni Chowk traces its existence to the Mughal Era and exploring its winding narrow alleyways is simply captivating. Chandni Chowk

Fabric Suppliers of Chandni Chowk Moving nearer to Garmenting Hubs; Okhla to see more activity

Indeed, the bad infrastructure, connectivity problems and the laid back attitude of the suppliers has kept many exporters away from the market, though the variety of grey is still among the best on offer. Due to the gradual drift of grey fabric traders from Chandni Chowk, the potential of business for the export market is very limited. “Export is fading because no buyer likes to come here, even the merchandisers avoid coming here because of congestion, mismanaged traffic and the poor parking facilities,” adds Sharad.

Besides all these problems, the biggest challenge faced by the fabric suppliers is catering to export orders. Presently, the economic conditions worldwide are a deterrent which is having immense effect on the export business. Therefore, fabric vendors are trying to move nearer to the exporters to cater to their needs faster and

Delhi’s oldest fabric hub Chandni Chowk, which has thrived on a wholesale distribution

network business model has seen a number of players serving the exporters moving out and in the past 8-10 years a large chunk of the business, almost 80-90% has been diverted to new booming business centres in the vicinity of garmenting hubs like Okhla, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad which provide better connectivity and ease of access. “Most of the people sitting in Nehru Place today started their business in Chandni Chowk. The people who are still here are those who aren’t looking forward to expanding their business. And with the metro connectivity, this market has fast turned into a retail market,” avers Sharad, proprietor, B.t. Fabric, who has been catering to the export market in grey fabrics since their establishment in 1981.

in a more responsive manner. Satish Kumar Shorewala, Owner, R.K. & Company, a velvet manufacturer and dealer explains, “Export is buyer-demand oriented market. Though in export, we receive bulk orders, but in domestic the orders come all round the year. Therefore, when America and Europe – the biggest export clients – have taken a back seat, the vendors need to move to nearer areas to be available to the exporters. Domestic is a fashion-driven market, and according to the forecast, velvets are going to be in fashion for the next couple of years, so domestic definitely is a blooming market.”

Another problem working with exporters is the growing prevalence of nominated suppliers. “Nowadays, mills are going directly to the buyer, trying to get direct nominations, but as a fabric sourcing agent we would like our clients to do business

Shreshth, Kailash Brothers Suppliers and manufactures of all types of velvet

Arun Sahni, Director, Tulsiram Jugal Kishore Dealing with grey cotton fabrics of all types ranging from, 10 to 100 count

Sharad, Proprietor, B.T. Fabric Dealing with grey cotton and processed polyester fabrics

Export is fading from Chandni Chowk because no buyer likes to come here; even the merchandisers avoid coming here because of congestion, mismanaged traffic and the poor parking facilities. But on the other side, the future of domestic market seems to be very bright seeing its exponential growth for the past few years.

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Apparel Online India 27


expanding more in business the fabric vendors need to move closer to the exporters unless, surviving in the grey fabric industry becomes difficult.

Shreshth of Kailash Brothers, another major manufacturer of velvets added, “In the present situation the export market is struggling to hold on and is losing ground very fast, but on the other side the future of domestic market seems to be very bright seeing its exponential growth for the past few years. We have an office and showroom in Okhla and have been catering to the home segment in the export market, since 25 years. So, for us having an office in both areas has been a winning combination. While the Chandni Chowk office helps us in penetrating the domestic market, the Okhla office caters to the export market.”

All the fabric suppliers agree that the domestic market is hugely impacted by seasonal sales. August onwards is the Eid season, so shimmery and shiny satin type of fabric will be in vogue; in the marriage season, sarees and suits get the attention. Now if they want to sell these fabrics in export market, nobody is going to buy it as the requirements of domestic and export market are diverse from the quality of fabric to the design requirements. Surprisingly, though India produces the finest

of cotton fabrics, but presently the domestic market is majorly concentrating on polyester or cotton polyester blends.

Entirely based on garmenting, the fabric for the domestic market majorly consists of men’s/women’s shirts and trouser and customized boutique items, mostly requiring processed fabrics. At the moment, fabrics for products like trousers, shirts, cotton kurtis, sarees and suits are extensively in demand, for which the fabric vendors are getting sampling orders from the domestic market in bulk on a day-to-day basis. Becoming a year round business, with the flexibility of consuming all sorts of cheaper varieties of fabrics as well, the domestic business is therefore taking over the export market at a rapid pace.

The traders supplying grey fabrics to the exporters find it difficult to cater to the domestic market. “Value-added fabrics are the requirement of the exporters and that is what we stock, but the domestic market is retail oriented. Further, exporters have customized demands depending on what the importer needs. Fundamentally, domestic needs are basic fabrics and for exports it is more specifications in terms of counts, weaves, weights, blends, etc.,” concludes Nishant aggarwal, H.p. aggarwal’s son and proprietor, paras Cotswin.

Becoming a year round business, with the flexibility of consuming all sorts of cheaper varieties of fabrics, the domestic business is therefore taking over the export market at a rapid pace which has customized demands depending on what the importer needs.

years since we started domestic marketing, it has become even bigger than the export market,” says arun Sahni, Director of tulsiram Jugal Kishore, a 100 years old company supplying all sorts of cotton fabrics ranging from 10-100 count.

Presently the ratio of business between working with exporters to domestic players is roughly 60%:40%, with 40% being the domestic market, but domestic market is emerging as the frontrunner. Though the grey fabric vendors are moving slowly into the domestic market, but the voluminous quantity of orders they avail through export market is incomparable. For

through us, but sitting here in Chandni Chowk makes it a herculean task for us. Therefore, we are planning to shift our office to Faridabad, thereby making us easily accessible to the buyer,” avers H.p. aggarwal, Owner of paras Cotswin, a fabric sourcing company catering to more than 25 export units all over India providing grey as well as processed fabrics.

While Chandni Chowk as a platform for exporters is on the back foot, but the domestic market seems to be flourishing here. “Earlier we used to cater to only exporters because the domestic market didn’t have that much scope, but for the past 5

H.P. Aggarwal, Owner with his son Nishant, Proprietor, Paras Cotswin Dealers of grey, yarn dyed and dyed cotton fabrics

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Krishna Textile Market Near J.J.A.C. Market,Ring Road, SURAT-395002 (Gujrat) INDIATel.: +91-261-2320509, Fax: +91-261-2337925Mob.: , E-mail: [email protected]+919824375610

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H O M E F A S H I O N F U T U R E

Starting with the domestic market with reputed names like The Jagdish Store, Amorino and Floor

and Furnishing, the company is now catering to a lot of buyers on the international platform. “After we got into the export market, we started penetrating into the US market as well. We are present on e-bay, and other online selling websites. Being old in the business, we have good tie-ups with the American companies. Our main markets remain to be the US, the UK and some countries in Europe,” says Babita, who mainly specializes in bed spreads, cushions and curtains targeting primarily the high-end market.

Splendid collection with wide assortment of bedspreads,

bed sheet, bed skirt, mattress protector, duvet covers, curtains, blinds, hotel linen, furnishing,

shower & cotton and table linen speaks a vibrant

saga of rich Indian craftsmanship

and traditional embroideries

fused with contemporary

designs and patterns provided by the company.

The products are developed from soft yet long

lasting fabrics; these cushion covers and curtains offer top level of comfort. Further, the beautiful embellishments including woven, printed, patchwork, embroidered, and sequin provided in eye soothing colours lends these products a captivating appeal. Babita further explains, “When you talk about international, the requisite embroidery is very minimal, like here in India, we like a lot of hand-embroidery, profound and cumbersome kind of needlework. But the scenario abroad is entirely different. They like very delicate, minimal and sophisticated kind of embroidery, specially the American market. It should be delicate, soft, and that’s why they call it “soft furnishing”. For instance, if you are sitting on a sofa and you pick up a cushion, it should feel soft to touch. They akin to very high on comfort products. And here in India, consumers demand for decorative and exquisite products. So, that is what differentiates the trends in different markets.”

Dealing with diverse markets provides exposure, experience and practical understanding about the lucrative areas in business. And it becomes easy penetrating into various other markets. “Actually, you can never come to any conclusion about which market is more profitable. Because wherever you procure more orders from, accordingly that market becomes the better alternative. Subsequently, you don’t land up in risk when you have both the markets in your

Dealing with diverse markets provides exposure, experience and practical understanding about the lucrative areas in business. And it becomes easy penetrating into various other markets with differentiated trends.

India Home FurnishingsFrom Domestic to Exports, Back to Retail with its Own Brand ‘belle'In today’s world, home furnishing business has taken strides with many buyers adding home furnishing to their profile, becoming a good market for international retailers. India Home Furnishings, a professionally managed organization has been creating wonders in the home furnishing and handicraft industry ever since their establishment in 1992. “I was very fond of decorating homes. This is what I love to do. My work is my passion and it gives me satisfaction each time I see my company grow,” avers Babita Arora, Managing Director, who has been single-handedly running the company ever since the beginning.


Top of the bed collection from India Home Furnishings

for a room, in the same story we design bedding, curtains, runners, cushions, etc. The same way we do for residential purposes as well,” says Babita.

Besides all the challenges faced, the company never compromises on its quality and consumer satisfaction. “Quality control is one of the most important factors while dealing with clients; if we work for a 5-star hotel industry, then we have the pressure to deliver the quality of a 5-star level. Basically, quality is the crux of everything and customer satisfaction is our priority. Even if it is a domestic customer, we try and make our customers happy and satisfied with our deliverance,” avers Babita.

Satisfied with the immense growth of the company, it launched its own brand “belle” around three years ago which is gaining massive popularity on online shopping sites and also in stores. “Right now, the brand is not that popular and well known but slowly and steadily we are going to promote the name. We are studying both the markets and trying to promote it; it will take some time but it will get familiarized very soon. Only the brand name has changed but the product range remains the same. Because this product range is our identity,” candidly concludes Babita.

hands. For example, if domestic market becomes slow, orders procured from the international market somehow balances the whole business,” details Babita.

Countries like Australia, Latin America, Japan and China are becoming major markets for India and India Home Furnishings is doing all efforts to keep the growth of the company escalating. They promote themselves through websites and online shopping sites. Their biggest product range of curtains, ranging from readymade to custom made, pleated curtains – French pleat, inverted pleats, eyelet and grommet curtains, etc. “Actually, we do not cater to the 100% cotton market, as we do more of silks or poly-blend cotton in 70:30 ratio. So instead of 100% cotton fabric we are using cotton and polyester blends for making curtains or 100% silk, which is in demand in the American market. Yes, it is expensive and is not in demand in the domestic market. For India, we do polyester printed curtains,” says Babita.

Nowadays, buyers require thematic products. For instance, to decorate an entire room, or a hotel industry or an institution, they want an entire product range in one thematic story. “We design a complete institution in one story. If an order is placed


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THE REIGN OF ‘INDIGO’…A colour that continues to seduce the world from past, present, into the future…

The dawn of this trend has also brought to the forefront the graphic traditional Japanese patterns, which have made a comeback into the fashion scene with designer names like Band of Outsiders showcasing the Japanese dyeing technique in their S/S 2013 collection. Creating a refreshing array of tailored blazers, shorts, and sharp wrap skirts, some of the looks even took on a cool, denim-like effect. Spreading into kidswear too, Le Petit Lucas du Tertre, a French brand for kids in its recent summer 2013 range used Japanese influenced patterns in bright shades of indigo, for children’s fashion. Other known names that have started to showcase the same on the runways of S/S 2014 are of Vivienne Westwood presenting jacquard boro surfaces in sporty indigo pieces and Etro a range of Indigo-on-indigo print and patterns. Also available with fast fashion retailers are variations of Shibori techniques in pieces like tank tops at All Saints, and Scarves at Zara.

Parallel to its history in Japan, moving onto the Indian subcontinent, till date India is recognized as the most primitive place for the indigo dye, as it was first in the sixteenth century that the cultivation of indigo started in India on a large scale, which through the established Dutch trade routes by sea, made its way to Europe. Mesmerizing them yet again, bringing them back to

Every part of the world in one form or the other has embraced Indigo, and all this

started with the Dulux global tradition, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, unveiling ‘Indigo Night’ as the colour of the year, based on the deliberation of a group of international creative experts from the fields of colour, design, architecture and fashion. Lending itself to every aspect of living both inside and out, indigo looks stunning on walls as it does in furniture and accessories, elaborating on which larry ettah, Group Managing Director, UaCN plc says, “The colour has an intriguing connection with the past, the present and future. The colour shade has always been part of our lives and will continue to play a major role in our existence as it is indeed, a colour of our heritage and the future.”

Having a traditional presence in the Japanese culture, amongst a variety of techniques, there is Boro, a well known, patched indigo usually found in sheeting like sizes offering a kaleidoscope of indigo dyes put together, along with another tie&dye textile technique, Shibori. Worn by Japanese firemen as heavy quilt and woven indigo-dyed jackets and helmet hats, since decades owing to its property of not burning out, the indigo colour has been used since time immemorial in designing Kimonos.

‘Indigo', one of the most mysterious shades of the colour blue for almost five millennia, is once again shadowing the word with its enigmatic hue, with fashion and lifestyle both embracing the shade as the biggest colour trend of 2013, flowing into the productions of S/S 2014…

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India for sourcing the trend for the next S/S14 developments and already receiving orders, Vikas Chachra, Head of Sales, india 1 of Clariant Chemicals (india) ltd. claims, “The demand for Indigo is increasing at a fast rate as the shade, properties and its wash downs cannot be matched by any other class of dyes. Indigo as a colour has been around for more than 100 years and in the fashion industry for more than 20 years, which is a legacy difficult to break. In some cases the sale has more than doubled. Although as Indigo is blue, the industry is now moving beyond, also asking for other casts of blues with wash down properties for which Clariant provides an exclusive range known as DIRESUL RDT.”

Nitish Vikram, Senior Designer, Bhane Designs adds, “Indigo is a classic colour – and the dye is good for the skin and also gives a character to the garment. The beauty of an indigo dyed garment is the fact that it loses colour every time it is washed, so one is almost wearing a different garment every time. Being an eco-friendly dye it has once again started to work well in the Indian market as well as international market.” Working with denim, chambray and viscose fabric in techniques like tie & bleach, over bleach, heavy enzyme wash & discharge printing, for the current collection of the online youth brand, Bhane; in contrast he also states that as the natural dye pigment cannot be easily procured, so it is a bit difficult to work with it too, as compared to other chemical dyes.

Supporting the thought of the challenges one faces while using the colour, pramod Rathore of indus Valley exports says, “In our experience the Indigo colour is very uncertain to work with as it tends to fade and hence buyers are skeptical to work with it. Since the dyeing has to be outsourced, we would always find the washing or the printing lacking it in its consistency. We used to work heavily with the dye earlier but since it was difficult to keep up with buyer’s quality requirements, we quit working with the dye one-and-a-half years back.”

In the world of fashion the colour indigo is more closely associated with denim. Considering that approximately 20 million tonnes of indigo are produced annually for the purpose, with the up rise of the colour blue, Denim is another form of indigo that has come back into fashion. Authenticating this growing demand, the S/S 2014 and Cruise 2014 runways had an explosion of denim in the collections of Diesel Black Gold, Frankie Morello, Andrea Incontri, Chanel, Givenchy, Theyskens’ Theory and Jonathan Simkhai.

Facing happy consequences of the same, aditi talwar, assistant Merchandiser of Orient Craft confirms, “Our denim division is getting huge orders for jeans, shirts and shorts in denim from the US buyers. Different varieties of denim are being worked onto garments in fabrics like chambray, tencel, lightweight and heavyweight variations. Light & dark wash, ice wash, tie&dye and different kinds

of bleach treatments are part of the developments too. Demand for boyfriend shirts in light indigo has been immense from buyers as well.”

Indigo as a solid hue itself has a long list of symbolic connotations that are global, considered as a royal colour associated with nobility, political power and other blue bloods. From a favourite of the couture market and formal evening wear in the jewel tone of sapphire for womenswear, the colour blue which has long been synonymous with menswear staples as well, took a traditional indigo turn in the recent collections of Armani, Bottega Veneta, Hermes and Versace.

Following the trail, exporters for S/S 2014, are getting orders for styles in the indigo colour for ready-to-wear productions as well, as Dheeraj Chauhan, pD Merchandiser, Dhruv Global, claims, “Indigo for us has been a common colour in every style since pre-spring orders. We’re dyeing polo and crew necks in vintage indigo for our buyers in the US as a part of Spring/Summer developments. The single dye is being done on cotton poly fabric and we are also doing light acid and garment enzyme wash on jersey fabrics as well.”

Still to make a mark in the Indian market which can still be considered debatable as a concept, Deepu Nair, Senior textile Designer of SRG Fabs claims, “The colour Indigo is not very easily accepted by the Indian market as consumers are still divided between dusty shades and a brighter colour palette. the international market prefers the colour as they value the process behind it.”

Indigo as a colour has been around for more than 100 years and in the fashion industry for more than 20 years, a legacy difficult to break.The beauty of an indigo dyed garment is it loses colour every time it is washed, so one is almost wearing a different garment every time. Being an eco-friendly dye it has once again started to work well in the Indian market as well as international market.

Band of Outsiders Diesel Black Gold Chanel Vivienne Westwood

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FaSHIon, THe SerPenTIne WaYIt’s the year of the snake and fashion doesn’t stay behind, embracing the trend once more. The python print is lurking around still with plentiful variations. The runways have attested to the trend yet again with Proenza Schouler’s popping greens and neutrals fused with coloured leather, Erdem’s basic subdued sheath with lace interlays and Gucci’s splendid green sheath. The print maybe executed in dresses, jackets, skirts and even pants in the category of apparel while the same may be used in shoes, bags and other accessories. The prints come to effect in the form of all-overs, panels or in conjunction with elements like leather, lace, sheer or denim. Topshop and Equipment are amongst the few retailers that have already put the trend on shelves. Also big at the runways of Resort 2014 other variations being observed are that of real or faux snakeskin, basic shades or even the fresh colourful brights!

faShionreSource

Stella McCartney’s – Sustainable jeans

Stella McCartney will be introducing new styles to her existing denim range for summer 2014, bringing out a variety of 10 styles in 20 different spring washes. Swerving from her current collection, the new collection will be putting forward skinny fit alongside boyfriend pants and wide leg cuts with a low, high or mid-rise waist in over bleached, pale blues and distressed shades of white, grey, black and indigo.

To be developed in Italy, the collection will be crafted using high recovery denim – one that doesn’t stretch out of shape and takes the wearer’s shape. The denim range – to be retailed between US $ 350 and US $ 595 – will be shipped thrice in a year, and is already accessible to retailers for a November delivery.

Marc Jacobs vandalizing T-shirts

After graffiti artist Kindult spray painted the walls

of Marc Jacobs’ store with a figure of ‘$686’ in Paris, Marc Jacobs decided to channel the vandalism into printing T-shirts with a picture of graffiti artist’s work of rebellion. Retailed at US $ 686, the T-shirts are made in a plain white colour, putting the artwork in focus, and enabling profits out of a blasphemous incident. The graffiti makes for an interesting print and have been taken out in less than a week after the incident.

Needless to say, the graffiti banter makes for an interesting print and will only enable profits out of a blasphemous incident.

Monki to expand via ASOS

A summer of fashion guided by ‘Misguided’

July will see an interesting association between Fashion

brand Monki and ASOS, the online fashion retailer, making the brand available in more than 230 countries. In a step towards expansion and widening their consumer base to different countries, Monki’s unique range of apparel will now be available on ASOS alongside a collaborative range, exclusively designed for ASOS. The capsule collection-aligning with the brand’s sensibilities – will put forth vibrant prints, graphics in a summer palette and in-house generated illustrations, starting at £ 15 for the ASOS customer.

Online fashion retailer, Misguided, has raised

the curtain of its exceptional summer sale campaign, revealing a thriving stint at high street fashion. The collection taps on a plethora of trends introducing discounted prices and offering up to 50 per cent off. Expected to kick-start by the end of this month on MisguidesUS.com, the sale is a convenient step for shoppers towards forward fashion.

Puma ventures into women’s underwear

Sportswear brand Puma is soon to bring out its debut

underwear range for women at UK’s biggest trade show Moda in August. A little peek into the collection reveals underwear in hipster, string, bikni; Brazilian and boxer style in soft touch fabric, while racer and tank are the defined styles in tops. Developed by Dobotex – developer, producer and distributor of Puma socks and underwear – the range is centered on ‘body-enhancing’ pieces.

COLOUR STORY S/S 2014 by FASHION FORWARD TRENDS

PANTONE 13-0648 TPX

PANTONE 18-1763 TPX

PANTONE 18-1945 TPX

PANTONE 17-1048 TPX

PANTONE 19-3617 TPX

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Apart from big giants, small and medium level companies

are also growing extremely well, and the interesting point is that they are following compliance norms and their working is going to be more systematic. One such company is Kamal Overseas in Noida, which is exporting fashion accessories like scarves, shawls, bags, etc. to EU and the USA, and is expecting 100 per cent growth this year. alok Sadh, partner in the company told Apparel Online, “Last year we did a business of Rs. 5 crore, and in this fiscal we are hopeful to do business worth Rs. 10 crore. Actually, this is the result of our hard work of last three years.

Kamal Overseas looking for 100 per cent growth; installs ERP NOiDa

Products made with 100% VISCOSE in multi colours

In 2011, we started a unit in Noida where almost all the manufacturing is done in-house and soon after that we got BSCI

certification. We work according to the buyers’ expectation and they are willing to pay for the same. We also participate in

fairs like Magic in the USA and Hong Kong Fashion Week apart from the Indian fairs. We also added new buyers from there and now we are working with chain stores, wholesalers and with buying houses, which keeps us busy.”

The company is also continuously improving its working conditions as we have just installed ERP and now all things are moving faster and effectively. “No doubt, it’s a small investment of Rs. 2 lakhs but it makes us more efficient; like from sampling to invoicing and final object, everything is always on record and there is no headache of a follow-up,” concludes Alok.

Known for traditional hand work and value addition skills, Nazrana Chikan Industries

has added new buyers to its list. These include chain stores as well as private labels. The company has enhanced its reach in London as well as Middle East with more than three new buyers. Dilip Kumar Khairajani, Director of the company informed that as they sell a niche product, it has an edge as well as uncertainty also and thus, new buyers are very helpful to survive and grow. Earlier, the company was

mainly into European and the US markets.

The company, with its products of an

average FOB of US $ 6, is also planning to enter the domestic market strongly with its high-end private label, which is expected to be launched within 4 months. It will offer bridal wear and highly value-added products in which handwork will be the prime attraction. The company currently has the capacity to manufacturer 34,000 pieces per month.

lUCKNOWNazrana Chikan Industries adds new buyers

Handwork is the forte of Nazrana Chikan

Business is not easy but new players are still coming and

enjoying full-order books. Anand Tex International, Panipat, is a company which after finding success in home furnishing is now entering into garmenting, export as well as domestic. The company has a very good control over 100% polyester warp knitted sheeting. Making T-shirts for Bharti Walmart, and buyers in Germany, the UK and some other countries, Anand Tex has invested Rs. 5 crore for a full-fledged separate unit that has a production capacity of

Anand Tex International enters into garmenting

paNipat

Rakesh Garg, Director Marketing (International), Anand Tex International

10 tonnes of fabric per day and almost 220 stitching machines for the total capacity of 4,00,000 T-shirts per month.

Rakesh Garg, the young Director Marketing (international) of the company told Apparel Online, “We have an edge in in-house fabric and familiar culture of export business, so starting a garmenting unit was not a big thing for us. We hired top level professionals from the well-established companies who are capable enough to run the business as we have booked the capacity for almost next six months. Being vertically integrated and situated in Panipat (Haryana), makes us cost-effective comparatively, and thus, we are very sure about our future growth.”

In operation from 1995, with turnover of Rs. 200 crore, Anand Tex International is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company doing very well in home furnishing.

induStrywire



Falling rupee: exporters cautious; machine suppliers face the heat

Depreciation of Indian rupee may be reason for

the smiling face of garment exporters but the machine suppliers are really facing heat as price of machines have increased near about 20 per cent, so most of the garment manufacturers are putting buying on hold leading to a 15 to 20 per cent downturn in business. The rupee has depreciated more than 10 per cent in the last few months, hitting for the first time the psychological level of Rs. 60 and it may plunge more to touch Rs. 65. Team Apparel Online talks to machine suppliers, financial experts and industry on the issue…

Most of the machine suppliers agreed that their business

is suffering as garment manufacturers is buying only those machines or parts which are unavoidable. “Demand was not too much earlier also, but we were expecting few orders over the next few months, now they have been put on hold,” said B S talwar, Director of tex india technologies, a Delhi based importer of digital printers.

Meanwhile, garment manufacturers feel that machine suppliers have enough stock on old prices, but are still asking for more prices. Machine suppliers, however, have their own logic. “Maintaining stock is not a low cost affair, apart from capital investment, there is the cost of warehousing and transportation, so most

of the companies don’t keep extra stock. And if someone is maintaining it, there is no other option as he has to maintain it in every condition, even importing at high price” said a machine supplier. Adds Manish Jain, Director, Unik Sewing Systems, “Most of the demand is for single needle lock stitch machine and a container carries only 140 machines. It is a fast moving product with very low margin so what will we get by stocking it.” Few exporters informed that they had already made payment, but now the machine company is asking for more money by claiming limited validity of quoted price in their invoice.

Garment exporters are also carefully watching the development and are really concerned. “It is a short time phenomenon but the situation may reverse, meanwhile the buyers are using the situation to finalize the orders,” says Rajasekharan S, Group COO & CFO of eastman exports, tirupur. Since imports are less than 5% of the annual turnover at Eastman, they are not worried, but there are some exporters who thrive on imported items and for them the situation is a real challenge. Rajasekharan suggests that exporters should not go for long-term commitments and pricing. Eastman Exports are not doing any speculative transactions but doing forwards only against orders depending upon movement in the currencies.

anoop Dhanda, executive Director (Finance), Orient Craft, Gurgaon suggests to play safe, “We are basically a garment manufacturer and we have to make money out of it, not by the currency fluctuation. We always hedge as soon as we finalize the order from the buyer or when we place any order of raw material, as we import 25 per cent of our total sourcing. So it keeps our

margins safe.” On the impact of weaken rupee Anoop accepts that it has some positive impact but not too much, because of two reason: “Currency of South East Asian countries also deprecated so it is not that you will get 13 per cent margin as rupee fall. One will get only around 3 to 4 per cent advantage; and secondly Europe is still not buying as it should.”

Summing up what most exporters feel premal Udani, CMD, Kay tee export Corporation, Mumbai, concludes, “Normally we exporters are happy but it is going out of control and that will be really harmful for the country’s economy as cost of raw material and oil prices will increase and we will not be able to take the advantage of weak rupee. Exporters should try to book dollar in forward. They should also try to bring in more dollars so the Balance of Payment can be maintained in the country. In my personal opinion, I don’t think that the situation will continue for long, as we are a strong economy and not dependent only on developments in the international markets.”

normally exporters are happy when the rupee weakens, but the situation is going out of control and that will be really harmful for the country’s economy, as cost of raw material and oil prices will increase and they will not be able to take the advantage of weak rupee. Industry experts suggest that exporters should play safe and not overbook.

indiacanvaS


apparel and Textile fraternity comes forward for uttarakhand flood relief

The recent ‘Himalayan Tsunami’, has united the

nationwide apparel and textile industry, with associations like Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Tirupur Exporter Association (TEA), India Knit Fair Association (IKFA), Noida Apparel Export Cluster, Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan, Knitwear Club of Ludhiana and Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI) contributing generously from money to apparels to utility items for the unfortunate victims of the natural tragedy. AEPC’s executive committee members have contributed Rs. 27 lakh, while TEA and IKFA have collected Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh, respectively.

The Noida Apparel Export Cluster has donated around 3000 relief kits containing necessary items like blankets, food, medicines, etc. Lalit Thukral, President of the cluster informed that the kits are prepared and sent in a manner so it could provide immediate relief to persons in need. In Jaipur, Rajaram Kandoi, President of the Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan informed that the association

that many from the Surat industry were contributing at personal levels also. In fact, many other associations and industry players from around the country are contributing generously at an individual level.

Having a track record of supporting the industry, SEEDS, professionally managed non profit organizations founded in 1994, associated with emergency management and mitigation work across the globe, are working at ground zero. A known industry face, Rajesh Bheda, CEO, RBC and a board member of the organization, has appealed to the industry to contribute through the organization. “We request people to channel any aid they are planning to contribute for the Uttarakhand devastation affected people through our organization. I can personally assure you of just and meaningful utilization of your contribution,” says Bheda. SEEDS had worked in these very areas after the 1999 Chamoli earthquake and have done excellent work after the Leh flash floods. They also received CNN IBN Citizen of the Year Award for their work in Ladakh.

“We request people to channel any aid they are planning to contribute for the Uttarakhand devastation affected people through our organization. I can personally assure you of just and meaningful utilization of your contribution.” Rajesh Bheda, CEO, RBC and a board member of SEEDS

Aid being distributed by SEEDS in Uttarakhand

members are continuously receiving funds and almost Rs. 11 lakh has already been contributed to the Prime Minister Relief Fund.

Similarly, in Ludhiana, the Knitwear Club and other apparel manufacturers have contributed Rs. 5 lakh. Vinod Thapar, President of the Club

is in constant touch with authorities to extend help that may be immediately required. The SGCCI, Surat with the help of local textile industry has collected 50,000 sarees and has a target of 6000 kits of necessary items for the victims. Mahendra Katargamwala, Vice President of SGCCI informed

indiacanvaS


Dhaka working hard in India for FDI Bangladesh is actively looking for FDIs in several sectors including Textile and Home Textile. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Board of Investment, Government of Bangladesh (BOI), have recently signed an MOU to facilitate bilateral Investment and business partnerships. As follow-on to this, CII in partnership with BOI and India Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IBCCI) is organizing a Roadshow on India-Bangladesh investment opportunities.

Priority sector tag for textile industry mootedThe textile ministry, led by K.S. Rao wants the Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry to make the textile sector closer to the priority sector – a move that would allow it to get benefits. Rao said there were moves to accelerate the extension of the Textile Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) which had been earlier approved but had to still come into effect. “We want to achieve our ambitious goal of US $ 50 billion exports this year. I want to gear up the ministry to take decisions without ‘red-tapism,” he added.

CPSC revises lead limits in children’s productsThe US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has made some changes to the rules governing lead content in children’s products. Now the regulations provide for exception from the lead content limits under certain circumstances – if it is not practicable or technologically feasible to make the product without infringing the limits, or if the product is not likely to be put in the mouth of ingested, taking into account normal and reasonably foreseeable use. However, the product in question must still have “no measurable adverse effect on public health or safety”, the CPSC said.

TRADE SNIPSIndian Exports to the US on Improvement Curve Quantities increase marginally by 0.86%

US Import Analysis – Jan.-Apr. 2013

Fitch Ratings has recently published its US Retail

Statistics for the first quarter of 2013, according to which after a weak start to the year, Fitch expects retail sales growth (excluding autos) to continue the positive momentum seen over the last couple of months to finish the year in the 4% range. May’s advanced estimate revealed a year-over-year increase of 4%, adding to the positive trend of increasing monthly year-over-year increases since February’s low of 0.3%, indicating that the effects of the payroll tax hike are waning. Retail sales in the year-to-date period through May 2013 are up 3%. As the key spending seasons such as Back-to-School and the holidays approach, year-over-year comparisons will become easier.

There are definite signs of consumer recovery, which reached 81.4% in June, topping levels not seen since January 2008. While the unemployment level remained unchanged in the June report at 7.6%, the number of jobs added monthly has shown an improving trend. While June saw 1,95,000 jobs added, April and May were

revised upward by a total of 70,000 jobs in the latest report.

According to the report operating and credit trends in the retail sector are generally steady and Free Cash Flow (FCF) is healthy across the sector as capital expenditures inch higher, but remains below the levels of 2005-2008. Adjusted debt levels are expected to increase modestly in 2013 and 2014, but adjusted debt is projected to be steady at an industry-weighted average of 2.7x-2.8x. However, operating pressures at retailers like JCPenney, Sears, Best Buy and RadioShack are expected to continue to weigh on credit metrics over the balance of 2013.

Overall imports of apparel by the US increased 3.29% in value and 6.55% in quantities. Garments manufactured using cotton fibre saw positive growth increasing 3.34% in volumes, while the import of garments made from MMF increased 11.01% in volumes. In value terms, the increase in cotton based garments was a marginal at 0.78%, while in the case of MMF garments the upswing was 8.49%.

The average UVR of garment imports during the review period of Jan.-April 2013 decreased from the same period last year, from US $ 3.25 to US $ 3.15.

With retail improving, many of the manufacturing bases under review saw an increase in exports to the US in the first four months of the year, Indian exports to the US is showing signs of improving, which is reason for exporters to cheer. After a long time the quantities of exports has seen a positive gain, though it is very marginal at 0.86%. The value of exports over the first four months however is still down, but the good news is that it is very slightly behind last year values at (-) 0.76%. The average UVR of the country stood at US $ 3.66, marginally down from US $ 3.72, in the same period last year.

Bangladesh from the beginning of this year has seen a revival in its exports to the US, both in volumes and value. During the review period the increase in value was of 7.47%, while volumes rose 9.66%. The average UVR of Bangladeshi exports to the US was US $ 2.87.

TOTAL US GLOBAL APPAREL IMPORTS — JAN.-APR. 2013

TOTAL APPAREL EXPORTS TO THE US BY INDIA AND ITS COMPETITORS — JAN.-APR. 2013

exportStatiSticS

Type of Apparel Jan-April. 10 Jan-April. 11 Jan-April. 12 Jan-April. 13 % Change

Qty Value Qty Value Qty Value Qty Value Qty Value

Cotton 4,356.34 13,000.13 4,346.43 14,186.51 3840.772 13540.657 3,969.22 13,646.28 3.34 0.78

Wool 29.98 473.25 32.51 535.36 32.069 606.737 30.63 595.83 -4.50 -1.80

MMF 2,468.46 5,965.25 2,913.29 7,327.80 3184.857 8549.646 3,535.54 9,275.58 11.01 8.49

Silk & Veg 124.75 623.81 148.15 733.90 137.494 693.592 130.94 642.64 -4.76 -7.35

Total 6979.52 20062.45 7440.38 22783.57 7195.19 23390.63 7666.33 24160.34 6.55 3.29

Qty & value in mn M2 & US $

Type of Apparel Jan-April. 10 Jan-April. 11 Jan-April. 12 Jan-April. 13 % Change


India 363.13 1,148.00 369.82 1,293.20 324.193 1206.615 326.98 1,197.06 0.86 -0.79

Bangladesh 516.04 1,208.64 597.92 1,571.57 546.07 1600.346 598.84 1,719.88 9.66 7.47

China 2,512.05 6,766.87 2,507.13 7,355.38 2591.12 7706.457 2,798.29 7,979.24 8.00 3.54

Pakistan 200.89 399.17 216.98 514.99 179.941 421.458 189.21 453.11 5.15 7.51

Sri Lanka 114.09 428.45 117.52 463.17 122.761 550.054 138.23 549.85 12.60 -0.04

Vietnam 572.80 1,722.68 669.46 2,018.71 705.851 2219.35 787.48 2,454.99 11.56 10.62

Qty & value in mn M2 & US $



ITEM-WISE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN APPAREL IMPORTS BY US: JAN.-APR. 2013

India has not been performing to potential in the Canadian market and in the first quarter of the year has seen decline in value, but April shipments have been good and have helped in taking value of exports into the positive zone…

Imports into Canada by all major destinations remained stable and in the first four months of 2013, Canada saw value of imports increase by 2.48%; while knitted garments registered an increase of 2.23%, the import of woven garments went up by 2.70%.

As mentioned above the value of exports from India finally saw an upward swing by 3.33% in the review period. While the knitted segment saw an increase of 3.29%, the woven category saw upswing of 3.36%. The country is ranked at eighth position in imports by Canada in knitted category, while it holds fourth position in woven category.

The value of exports from Bangladesh increased 6.41%. While the knitted garments were up by 9.57%, the woven categories, registered an increase of 4.16%.

Though exports from China are stable, the country did see a marginal downfall in value of exports in the review period of (-) 0.24%. The country could register gains in the woven category with increase of just 0.95%, however in the knitted category there was a downslide of (-) 1.62%. As in most other markets, China is ranked number one in all categories of imports by Canada.

Vietnam continues to grow with value of exports to Canada increasing by 22.79%. The increase was registered in both the knitted and woven segment of 22.15% and 23.50%, respectively. The country has been steadily improving its position and in the first four months it was ranked fourth in both categories.

Canada Apparel Imports: Jan.-April 2013

India Registers Value Gain in Exports to Canada of 3.33%

Men’s Shirts Record Upward Growth for India

Men’s shirts are among the big ticket categories imported by the US, the category registered an increase of 3.17% in value from the same period last year. In volume terms there was a positive growth in imports during the first four months of 2013 of 10.01% from the same period last year, total imports in the category was of 13,721,875 dozens, worth US $ 1,130.90 million.

For India, men’s shirts have always been a growth category and exporters in the south, mainly Bangalore and Chennai, are big on this category. During the period under review, India exported US $ 72.05 million worth of men’s shirts with increase of 5.43% in value. The increase in volume terms was substantial at 18.96% during the review period.

For Bangladesh too, men’s shirts are a growing category, with total exports from the country of 39,04,326 dozens worth US $ 22.54 million in the first four months of this year. The category saw a significant growth of 12.76% in value and 18.96% in volumes.

T- shirts Register Growth in Imports

T-shirts are a huge basic category imported by the US; the category registered an increase of 1.15% in value from the same period last year. In volume terms there was a positive growth in imports during the first four months of 2013 of 4.77% from the same period last year, total imports in the category was of 174,275,501 dozens, worth US $ 6,231.71 million.

For Bangladesh, T-shirts are a core category, with total exports from the country of 60,88,968 dozens worth US $ 152.49 million in the first four months of this year. The category saw a growth of 7.97% in value and 0.93% in volumes.

For India, T-shirts have also been a growth category and exporters in the south, mainly Tirupur are big on this category. During the period under review, India exported US $ 299.70 million worth of T-shirts with an increase of 4.30% in value. The increase in volume terms was 5.14% during the review period.

exportStatiSticS

US Import Analysis – Jan.-Apr. 2013

APPAREL TYPETotal Imports by USA

Exports to USA

China India Bangladesh Vietnam


Babies Wear 3.95 0.32 2.90 -2.55 1.57 -5.96 -4.51 0.13 17.87 13.39

Foundation Garments 13.39 12.29 8.15 7.81 35.49 31.67 63.94 55.04 30.63 34.61

Jackets & Blazers 3.12 -2.57 1.92 -4.51 -4.00 -11.65 -11.87 -14.25 9.29 9.81

Ladies Blouses 28.74 18.46 30.40 17.30 8.27 5.04 13.32 14.90 85.13 —

Ladies Dresses -0.33 -2.44 -0.56 -5.54 -14.53 -13.43 6.13 13.02 7.15 10.95

Ladies Skirts -14.85 -13.86 -15.75 -17.39 -30.82 -25.94 -24.79 -27.29 -4.01 12.76

Legwear 1.35 4.82 17.44 20.75 13.33 0.68 — — 110.23 104.83

Men's Shirts 10.01 3.17 0.43 -6.04 27.20 5.43 18.96 12.76 18.14 12.63

Nightwear -4.20 -3.96 -0.60 -4.15 -4.44 -8.57 12.71 23.72 -11.42 -18.22

Suits / Ensembles -21.57 -4.50 -18.70 -10.99 37.68 18.37 -56.81 -19.32 -40.51 -8.12

Sweaters -9.17 -13.98 -10.40 -18.24 -17.87 -18.80 -12.65 -0.79 -23.19 -33.02

Trousers 12.81 6.51 20.05 10.73 -0.57 -5.16 18.26 9.56 16.67 12.92

T-Shirts 4.77 1.15 8.79 2.91 5.14 4.30 0.93 7.97 7.57 4.28

Undergarments 10.49 9.18 -0.96 -0.19 16.96 11.86 6.36 5.97 18.97 32.89



In a recent research by Texas Tech University, a yearly growth of 13.3 per cent is predicted for India’s nonwoven and technical textile industry, which is much more than the 5 to 6 per cent expected growth every two years in the mature markets of the United States and Europe. In a scenario, where manufacturing jobs are at risk in the West and recession seems inevitable, a contrasting picture is portrayed in India. There are growing opportunities in every sector – including those of nonwoven and technical textiles.

The strength of Supreme Nonwoven lies in its vertical setup and the fact that it has around 2000 members with strong material and technical experience. This has helped the company produce tailor made products.

Arun Sundriyal and Gourav Sarin, Head of Marketing & Sales, Interlining Division – Supreme Nonwoven at a recent exhibition

Supreme Nonwoven Targets Organic and High Loft Wadding

While mentioning nonwoven fabrics in India you cannot miss India’s largest and most

diversified nonwoven manufacturer, Supreme Nonwoven Industries Pvt. Ltd. Starting its operations in 1986, the company has developed and manufactured a wide range of fabrics for different industries and applications. According to Gourav Sarin, Head of Marketing & Sales, interlining Division – Supreme Nonwoven, the strength of the company lies in its vertical setup and the fact that it has around 2000 members with strong material and technical experience. This has helped the company produce tailor made products.

The company today has over 7000 different nonwoven products tailor designed for use in diversified end applications. “Despite the rampant use of spray bonded nonwoven waddings, we follow thermally bonded procedure of manufacturing waddings. These thermally bonded waddings have a significantly better resilience which translates to good bounce back. Additionally, performance over life of our thermally bonded wadding are far superior to the generic spray bonded kind,” says Sarin. These thermally bonded waddings are used not only in jackets and home furnishing but also in sleeping bags and quilts.

Supreme is the only company in India, claims Sarin proudly, which

has the capability and resources to locally design, develop, manufacture and deliver a product benchmarked to global standards. In accordance with the Global Organic Textiles (GOT) standards, the company also has an organic line of interlinings.

The vertically integrated capability allows for quick response and speedy market delivery of products that can be tailored to specific needs. Case in point – recently Supreme developed an alternative product lining for use in a performance apparel of a global major from their standard product spec. Supreme believed this alternative product had superior performance and wear characteristics, and this would justify the higher price. Based on its confidence in Supreme, the global major agreed to make an exception and proceed with Supreme’s recommendation. The decision finally led to end customer satisfaction substantiated by zero store returns and thereby ultimately even leading to savings for the global major.

“Going forward we see workwear coming up in a big way and we are targeting that segment as a growth driver. We’re also focusing on the domestic market as we are confident that it will witness sustained and compounded growth in the next decades. Team Supreme with its Terca products is here to support everything that has to be done with fashion and performance and to meet emerging demands with innovative developments,” concludes Sarin.

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A New Season of Texworld Leading the Asian technology shows CISMA ready for the next edition

To showcase ‘Winter 2015’

The much anticipated International Bi-annual trade fair Texworld for fashion,

fabrics, trims and accessories, taking place in France from 16th – 19th September, is all set to roar with flamboyance as exhibitors have already grabbed their slots, booking the fair to its brim 3 months prior to its commencement. With a huge response and burgeoning enquiries, as compared to the previous shows, the selection committee has been particular in selecting an eclectic array of creative manufacturers proposing fine quality in various ranges.

The exhibition organized by Messe Frankfurt throughout the world will be showcasing almost 810 weavers from 24 countries catering to the demands of fashion professionals, thereby providing a platform offering diversity, innovation and expertise in the Textiles market and industry attracting manufacturers and professionals from the world over. Targeting a global leverage, the principle five top ranking exhibiting countries – China, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan and India – will be seen constant, again pulling the crowd. However, the exhibitors launching collections for Winter 2015 for the upcoming Texworld this September are predominantly new giving the veterans a chance to showcase their collections next September.

A glance at all the promising manufacturers possessing products with great potential includes veteran firms like Bonsten Tekstil and Has Orme from Turkey, showcasing an impressive range of elaborate knits for men’s, women’s and children’s wear along with Hong Kong’s Kane Top Knitting Factory manifesting knits in extremely creative specialized collections including an 80s inspired glitter collection for Winter 2015 complete with lurex and black/silver openwork chevron weave. NSL Textiles from India, major cotton spinners based in Hyderabad will offer a very extensive collection in 100% conventional cotton with Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certification and in BCI cotton.

Moreover, winning the likes of the fast fashion sector, there will be firms like Huzhou Dong Bo Silk from Zhejiang Eastern China exhibiting a broad range of classic craftsmanship in crepe, twill, muslin; prints and finishing quality by Indonesia’s Lucky Print Adabi; fancy denims by the Chinese firms Changzou Kai Lan Textile, Jyangyin Hengling Textile, and lastly trims and accessories by Japan’s Sanyo Paper supplying products for clothing production.

of the fair will be the integral control and manufacturing management system based on internet technology, displayed for the first time at CISMA.

This year the booth distribution at CISMA is extremely systematic. W1 to W5 will be sewing machine halls with companies like SGSB, Typical, Golden Wheel, Gemsy, Precious, Guiyi ,W1, Feiyue, Maqi, Shupu, Juki, Zoje, Hikari in W3, Brother, Pegasus, Jack, Founder, Guangdong Pavilion, Jiangsu Pavilion and Taiwan Pavilion present along with other famous machine manufacturers. E1-E5 will be the stage of pre-sewing and after-sewing machine, embroidery machine and sewing accessories, housing cutting machine & CAD/CAM from famous brands like Gerber, Lectra, Ying, Weishi; Stem Iron & Finishing Equipment from Weijie, Feiyue Twin Star and South Korea Pavilion; all the embroidery machines will be shown in E3 where Tajima, Sheen, Dahao will display their products; E4-E5 will be the pavilion of spare parts from companies like Dongyang Sewing Market Pavilion, Hulu Pavilion, and Changli Pavilion.

CISMA, held by China Sewing Machinery Association with

the support of China Department of Commerce, will open on 25 September 2013 in Shanghai, hosting new innovative technologies and solutions for the garment manufacturers. Contrary to the belief that there is a shrink of market owing to rising costs and declining economy, the registration at CISMA has witnessed great enthusiasm from machine manufacturers. According to the analysis of exhibitors’ information, the number of exhibitors have increased by 17% and total declared area increased by 36%, in comparison to last year statistics. 385 new exhibitors joined into CISMA2013, and most of them are accessory making companies, who aim at enhancing popularity and broaden distribution channels through international exhibition.

Over the years, new products with high technology have always been the highlight of CISMA. Carrying that tradition forward, new automatic sewing machines & embroidery equipment and related software & system will be promoted in CISMA2013, which exactly conform to this year’s theme: “Quality • Productivity • Intellectuality”. One could witness great improvement in lockstitch sewing machine with the latest use of auto-induction devices and re-organized structure. In addition, auto-sewing units developed with template-sewing system and other attached equipments can save labour considerably. Another spotlight

over the years, new products with high technology have always been the highlight of cISma. carrying that tradition forward, new automatic sewing machines & embroidery equipment and related software & system will be promoted in cISma2013, which exactly conform to this year theme: “Quality • Productivity • Intellectuality.”

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Fabric & Yarn SOUrcinG

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Manjari FabricsMr. Kaushal Nagar, Mr. Kartik NagarCorrespondence: K-61/101, Shiva Complex, 1st floor, Bulanala, Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh Works: K-7/35, Gaighat (Lala Sur ki Gali), Varanasi. Uttar PradeshPhone 91 542-2334082Mobile 9935507500, 9335663492Email [email protected] specialisation Jacquards Fabrics & DupattasCategory Manufacturer

Paras CotswinMr. HP Agarwal, Mr. Nishant Agarwal507, 2nd Floor, Haveli Haider Quli,Chandni Chowk, Delhi-110006Phone 91 11 43522324, 23933116Mobile 9311266699, 9310976671/9818976671Fax 91 11 43522323Email [email protected]; [email protected] Website www.parascotswin.netProduct Specialisation Greige – processed and yarn dyed fabric Category Sourcing Agent of 25 units including mills/powerloom across the country

Mill Made & Auto Loom Fabrics

Premium Export CompanyMr. Rajiv AgrawalD-57/57, A-1, Sigra, Varanasi-221010Uttar Pradesh IndiaPhone 91-542-2227682 / 3296084Mobile 91-9839249440Email [email protected] Specialization Handloom / Powerloom Brocade / Jacquard Fabrics, Scarves & BeadsCategory Manufacturer & Supplier

Ramkumar Mills Pvt. Ltd.Mr. Lakshman G. YadalamRajajinagar 4th Block, No. 1044, Bangalore 560010Phone 91-80-23205796 (15 Lines)Fax 91-80-23386873Email [email protected], [email protected] www.ramkumarmills.co.inProduct specialisation Cotton Polyester, Lycra, Linen, Viscose


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WOVEN & KNIT GARMENTS

ELASTICS / TAPES

BUTTONS / BUCKLES

ZIPPERS / FASTENERS

FOR SALE / RENT TEXTILE PARK


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HANGERS / PACKAGING ACCESSORIES

THREADS / YARN

EMBROIDERY FABRIC / LACES

EMBROIDERY FABRIC / LACES



ISQAA Sourcing to add 80 new factories

Whatever may be the market condition some

buying houses are seeing tremendous growth and creating opportunities for export houses also. Claiming 300 per cent growth last year and working across the globe, ISQAA Sourcing, Gurgaon is expecting the same growth momentum even this year. Growth is in existing markets with some new buyers and in new products. Working in multi direction and willing to add 80 new suppliers in near future, Dhiraj Kapoor, the soft spoken CeO of the company told Apparel Online, “We are opening a new office in US within the next three months so we can coordinate closely with our clients there. It will help us to understand the market in a much better way, like we will observe fashion and prints minutely. On the other hand, we are also

going to step into industrial apparel which is comparatively a new product category for us. These are going to be for UK and South Africa mainly and we are in touch with some suppliers of Kolkata and Ahmedabad.”

ISQAA Sourcing is already working with almost 100 factories in India. “Business in

current scenario is not that easy as world is going through very tough financial and economic changes and where even good economies are taking utmost care in buying the “right price and right quantities,” says Dhiraj. He further adds, Competitive prices, audited factories setups, consistent

quality and quick deliveries are the only parameters that can bring handsome business.”

Giving first priority to the quality Dhiraj shares his experience, “Actually we all need to understand that “cost to quality” is compromised when we are not audited 365 days. I have worked with many factories in improving the compliance standards and which eventually has increased their capacities by up to 30% and has also reduced their rejection rate to below 0.2%. Compliance is not only social… It is all about bringing the factories to a situation where it works on a process rather than by an individual or management. I always tell my factories, “Keep your corners clean.” The company is into sourcing of home furnishing, apparels and handicrafts.

“everyone is scared, even the buyers are. So the most important step in improving our market positioning is to look for opportunities in bringing values for clients and giving them some options in meeting their expectations.Dhiraj Kapoor, CEO, ISQAA

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Documents

Apparel Online India3.imimg.com/data3/VI/JR/MY-2/ao-july-16-31-2013.pdf · DEEPAK MOHINDRA Editor ILA SAXENA Deputy Editor-Textiles VINITA PANDEY Copy Editor VEERESHWAR SOBTI Asst