Apparel, Clothing, Garment, Textile | Industry News Updates.

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3. MARCH 2023, VOL.- XXII / ISSUE No. 03 Editor & Publisher f r o m t h e e d i t o r. . . ARVIND KUMAR Associate Editor B.P. MISHRA ndia's textile and apparel industry is facing a severe blow due to the I Editorial Adviser global economic slowdown, declining global trade and the aftermath RAJESH CHHABARA of the Russia-Ukraine war. The industry heavily relies on developed Director - Marketing MUKESH MURTHY economies such as the US and European Union markets, and the decline Sub Editor - Creative in exports to these regions have been consistent since July 2022. JOHN EDWARDS In the first half of 2022, India exported textile and apparel goods worth Art Director SANJAY BHANDARI $22.33 bn, but in the second half of the year, the exports fell to $16.21 bn, Sr. Correspondent a decline of 27.40 percent. Textile and apparel exports to the US declined ASHWANI KUMAR by 23.94 percent to $4.70 bn during July-December 2022 compared to Correspondent $6.18 bn during January-June 2022. Likewise, export to EU countries also DEEPTI ANISH KUMAR declined by 24.54 percent to $3.29 bn in the second half of 2022 compared Creative - Head to $4.36 bn during January-June 2022.Exports to these regions have been SREEKUMAR MADHAVAN consistently declining since July 2022, with only a slight increase in Sr. Layout Artist November and December. JATIN JAIN IT Management Although ready-made garments dipped by about 3.5 per cent in January PRERNA GERA to $1.5 billion, during April-January this fiscal, it rose by 5.22 per cent to Business Promotion ANITA RAI (DELHI) $13.4 billion. On the other hand, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made- SARAVANA KUMAR (TIRUPUR) ups, and handloom products declined by 28.7 per cent to $9 billion during Circulation April-January this fiscal. DEEPAK KUMAR (DELHI) RAJESWARI (TIRUPUR) However, Union Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that the industry is Accounts Head now showing signs of growth. He expressed hope that cotton and yarn ANJU CHAUHAN TONDAK exports would start to increase from April onwards as outbound shipments Head Office Plot No. 31, 1st Floor, Sai Enclave, were at an all-time high last year due to inflation. Sector -23, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110077, INDIA Tel.: 093107 66051 India is now pursuing free trade agreements with many countries to info@apparelviews.com, edit@apparelviews.com subscription@apparelviews.com secure duty concessions for its textiles industry, which would help boost exports. Further, reduction of customs duty on certain textile machinery Regd. Office C-75, DGS Housing Society, Plot No. 6, would fuel investments. This would encourage investments under the Sector-22, Dwarka, New Delhi-110077 Production Linked Incentive Scheme, PM MITRA park and also new Regional Offices Tirupur schemes announced by several State Governments in the country. No. 23, Ground Floor, Indra Nagar, Avinashi Road, Tirupur - 641 603 Tel.: 0421-4260748, 93445 24222, 88700 06778 tirupur@apparelviews.com Bangalore B.P. Mishra - 93414 44727, 080-2343 4446 Arvind Kumar, Editor & Publisher www.apparelviews.com Owner, Publisher, Printer & Editor - Arvind Kumar, printed and processed by him at Sterling Publisher Pvt. Ltd., A-59, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase - II, New Delhi - 110 020, published from C - 75, DGS Housing Society, Plot No. 6, Sector - 22, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110 077. Reproduction of any of the content from this issue is prohibited without explicit written permission of the publisher. 3 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

4. Contents 38 58 32 Globe trotter 4 Domestic update 16 Reducing trade deficit with China a difficult task for India 24 Coats Digital partners with the Manchester Fashion Institute 26 3rd Global Textile Conclave, Jaipur organized by CITI 28 VT Garment improves its Productivity, Plan Accuracy and performance with FastReactPlan 32 United States with a market share of 19% is also the leading consumer of coated fabrics across the globe 34 Archroma completes acquisition of the textile effects business of Huntsman Corporation 36 GTE Ahmedabad 2023 Showcased latest technologies for apparel manufacturing 38 Thoughts about Embroidery Production Management 42 Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI brings together new, emerging and established talent 44 44 VEOCEL™ upgrades lyocell shortcut fiber offering for the flushable market 55 ACIMIT revealed Italy's participation in the upcoming ITMA 2023 56 Jeanologia technology reduces water consumption from 100 to 1 liter in garment finishing 57 SITME 2023 Wide display of embroidery and digital printing technologies 58 Poly Cotton Fabric market detailed analysis of current and future industry 62 Forthcoming trade events 64 4 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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6. Investments in Saudi's textile industry exceed SR 4.1 bn he volume of industrial investments in textiles and fabrics within the scope of T the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) has exceeded Saudi riyal (SR) 4.1 bn (approximately $1.09 bn), according to Modon’s CEO Majed Al-Argoubi. The investments are spread across 125 industrial contracts in 19 industrial cities and cover more than one million square metres in total. Al-Argoubi revealed these figures during the inauguration of the second edition of the Men's Fabrics and Accessories Exhibition, which is sponsored by Modon and held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center for five days. The event aims to strengthen the industry in the sector, which has been witnessing significant growth in recent years. The textiles and men's supplies sector is experiencing high growth in the Kingdom US textile and apparel imports to drop of Saudi Arabia, with most of its raw materials sourced locally. This makes the 5.7% to $9.6 bn in January 2023 sector an attractive target for investments, as the Saudi leadership continues to support and facilitate investment in value-added projects, said quoting Al-Argoubi. Modon has also prepared advanced infrastructure and supporting logistical services, along with ready-made products and innovative solutions across the kingdom, to build factories in various sectors. This has contributed to the remarkable developments in the industrial sector in the kingdom Technical textiles for health and environment anufacturing sector is gaining attention worldwide due to the recent M economic situation and supply chain issues. Recently, United States, United Kingdom and Australia formed the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership, which n January 2023, the US' imports of textiles and apparel declined by 5.7 percent I will boost jobs as well S & T partnerships in the pacific region. India’s Air India’s to $9.599 bn, compared to $10.179 bn in January 2022. China, with a 27.83 proposed procurement of Boeing and Airbus planes will create many manufacturing percent share, remained the largest supplier to the US, followed by Vietnam and R & D jobs in the United States and France. These are some examples of the with 14.45 percent. However, the imports from China witnessed a sharp decline revival in manufacturing in developed nations. All these projects involve some of 25.28 percent in the same period. form of advanced textiles such as soft composites, PPEs, etc. Within textiles, apparel constituted the bulk of the imports by the US in January Technical textiles sector globally is a growth sector with an annual growth rate of 2023, amounting to $7.266 bn, while non-apparel imports accounted for $2.332 above 5 percent. On February 26, 2023, I had an opportunity to present the bn, according to the latest Major Shippers Report released by the US department usefulness of advanced textiles in enhancing human lives, saving the environment, of commerce. Both segments saw a decline in inbound shipment. Apparel and creating jobs to a global audience at the recently concluded World Textile imports slipped by 3.44 percent compared to the trade of $7.525 bn in January Conference-3 organized by the world’s largest professional association in the 2022, while non-apparel imports declined by 12.12 percent from $2.653 bn in field of textiles, Textile Association (India) [TAI]. the corresponding period of the previous year. The talk featured the demonstration of a cotton-based oil absorbent and Among the top ten apparel suppliers to the US, imports from Nicaragua and emphasized the importance of developing value-added textiles to enhance Bangladesh gained 27.60 percent and 15.43 percent year-on-year, respectively. human life and protect the environment. I pitched the concept developed by Imports from India and Indonesia also grew by 9.77 percent and 4.73 percent, U.S. Department of Defense that involves 4S for the growth of the industry: respectively. However, imports from the other six nations among the top ten, Sensing; Shaping; Sustaining and Shielding (Growing). The sector can sense including China and Cambodia, declined by 24.61 percent and 12.92 percent. the need of technologies and products, map the requirements, build, and grow. In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, imports from Vietnam There is a need to involve more sustainable products and processes to combat gained 19.43 percent year-on-year. Imports from Mexico and Cambodia saw global warming. positive growth of 12.89 percent and 3.63 percent, respectively. However, There is more work to do in the technical textiles sector to develop technologies imports from the other seven countries, including China, India, Turkiye, and and products in a cost-effective way to include sustainable aspects. Developing Canada, declined. The imports from China dipped by 26.58 percent. economies need marketing help in this sector. Of the total US textile and apparel imports of $9.599 bn during the period under In the audience were Tony Fragnito, President of USA-based INDA, Dr. Bryan review, man-made fibre products accounted for $4.884 bn, while cotton Haynes, Chairman of the Board of INDA-USA. Dr. P R. Roy, former Group CEO of products were worth $4.121 bn, followed by $279.972 mn worth of wool Arvind Group, Dr. JaywantIrkhede, Department of Trade and Industry, Republic of products, and $314.184 bn worth of products from silk and vegetable fibres. South Africa, the office bearers of Textile Association (India) and many other In 2022, the US imports of textile and apparel further increased to $132.201 participants representing all walks of the textile industry from fiber to fashion. bn, up from $113.938 bn in 2021. This was a bounce back after a sharp decline The conference attracted over 800 participants who were from India, USA, in 2020 when the country's inbound shipment decreased to $89.596 bn Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Uganda compared to imports of $111.033 bn in 2019 6 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

7. Vietnam's retail sales increase by 13% in the first 2 months of 2023 ietnam’s total retail V sales including that of goods in the first two months of this year were estimated at VND 994.2 trillion (around $41.88 billion), according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). The figure represents a 13 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase. The retail sales of goods were estimated at VND 781.8 trillion, which is a 10.1 per cent YoY increase. The revenue from garments and textiles rose by 18.4 per cent, the GSO said. The Ministry is striving for an 8-9 per cent increase in total retail sales of goods and services this year, said quoting Tran Duy Dong, Director of the Ministry of industry and trade’s domestic market department Sri Lanka's merchandise exports fell 8% in February 2023 ri Lanka’s merchandise S exports in February fell by eight percent with a drop in earnings in the apparel and textile industries. The island’s export promotion office said the fall comes as the rupee strengthened steeply amid weak domestic credit and voluntary, Rupee deposits by commercial banks. The export earnings for the month stood at just over a billion dollars. Major contributors to the exports were Apparel and textiles followed by Tea and Rubber. The USA, India, and the UK were the top export markets. The falling demand in Western markets was attributed to monetary tightening, requiring lower stockholdings as lower volumes make it easier to make deliveries in time. Exporters of finished goods said due to Rupee appreciating, they are under pressure from competition and are forced to trim margins. The Lankan rupee has appreciated 12-14 percent over the last month UK clothing imports in January 2023 at £1.39bn, down 12.67% MoM he United Kingdom’s clothing T imports stood at £1.392 bn ($1.70 bn) during January 2023, which was 12.67 percent lower than the imports in December 2022 when the country’s inbound shipment was £1.594 bn, as per the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS). The country’s clothing imports were recorded at £21.256 bn ($25.86 bn) during 2022, a 23.50 percent increase compared to the imports of £17.034 bn in 2021. UK’s textile fabric imports were noted at £473 mn during January 2022, an increase of 4.41 percent month-on-month from the imports of £453 mn during December 2022. Textile fabric imports were noted at £6.359 bn during January- December 2022, according to the data released by the ONS. The UK imported £35 mn worth of textile fibre in January 2023, which remained unchanged from the previous month of December 2022. The total textile fibre imports for the year 2022 were £545 mn 7 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

8. Transform textile waste Indonesia's fibre exports to India rises 155% in 2022 into feedstock shipment was $49.576 mn in 2018 and $31.752 million in 2017, according to market report. Similarly, Indonesia’s exports of fibre to Bangladesh dipped to $81.198 mn in 2020 after reaching $101.343 mn in 2019, but it increased to $131.174 mn in 2021 and $154.880 mn in 2022. Last year, the trade between Indonesia and Bangladesh increased by 17.55 percent. A reverse trend was seen in fibre exports from ndonesia’s fibre exports to India have seen a I Indonesia to China. The exports dipped 21.59 sharp rise in 2022, increasing by 155 percent percent to $69.387 mn in 2022 from the shipment from the previous year. The shipments to of $88.290 mn in 2021. The shipment fell to Bangladesh also increased by over 15 percent. $37.555 mn in 2020 from $82.629 mn of 2019. It However, the exports to China from Indonesia extile waste is a problem in Europe. Out of 7-7.5 mn recovered sharply to $88.290 mn in 2021 but T decreased in 2022. Indonesia has large tonnes of textiles discarded every year, only 30-35 % slipped again in 2022, as per market report. production capacity of man-made fibre, are collected separately – and of that quantity, only 15- developed mostly by Chinese majors. China has its own large production capacity of MM 20 % are sorted by medium and larger sorting facilities fibre. However, Bangladesh is dependent on Indonesia’s exports of fibre to India jumped 155.31 within the EU. After sorting, 60 % still qualify as wearable supplies from other countries. India is also partially percent from the shipments of $47.962 mn in clothes, however after a second or third collection-loop, dependent on supplies from abroad, but it is 2021. The outbound shipment had slipped to all of the textiles become non-wearable sooner or later. making efforts to create large capacity and planning $37.090 mn in 2020 from $52.500 mn of 2019, Therefore, fibre-to-fibre recycling is becoming increasingly to discourage foreign supplies but it recovered to $47.962 mn in 2021. The important to preserve the valuable resources. The textile recycling value chain is not yet mature, but we are on the verge of a turning point, as different fibre-recycling Clothing in the Netherlands became costlier technologies are deployed on a large scale. If successful, by 11.8 percent the textile recycling industry could reach a recycling rate of 18 to 26 percent of gross textile waste in 2030. This would onsumer goods in the Netherlands were 8.0 create economic, social and environmental value that could C per cent year-on-year (YoY) more expensive total 3.5 to 4.5 billion euros in 2030. in February 2023. In January, the inflation rate Today, there is a sorting gap to achieve a circular economy stood at 7.6 per cent. Clothing was 11.8 per cent for textiles in Europe. To feed this new circular value chain, YoY more expensive in February. In January, the a significant sorting-capacity increase is needed with 150 YoY price increase was 9.4 per cent. to 250 sorting and recycling facilities nearby, as the Excluding energy and motor fuels, inflation would McKinsey-study “turning waste into value” assessed. have increased from 7.7 per cent in January to There is also a technology and capacity gap in sorting for 8.1 per cent in February, Statistics Netherlands reuse and recycling to ensure that high quality raw (CBS) said. materials from non-wearable textile waste can be made in the Netherlands were 8.9 per cent more Since 1996, CBS has published two different available on a large scale. This is why the “Transform expensive in February than in the same month last inflation rates: one based on the Consumer Price Textile Waste into Feedstock” project was initiated by year, up from 8.4 per cent in January. Inflation in Index (CPI) and one based on the Harmonised TEXAID, within the ReHubs initiative together with well- the euro area fell from 8.6 per cent in January to Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). According to known stakeholders of the textile value chain. 8.5 per cent in February the European HICP, consumer goods and services The major outcome of this project will be a sorting-factory blueprint fulfilling the requirements to the future needs of fibre-to-fibre recycling, enabling the future of more Bangladesh textile millers to remove import sustainable textiles by using recycled fibres. TEXAID, who phase taxes on fibres is leading the project, is committed to build and operate scalable sorting facilities across Europe, the first with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes by the end of 2024. BTMA, led by its President Mohammad Ali Khokon reportedly made a proposal in this regard during a “This project will enable real scalable sorting in a sense recent meeting with the National Board of Revenue of sorting 4.0,”, Martin Böschen (CEO of TEXAID) states (NBR) even as it requested the NBR for removal “In order to reach that target we are starting with a of VAT on the collection of raw materials by the technology assessment, followed by a demo pant before deemed exporters to produce recycled fibres and going to full scale by the end of next year”. Well-renowned subsequently during the sale of the item to the companies like Concordia, CuRe Technology, Decathlon, local millers. Inditex, Indorama Ventures, L’Atelier des Matières, Lenzing, Marchi&Fildi, PurFi, Södra, Worn Again and others The BTMA further reportedly proposed are taking part in the project to jointly evaluate exemption of VAT on fabrics manufactured from he textile mill owners in Bangladesh are for T technologies and the business case for scaled sorting for artificial fibres by power looms even as it importing all types of fibres, including recycled reuse and recycling. ITA Academy GmbH (in cooperation underlined the provision of a 3 percent to 5 and manmade, in the upcoming fiscal year of 2023- with RWTH Aachen) together with CETIA has been percent advance income tax levied on the import 24 without paying any duty, other taxes, and any commissioned for the assessment of technologies. The of machinery should be abolished and went on to non-tariff barriers. outcome will be an innovative sorting system 4.0, building add the 2 percent tax deducted on the payments on cross-functional technologies with digitalization and The body of the textile mill owners in the country of cotton purchased from the local sources should automation are at the heart – the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association or also be withdrawn 8 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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10. Pakistan textile sector on the verge of sinking restriction on letters of credit (LCs), natural gas and electricity shortages, A unavailability of raw materials and long delays in refunds have brought the textile sector to the verge of collapse, exporters recently regretted. Exports of the entire textile sector nosedived by 29 percent or $487 million on a yearly basis in Feb 2023, comparing to those made in Feb 2022, Muhammad Javed Bilwani, Chairman, Pakistan Apparel Forum said. From July 2022 to Feb 2023, total textile exports plunged by 11 percent to $1.35 billion as against those made in the same period last fiscal year, which he attributed to the “anti-business” policies of the PDM rule. He said that the textile sector, which contributes 60 percent alone to the entire pool of national exports, still stands abandoned by the government. “The Prime Minister has no time to meet the exporters as all scheduled meetings during last four months have been postponed,” he said and appealed to the the Textile policy is suspended and Sales Tax refunds are “excessively” delayed, premier to help the textile sector overcome its financial problems. which he said, mounting liquidity crunch for the entire industrial chain in the country. Exporters of the apparel textile are left highly disappointed with the highest Inflation stands at 31.55 percent, Policy Discount Rate 20 percent, Export Financing ever soaring cost of manufacturing amid fragile economic outlook over the last rate 17 percent, he maintained that rupee-dollar parity has broken all records to eleven months, he said, adding that the unfavourable situation has also made 283.The poor economic conditions have left Pakistan’s exports costlier than its operating the industrial units hard. competing nations on the world markets since the rival countries offer their goods Regionally Competitive Energy Tariff regime, he said, the government had cancelled cheaper to the global buyers. for the five zero rated export sectors. Gas prices have surged about 34.5 percent Citing global survey respondents for textile manufacturing countries in Asia, he said retrospectively from Rs 819 to Rs 1100 mmbtu with effect from Jan 2023, although that India, China and Vietnam are the three top nations producing their goods at the utility is unavailable for the Karachi’s industries, he added. cheaper rates following Bangladesh at sixth place and Sri Lanka ranked 10th.“Pakistan “The FBR’s FASTER system of Sales Tax Refunds has become dysfunctional and is missing in such recent survey owing to daily increasing cost of manufacturing amid refund claims worth billions of rupees are stuck,” he said adding that government instability in the local currency and economic indicators,” Bilwani added. has also placed a bar on import of raw material and machinery, which further In a bid to help retain business ties with foreign buyers, he said that the textile worsened the financial problems for exporters. exporters are compelled to strike their deals on a cost-to-cost basis. “The gravity Under the circumstances, he said that the export-oriented industries are compelled of situation demands the Government to support export oriented industries on to procure costly manufacturing inputs to run their industries, which subsequently war-footing,” he said and appealed to the Prime Minister to take an immediate scaled up output cost “exorbitantly”, leaving the entire sector “unviable”. DLTL under notice of the highly aggravated situation and provide relief to exporters Bangladesh is well positioned for the next level of RMG development “Towards a $100 Billion Apparel & Textile Sector: Leveraging Sustainability, Competitiveness and Investment Opportunities”. Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, MP, former President of FBCCI and also BGMEA; Mohammad Ali Khokon, President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA); Mohammad Hatem, Executive President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA); Sridevi Kalavakolanu, Senior Director, Walmart Sourcing Ethics & Compliance Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; Asif Ashraf, Director of BGMEA; and Azizur R Choudhury, Director of BTMA also spoke at the session as panelists. In his keynote speech, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said product diversification, innovation, capacities building in backward linkage industry, technological upgradation, skills development, productivity improvement are some of the key areas where the ready-made garment industry of Bangladesh had been focusing on in order to sustain the growth momentum and take it to the next level. uilding on the success made so far, Bangladesh’s apparel industry was preparing B “We aim to make the industry stronger and more competitive through moving to for the next level of growth by reinventing business strategy and aligning with high-value products while integrating technologies and adapting sustainable the global trend, said President of BGMEA Faruque Hassan. “Potential is high for practices,” he said. Bangladesh’s RMG industry to accelerate growth and make the momentum sustainable though we have challenges on the way,” he said. The RMG industry of He laid emphasis on investment in backward linkage industry. “We have some Bangladesh has already exhibited a unique strength and resilience in improving its capacity constraints, particularly in the backwards linkage textile industry. After overall business sustainability, he remarked. graduation and in the post-transition period, Bangladesh will automatically fall under the standard GSP of GSP Plus in the EU, and we will have to meet double “Many more milestone achievements await the industry in the future. What we transformation rules of origin in the EU. So we need to make more investment in need most is to intensify our collaborative efforts and let’s find where we can add the backwards linkage industry,” he further said. value to sustainable fashion,” he added. As Bangladesh RMG sector aspires to become a leader in sustainable The BGMEA President came up with the observations while delivering a keynote manufacturing, the industry has realigned its vision with ESG priorities, Faruque speech at the Bangladesh Business Summit organized by the Federation of Hassan remarked. Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh. With the aim to improve skills and connect a bridge between the industry and updated technologies being used across the globe, BGMEA has established and Golam Dastagir Gazi (Birpratik), MP, Minister of Textile and Jute, attended the launched the “Centre of innovation, efficiency and OSH” session as the chief guest in Dhaka on March 12. The topic of the session was 10 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

11. An innovative fabric collection that improves apparel’s sustainability profile “SENSIL® ByNature is a ground-breaking innovation in he Portuguese textile group, a worldwide reference T in fashion and sportswear since 1939, has premium Nylon 6.6,” says Sagee Aran, Chief Innovation & Sustainability Officer at Nilit. “SENSIL® ByNature will developed an innovative fabric collection with SENSIL® ByNature, the new premium nylon 6.6 fiber significantly reduce carbon footprint while providing produced by Nilit. the highest quality man-made fiber for apparel. This is the kind of radical product development that the textile It is a collaboration that begins with the collection for industry requires to effectively and quickly reduce its Spring/Summer 2024, presented at Milano Unica and environmental impact and move to a more responsible Première Vision Paris, with crisp, light and impalpable position in the global marketplace.” fabrics developed in fresh and bold colors that are elegant and sophisticated. Fabrics suitable for "Our commitment to sustainability brings us to a eveningwear, swimwear and uppercasual made milestone today," says Manuela Araújo, CEO of Lemar, "with the introduction of SENSIL® ByNature to our entirely in Europe. bouquet of sustainable fabrics. The goal is to target A revolutionary project that takes the concept of customers who really want to approach a new, sustainability to the next level. Using a certified respectful and conscious lifestyle. SENSIL® ByNature Biomass Balance (BMB) material, which BASF presents the opportunity to produce all types of Nylon pioneered, this technology replaces fossil raw 6.6 fabrics we have, but now with a more sustainable materials with renewable ones. approach, keeping exactly the same product performance, soft touch and longevity our customers The technology considerably improves a garment’s are used to getting. It is the right choice for the Product Carbon Footprint and takes the apparel evolution of our green attitude." industry closer to a more sustainable position. Exceptionally durable and wear-resistant products can Compared to conventional Nylon yarn made from fossil be repurposed and recycled for additional contributions feedstock, in this approach renewable resources such to textile sustainability and circularity, in later stages of as biogas derived from waste is used as a feedstock decreases dependence on non-renewable resources. the garment life cycle, when no longer wanted. in the very first steps of the production process. The Clothing made with SENSIL® ByNature fabrics offers bio feedstock amount is then allocated to specific consumers a meaningful way to help reduce their NILIT’s biomass balance approach ISCCplus certified. products sold by means of the certified method. SENSIL® ByNature yarns are certified as not harmful carbon footprint while maintaining exactly the same By using this ISCCplus certified innovation SENSIL® comfort, performance and durability they expect and to human health according to Oeko-Tex standards get from SENSIL® brand products today. ByNature reduces greenhouse gas emissions and 11 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

12. Fashion industry leaders seek fair prices from consumers usiness leaders in the apparel and textile sectors yesterday demanded fair B and ethical prices for their products sourced by international buyers and brands as Bangladesh has improved a lot in terms of quality, product diversity and compliance compared to competing countries. They made this demand at a discussion, styled "Towards a $100 bn Apparel and Textile Sector: Leveraging Sustainability, Competitiveness and Investment Opportunities", at the Bangladesh Business Summit 2023. The ongoing three-day event is being held by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in partnership with the government at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka. They phase. He went on to say that Bangladesh has the potential to produce $1.2 bn alleged that international buyers and brands consistently pay lower than the global worth of recycled textile and garment items as the country has a big production average to garment suppliers in Bangladesh. base of cotton fibre-made clothing items. "Climate change, inflation and global political instability have brought about many challenges that manufacturers have "Buyers hardly talk about the topic of fair product prices," said Mohammad Hatem, to face through proper planning," Hassan said. Executive President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Sustainability and ensuring continuous improvement of the garment Apparel exporters plan on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy industry in Bangladesh requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including consumption by 30 per cent each by 2030 while at least 20 per cent of the energy buyers, suppliers and the government. By addressing its challenges, the industry used will come from renewable sources, he added. can become more competitive, profitable and sustainable. And considering the Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said the demand for yarn and fabric growing awareness of climate change and workers' rights regarding the garment is continuously growing due to buoyancies in Bangladesh's garment exports. industry, Bangladesh is the safest apparel sourcing country globally, Hatem said. "Our textile sector has achieved international standards in regards to working Faruque Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and environment, fire safety, building safety and others. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Exporters Association, said the garment sector intends to be a pioneer in like many countries we are now facing some challenging tasks ahead," he added environmentally friendly manufacturing and is gearing up for the next growth SENSIL® ByNature Nylon 6.6 earns ISCC+ certification to help apparel brands and retailers ILIT, a global supplier of nylon 6,6 for apparel, has “The ISCC+ certification independently validates the SENSIL ByNature is just the latest sustainable innovation N earned the International Sustainability and Carbon substantial environmental benefits of SENSIL ByNature that NILIT has created for the apparel market. NILIT Certification Plus system (ISCC+) accreditation for so that apparel brands and retailers can incorporate offers a broad and comprehensive collection of premium its primary SENSIL® ByNature facility in Israel. ISCC+ these sustainable premium performance fabrics into nylons designed to empower the industry’s shift to a accreditation for NILIT’s other facilities around the their collections with complete confidence.” more responsible position. NILIT recently introduced SENSIL® BioCare, enhanced with a special technology world will follow soon. The ISCC+ system is a globally Launched in April 2022, SENSIL ByNature is a nylon applicable, independent sustainability certification proven to help lessen the persistence of textile waste 6,6 for apparel made by replacing a portion of the in sea water and in landfills. SENSIL® EcoCare, crafted program that confirms the controlled use of renewable yarn’s raw materials derived from fossil fuel with feedstocks throughout a supply chain. The ISCC+ with recycled nylon, improves circularity and LCA. renewable bio-gas feedstock. With the bio-gas SENSIL® WaterCare with embedded color saves up to system verifies the origin of the renewable feedstocks substitution, SENSIL ByNature decreases the in SENSIL ByNature, the new sustainable nylon 6,6 100 percent of the water used in the traditional wet consumption of scarce fossil feedstocks as well as with lower environmental impact that offers brands dyeing process. Plus, the complete SENSIL portfolio of reduces the associated greenhouse gases that and retailers a high-quality foundation for more products is manufactured according to NILIT’s Total threaten the atmosphere. SENSIL ByNature gives ecologically responsive apparel designs. Product Sustainability criteria. These responsible yarns apparel brands and retailers a verifiable tool for give designers the beautiful, environmentally “The ISCC+ system accreditation for SENSIL creating high-quality apparel with all the performance considerate performance fabrics they need to create ByNature is an important achievement in NILIT’s benefits of nylon 6,6 but with reduced environmental apparel collections that respond effectively to mission to enable a more sustainable apparel impact and improved Life Cycle Analysis, something consumer demands industry,” said Ilan Melamed, NILIT General Manager. today’s conscious consumers value. Stretch military ripstop fabric for protection and comfort in the field lobal military fabric supplier Carrington Textiles has and outstanding wearer comfort. It also features 61% G CORDURA® military grade high tenacity nylon 6.6 for launched Spartan HT Flex Lite, a lightweight fabric developed in response to the defence market’s strength and durability. request for textiles for army uniforms that are durable Carrington Textiles R&D Manager says: “We are seeing and comfortable. a growing trend for wearer comfort; this has Carrington Textiles, a global manufacturer of military transitioned from workwear to flame retardant, so it’s fabrics worn by armed forces across the UK, Europe, only natural that we see this transition into the defence Middle East and Australasia, has launched the sector. We wanted to develop a product that protects company’s new addition to their Defence Range of the wearer in the most challenging environments but other geographical markets as we promote the products, Spartan HT Flex Lite. at the same time is comfortable to wear”. product to current customers and prospects”. At a weight of 195gsm, Spartan HT Flex Lite is the Paul Farrell, Sales Director adds: “We’ve recently Spartan HT Flex Lite is suitable for combat uniforms in only product from the Spartan military launched this product in the Middle East and the ripstopfabricfamily that incorporates 2% LYCRA® and virtually any region and it can be printed to a bespoke feedback from customers in the region was extremely design at our state of the art printing facility 37% cotton in its composition for integrated stretch positive. We are already seeing some interest from 12 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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14. PFAFF - purchase of the optional ground in Stubenwald II in Bensheim by Dürkopp Adler GmbH he shareholder of PFAFF Industriesysteme und Maschinen GmbH, Dürkopp T Adler GmbH from Bielefeld, buys the optional ground in Stubenwald II in Bensheim on 28.02.2023 in the presence of the Chinese shareholder of ShangGong Group, Zhang Min. This expands the company premises of PFAFF Industriesysteme und Maschinen GmbH from 16,000 sqm by another 14,000 sqm to a total of 30,000 sqm. PFAFF Industriesysteme und Maschinen GmbH as well as Dürkopp Adler GmbH are members of the ShangGong Group from Shanghai/China, a leading group for industrial sewing and welding technology with an international sale and service network and a total of 4,000 employees worldwide. The option property purchased today represents an expansion of the PFAFF site in Bensheim and will be built on environmental and filter technology sectors, as well as for the aviation and home with an extension building. textiles sectors. The ShangGong Group invests through its president, Mr. Zhang This represents a clear commitment by Pfaff Industrial to the Bensheim site, where Min consciously because of the good general conditions, the dynamic industrial further jobs will be created in the medium term. The PFAFF site in Bensheim mainly environment and the particularly favorable traffic connection and thus the develops and manufactures automated sewing solutions for the automotive, accessibility for the international customers to the location in Bensheim Celliant with Repreve from Hologenix receives second prestigious recognition them to convert body heat into infrared energy, honored in the Sustainable Textile Innovation Category returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local of the awards. circulation and cellular oxygenation. This aids The Drapers Awards recognize the strides that are significantly in muscle recovery, increases endurance being made in reducing the industry’s environmental and improves overall performance in healthy impact and creating fairer working conditions across individuals, among other benefits. the supply chain. According to Drapers, the leading REPREVE recycled performance fiber consists of high- authority on fashion retailing since 1887, the quality quality fibers made from 100% recycled materials, and quantity of entries were higher than ever this year. including post-consumer plastic bottles and pre- Judging was underpinned by the UN-backed consumer waste. It is also certified and traceable with Sustainable Development Goals. Winners will be UNIFI’s U TRUST® verification and FiberPrint™ announced at a ceremony on May 25, 2023at The technology, which provide assurance that the product Brewery in London. comes from recycled materials. Compared to virgin This recognition is the second award for CELLIANT with fiber, REPREVE helps to offset the use of petroleum, REPREVE since its launch in the fall of 2022 – it was conserving water and energy and emitting fewer previously named a Selection in the Fibers & Insulation greenhouse gasses. aterials science leader Hologenix is pleased to M Category of ISPO Textrends Fall/Winter 2024/25. This announce that CELLIANT® with REPREVE®, a “These award wins are a testament to our commitment is also the second year in a row that a Hologenix performance fiber made from recycled materials and to – as well as our success at – expanding our carrier innovation has been shortlisted in the Drapers enhanced with IR technology, has been shortlisted in solutions with sustainable offerings,” said Seth Casden, Sustainable Fashion Awards. the Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2023 Awards. Hologenix Co-Founder and CEO. “They also accelerate Introduced with global textile solutions provider UNIFI® CELLIANT is a natural blend of IR-generating bioceramic the adoption of these solutions into the marketplace. Our makers of REPREVE®, CELLIANT with REPREVE is minerals, which, when embedded into textiles, allows gratitude is with Drapers for the recognition” VF Corporation named as one of the 2023 world’s most ethical companies F Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle VF has been recognized for the past seven years and V is the only honoree in the apparel industry to be named apparel, footwear and accessories, has been this year. In 2023, 135 honorees were recognized recognized by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining spanning 19 countries and 46 industries. and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical “Ethics matters. Organizations that commit to business Companies. integrity through robust programs and practices not only elevate standards and expectations for all, but “We are honored to be named as one of the 2023 also have better long-term performance,” said World’s Most Ethical Companies for the seventh Ethisphere CEO, Erica Salmon Byrne. “We continue to consecutive year and the only honoree in the apparel be inspired by the World’s Most Ethical Companies industry,” said Jenn Sim, VF’s Executive Vice President, honorees and their dedication to making real impact Companies assessment process includes more than General Counsel and Secretary. “This recognition for their stakeholders and displaying exemplary 200 questions on culture, environmental and social demonstrates the shared commitment of our values-based leadership. Congratulations to VF practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, associates around the world who are living and leading Corporation for earning a place in the World are Most diversity, and initiatives that support a strong value chain. with integrity every day. As always, our relentless Ethical Companies community.” The process serves as an operating framework to focus on operating with the highest ethical standards capture and codify the leading practices of organizations will remain a foundational element of our performance- Methodology & Scoring: Grounded in Ethisphere’s across industries and around the globe driven culture, which is grounded in purpose.” proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical 14 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

15. Groz-Beckert’s WarpMasterPlus – successful presentation in Asia t India ITME in December 2022, the latest generation of Groz-Beckert's A fully automatic drawing-in machine – the WarpMasterPlus – was presented live on site for the first time in Asia. In addition, Groz-Beckert presented its knotting machine KnotMaster. With the new WarpMasterPlus, Groz-Beckert relied on the globally proven drawing-in concept, where the drawing-in takes place via a single yarn package technology. Nevertheless, WarpMasterPlus is not simply a further development of the previous generation of machines: The system has been newly constructed from the scratch. The latest technologies were consistently used to bring a machine to the market that is already equipped today for future requirements with regard to increased automation in the course of Industry 4.0. Maximum flexibility with minimum setup time were further focal points in the development, as well as maximized machine efficiency and simultaneously reduce the loading and unloading time. For this purpose, the number of cycles has been increased and sophisticated functions such as pre-setting drop wire magazines and CNC axes for adjusting the heald length have been added. Conversion times can be reduced to a minimum with different accessories. Numerous visitors took the chance to experience one of the WarpMasterPlus demonstrations at the ITME. All those who were unable to attend a demonstration at ITME will have the opportunity to experience the WarpMasterPlus at the recently inaugurated showroom in Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur District of Maharashtra State in future. Among other things, Groz- Beckert offers individual customer trials and trainings on the machine here. Other machines from the Groz-Beckert’s Weaving Division portfolio are available for training, tests and demonstrations at the showroom too such as the KnotMaster. Tens of thousands of KnotMaster tying machines are successfully deployed worldwide. Sophisticated technology and simple operation for a wide range of applications are considered the big advantages of the KnotMaster series. Customers benefit from rapid warp changes and reduced processing times for a more efficient and cost-effective weaving preparation. Regarding efficiency, the KnotMaster impresses with its high-performance achieving up to 600 knots per minute. Intelligent technical features of the KnotMaster increase both process reliability and reproducibility. The yarn clamps with a separate clamping system for example: These special KnotMaster yarn clamps allow the clamping of different yarn thicknesses. Differences in thickness are automatically compensated. Thanks to the automatic repeater, the KnotMaster ensures highest process reliability. In case the separation unit cannot select a yarn on the first attempt, the control repeats the attempt by a predefined number of times. This happens at the full speed of the tying process. WarpMasterPlus and the KnotMaster are the winning combination for weavers and the flagships of Groz-Beckert’s weaving preparation portfolio. The machines are characterized by their simple operation and great flexibility. Groz-Beckert is convinced that the machines with showing these advantages will improve quality and profitability in worldwide weaving mills in future 15 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

16. Haelixa added to Fashion for Good selects twelve innovators for 2023 the Denim Deal innovation programme ashion for Good welcomes twelve new start-ups F to its Global Platform. The selected Innovators will participate in a nine-month innovation programme with bespoke support to validate their technologies in preparation for implementation across the fashion value chain. “We are excited to welcome 12 new innovators to the 2023 Fashion for Good Innovation Programme. We are inspired by the significant impact opportunities their technologies enable. With an emphasis on driving implementation, we provide them with the best support to expedite their exposure and growth into the market.“ – Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good. The selected innovators represent technologies across Raw Materials, Processing, Traceability & Transparency, Circular Business Models and End of Use. The 2023 Innovation Programme provides bespoke support based on he steering committee for the Denim Deal the development stage and ambitions of each innovator, matching innovators with relevant industry partners to T has announced that Haelixa, the Swiss drive validation, implementation, and investing activities. standard in physical traceability, is approved as The selected innovators joining the Fashion for Good 2023 Innovation Programme are: Virent, Inc., ZymoChem a new signature. The Denim Deal is an Inc, Polybion, Saltico Ltd, Lamoral Coatings B.V., CleanKore LLC, RESPONSIBLE, Qingdao Amino Material international collaboration of more than 50 private Technology Co., Ltd., Protein Evolution, Inc., DePoly, Ioncell Oy, and SATMA CE and public sector companies united in the commitment to produce denim more circularly. The Denim Deal aims to close the loop and BGMEA President for collaborative approach to achieve change in the value chain. Based in building sustainable supply chain Amsterdam, the group is a leading example of working towards a circular economy where textile waste no longer exists. The brand and manufacturing members pledge to work towards using 5 percent recycled post-consumer cotton in all future denim collections and produce 3 mn denim jeans made with 20 percent recycled post-consumer cotton. Coordination of the Denim Deal is led by Roosmarie Ruigrok, where the objective is to unite potential allies who have made the journey to circularity a priority. She has been working to improve sustainability in textiles for more than two he issue of responsible business and sustainable trade should not be confined to the manufacturer’s level, decades and is an expert on enrolling the correct T said Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA. “Because manufacturers are a part of the supply chain and very stakeholders to instigate change. Ruigrok states, individuals within the supply chain has their own roles and responsibility. So, a hand-holding approach is needed "A circular supply chain in the textile industry is to ensure sustainable business environment within the supply chain,” he said urging all stakeholders to put like a well-prepared machine - it ensures that every efforts together in a collaborative approach to build a more sustainable and resilient supply chain. part of the production process runs smoothly, from sourcing post-consumer materials to delivering He came up with the observations while addressing the opening plenary of the 4th edition of the Sustainable well-made finished products to customers. It not Apparel Forum in Dhaka on March 16. Honorable Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, MP attended the program only drives efficiency and profitability but also as Chief Guest. builds trust among stakeholders and fosters H.E. Peter D. Haas, US Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E. Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation, sustainable practices - we welcome Haelixa who Delegation of the European Union in Bangladesh, Salim Rahman, Managing Director, KDS, Ranjan Mahtani, Executive offers a trustful traceability solution." Chairman, Epic Group, Naureen Chowdhury, Head of Labour Rights Programme, Laudes Foundation also spoke Over the last few years, the demand for the at the session as guests of honor. technology in recycled denim has grown as brands Faruque Hassan, who attended the opening plenary as a guest of honor, said sustainability was a key priority for are asked to validate their recycling claims. BGMEA and in the RMG industry of Bangladesh at large. “And our strides towards sustainability, particularly in the Haelixa’s unique DNA solution marks and traces areas of environmental and social sustainability in past decades testify to the fact. We have ensured 100% in the fibres from the source to retail. Using DNA to mark workplace which has restored global confidence in us. We have taken a number of initiatives to ensure the the recycled post-consumer cotton, Haelixa better wellbeing of our workers,” he said. substantiates claims by testing the final garment to validate that the marked waste is present. He continued: “We also have taken further steps to make the industry greener and cleaner. We have now the highest number of LEED green factories certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) which is 192. Also, The Denim Deal is pushing to lead the change in 53 out of 100 world’s top green garment factories are situated in Bangladesh.” how denim is made. Changing the standards of operation is always challenging, and traceability Instead of country-specific or trading block-specific legislation, he underscored the importance of the human is a key to authenticating recycled claims. “We rights and environmental due diligence which are accepted by the all players in the global fashion industry. are committed to promoting the use of recycled The fashion industry needs to agree on a globally standardized approach to purchasing practices and due diligence, fibers through traceability and thrilled to align with the BGMEA President said, adding that otherwise it would become too difficult for the suppliers to comply with this group,” said Holly Berger, Haelixa’s thousand different structures. He urged all stakeholders to collaborate, and exchange knowledge and expertise Marketing Director. “The goals of the Denim Deal to ensure more decent employments, and build a resilient and sustainable fashion industry support our vision for a circular economy” 16 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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18. Textile traders reached Surat to raise the issue of Assam ban extile weavers and traders in Surat have decided to make representations to T elected leaders and demand a lift of the ban in Assam on the sale of power loom manufactures mekhela chadors from Surat. Business of over Rs 100 cr per month is expected to be affected due to the ban, according to industry insiders. Last month, the handloom and textiles department was directed by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to carry out a drive against ‘Gamusas’ and ‘Mekhela Sadors’ manufactured using power looms, which have posed a serious threat to the handloom industry here, from February to April. ‘Gamusa’ and ‘Mekhela Sador’ are traditional Assamese clothes. Members of the Federation Of Gujarat Weaver’s Welfare Association (FOGWWA) and textile traders participated in a meeting to discuss the issues related to the Mekhela Sadors on Monday. A segment of textile weavers and traders who deal in Mekhela Sadors – which is a traditional form of saree made using cotton and silk – were concerned over the restrictions in Assam. An original, handmade Cotton yarn prices rise in Ludhiana Mekhela Sador costs over Rs 8,000 but one made in Surat on a power loom from polyester ranges between Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. otton yarn prices in Ludhiana rose by Rs. 2 per kg due to an aggressive C sales strategy. Trading was limited due to the Holi festival. Traders expect “At present, there is a loss of about Rs 500 cr to the city’s textile business due that the market will reassess the demand and supply of cotton yarn after the to the virtual ban. Stock of Rs 150 cr worth of sarees is ready, Rs 150 cr worth festival. Panipat also noted a muted tone due to low buying and festive mood. of yarn and material worth Rs 200 cr is under production,” said Ashok Jirawala, President of FOGWWA. FOGWWA handed over a memorandum to the Union While the Ludhiana market Minister of State for Textile Darshana Jardosh and Navsari MP C R Paatil explaining witnessed slight gains in cotton their demands yarn prices, trading was limited due to the festive mood. A trader from the Ludhiana market told, Global economic slowdown to affect "Spinning mills were aggressive in selling their production of cotton Indian textile & apparel industry yarn, which further supported the rise in prices of the products. ndia's textile and apparel industry is facing a severe blow due to the global I Cotton yarn prices increased by economic slowdown and declining global trade. The industry heavily relies on Rs. 2 per kg in the market." developed economies such as the US and European Union (EU) markets, and the decline in exports to these regions have been consistent since July 2022. In Ludhiana, 30 count cotton combed yarn was sold at Rs. 285-295 per kg (GST inclusive). 20 and 25 count combed yarn was traded at Rs. 275-285 per kg and In the first half of 2022, India exported textile and apparel goods worth $22.33 Rs. 280-290 per kg, respectively. Carded yarn of 30 count steadied at Rs. 264- bn, but in the second half of the year, the exports fell to $16.21 bn, a decline of 274 per kg, according to a market report. 27.40 percent, as per the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In Delhi, the festive mood affected trading activities and the prices remained Inflation rates in the US and EU stable due to limited buying from the consumer industry and export market. A economies are on the rise, with trader from the Delhi market told, "There was limited trade in the cotton yarn prices in the US increasing by 5.4 market, and buyers were not active in making deals. They will show interest in percent year-over-year in buying only after the festival." In this market, 30 count combed yarn was traded January 2023, and core inflation at Rs. 285-290 per kg (GST extra), 40 count combed at Rs. 315-320 per kg, 30 gauge up by 4.7 percent. In count carded at Rs. 266-270 per kg, and 40 count carded at Rs. 295-300 per Europe, core price growth hit a kg, as per market report. record high of 5.3 percent. High energy costs are adding to The recycled yarn market in Panipat remained unmoved due to the festive mood inflationary pressures for consumers and businesses, leading to central banks and slower buying. A trade source from Panipat said that the cotton yarn trade raising interest rates to address the situation, which could negatively affect remained range-bound due to poor buying from spinning mills. 10s recycled PC investment. Additionally, consumption may remain weak in the short term due to yarn (grey) was traded at Rs. 88-92 per kg (GST extra). 10s recycled PC yarn inflation outpacing nominal wage growth. (black) was traded at Rs. 60-65 per kg, 20s recycled PC yarn (grey) at Rs. 105- 110 per kg, and 30s recycled PC yarn (grey) at Rs. 150-155 per kg. Comber India's textile and apparel exports to the US declined by 23.94 percent to $4.70 prices were noted at Rs. 155-160 per kg, while recycled polyester fibre (PET bn during July-December 2022 compared to $6.18 bn during January-June 2022. bottle fibre) noted at Rs. 74-77 per kg. Likewise, India's export to EU-27 countries also declined by 24.54 percent to $3.29 bn in the second half of 2022 compared to $4.36 bn during January-June Cotton prices in North India were hovering near last week's levels, with demand 2022, according to market report. Exports to these regions have been consistently from spinners remaining steady. However, the arrival was also balanced to meet declining since July 2022, with only a slight increase in November and December, the demand. According to traders, the market will take direction after Holi. Cotton possibly due to the holiday season. The downturn in India’s textile and apparel was traded at Rs. 6,300-6,375 per maund of 37.2 kg in Punjab, Rs. 6,300-6,400 export is expected to persist in 2023, heightening the possibility of layoffs in a per maund in Haryana, and Rs. 6,525-6,600 per maund in upper Rajasthan, and at sector that employs over 45 mn people Rs. 60,300-62,300 per candy of 356 kg in lower Rajasthan 18 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

19. Bestseller India collaborates with IBM Consulting to drive growth BM (NYSE: IBM) announced that BESTSELLER India, the Indian subsidiary of I BESTSELLER, is collaborating with IBM Consulting to deliver key transformation projects aimed at building an intelligent and autonomous fashion landscape and rapidly fuel business growth. BESTSELLER India is part of family-owned Danish fashion company BESTSELLER and currently has 396 exclusive brand outlets and is present in over 1,230 shop-in-shops throughout India. As one of India’s leading fashion brands, BESTSELLER India is embarking on an aggressive growth journey and realized the need to scale their technology backbone to support the vision. The company has been a future-forward industry leader, having launched Fabric.ai, the fashion industry’s first AI project aimed to increase sell-through rate and reduce unsold inventory, together with IBM. Upgrading the partnership, BESTSELLER India will work with IBM Consulting to consolidate its IT landscape on a robust & secure hybrid cloud platform, thereby allowing it to focus on its core activities to fuel growth. Vineet Gautam, CEO and Country Head, BESTSELLER India, commented “Technology and AI will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the coming years, as we’re already witnessing its potential. This partnership with IBM will allow BESTSELLER India brands to grow with a tech-forward and data-driven approach. We’re highly positive that the innovations and digital prowess of IBM will create a robust and secure, end-to-end platform for our operations in India.” John Granger, Senior Vice President, IBM Consulting, said, “The retail and fashion sector is in the midst of an exciting industry transformation driven by data, analytics, and AI. We’re excited to work with BESTSELLER India on its end-to- end transformation journey, applying the power of intelligent workflows for better decision-making, improved supply chain visibility, enhanced customer experience and more.” IBM Consulting will help BESTSELLER India rearchitect its technology landscape to create a scalable single source of truth for business decision-making, leveraging advanced analytics and a unified data platform to drive more business predictability. The implementation will be delivered by IBM Consulting in close association with ecosystem partners such as Google Cloud, Microsoft and SAP Welspun India seeking to tap opportunity in kids segment ndia’s leading home textile company Welspun India is seeking to tap an I opportunity in the kids’ segment through a pact with The Walt Disney Company. The company, which signed a brand licensing agreement with Walt Disney in January for the Europe and UK markets this year, also sees an increase in shelf space of licensed brands as compared to its private labels. The current licence that the company has with Disney is for three years. It encompasses all the EU countries, the UK, and the South African market. The licensing pact will help Welspun India get deeper penetration and wider reach into the EU markets and the UK market, where Disney has a lot of distribution through smaller stores as well as convenience stores and non-home retail. Dipali Goenka, Welspun’s CEO and JMD said to PTI, “If there’s a recession, or a slowdown, people will not compromise on their kids’ demands. The kids’ opportunity is huge. Whether there’s a slowdown or there’s a peak, that demand never tapers off.” Keyur Parekh, President and Global Head, Welspun India said the licensing pact with Walt Disney marks the foray of Welspun into the new segment of kids. “Disney resonates so well, in terms of this category (kids) and the segment. It allows us to create a wagon for growth into absolutely a new space. So, this actually helps us to bring incremental revenues and to address the whole new segment,” he added. The licence covers the complete home solution product range, comprising towels, bed sheets, rugs, bedding and utility items 19 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

20. RAI signed MoU with the Government of Parliamentarians speak Rajasthan to support MSME retail businesses with FM to act against the imposition of anti- he Government of Rajasthan and the Retailers Association of India (RAI) have signed a MoU for the T promotion of retail businesses in Rajasthan State, and evaluate sourcing opportunities from dumping duty on VSF Rajasthan. RAI will also participate in and support the first-of-its-kind international expo organised by the Rajasthan Export Promotion Council in Jodhpur from 20th – 22nd March 2023. The Expo aims to provide national and international market linkages to the MSMEs based in Rajasthan. Speaking about this MoU, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “This effort by the Rajasthan Government to encourage exports as well as to encourage trade in the country is a welcome sign and we at the Retailers Association of India are proud to be nanda Bhaskar Rapolu (Former Member of Parliament associated with them to help further A and critical figure in India’s textile and weaving industry) the cause of traders in the country.” and a delegate of MPs from across the political parties The Rajasthan Export Promotion Council (REPC) is committed to working for the overall development spoke to Hon’ble Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to of all manufacturing, service, and business sectors, right from entrepreneurship development, export act against the recent DGTR (Directorate General of Trade infrastructure development, and export ecosystem development in Rajasthan. Remedies) recommendation of imposing anti-dumping duty (ADD) on Viscose Staple Fibre (VSF). REPC is a non-profit organization formed under the Notification of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Rajasthan. REPC is working under the supervision and control of the Further, another delegation of MPs and notable politicians, Government of Rajasthan. The council is committed to performing the overall growth of the industry P.R. Natarajan (Tamil Nadu), Th. M. Shanmugam (Tamil sectors in service, manufacturing, export infrastructure growth sectors, and export ecosystem Nadu), Neeraj Shekhar (Uttar Pradesh), Md. Nadimul Haque development in Rajasthan. RAI has around 13667 member establishments, including large and small (West Bengal), Dr. Amee Yajnik (Gujarat), Jose K Mani retailers in the country, having approximately 500,000 stores providing Direct and Indirect employment (Kerala), K.R. Suresh Reddy (Telangana), Saumitra Khan to 50 million Indians (Bishnupur), Javed Ali Khan (Uttar Pradesh), G. K. Vasan (President, Tamil Maanila Congress, Tamil Nadu, Ex-MP), and Pradeep Gandhi (Chhattisgarh, Ex-MP), along with Muted demand drives down poly-spun yarn Rapolu signed a resolution letter elucidating the impact of ADD on Indian weaving and textile units. The letter was price in India's Surat market also shared with the relevant Ministers and the Hon’ble Prime Minister. ndia’s polyester-cotton yarn and poly-spun yarn prices saw bearish sentiments because of slower I India’s viscose value chain is facing a deficit since the demand. Prices of poly-spun yarn eased by Rs. 3-4 per kg in Surat in the last fortnight. However, the domestic supply cannot fulfil the demand. Here, imports prices remained stable amid weak demand in Ludhiana market. Meanwhile, Reliance Industries Limited have become a source of relief for the downstream industry (RIL) had increased the prices of raw material recently. to procure quality raw materials at competitive prices Gujarat’s Surat market noted downfall in prices amid sluggish demand. The prices slipped by Rs. 3-4 especially when cotton prices were surging. However, with per kg and 30 count poly-spun yarn was traded at Rs. 137-138 per kg (GST extra) and 40 counts poly the re-imposition of the anti-dumping duty (ADD) on Viscose spun yarn at Rs. 152-153 per kg. A trader from Surat market told, “Weaving and garment industries Staple Fibre (VSF), the entire value chain can be in a dire were not confident about demand from end-users. They were reluctant for bulk purchase of raw state as the imported fibre will cost 28% more. This will materials. The price of poly-spun yarn eased down in last couple of days.” significantly impact many Indian weavers and spinners who rely on viscose yarn production as their source of livelihood. Polyester-cotton and polyester yarn Hence, the present need is to ensure quality raw materials was sold steady in Ludhiana market. that can be procured at competitive and affordable prices. However, demand was very low The first step towards ensuring the same is the non- because of weak sentiments in the imposition of the anti-dumping duty (ADD) on VSF. entire value chain. A trader from Ludhiana market told, “Buyers were Noting the conversation with the Minister, Rapolu said, silent for yarn purchase as garment “Viscose is poor people’s silk, cotton blended with viscose units were still operating on limited is the future. Anti-dumping duty wills obstruct the Indian capacity.” 30 count PC combed yarn textiles industry’s future. It is time we think of how to (48/52) was sold steady at Rs. 217- ensure safeguards and provide a level playing field in the 230 per kg (GST inclusive) in Ludhiana, according to market report. 30 count PC carded yarn (65/35) industry. We have conveyed this message to the hon’ble was steady at Rs. 202-212 per kg. 30 count poly spun yarn was priced at Rs. 151-158 per kg. The Finance Minister and hope to see critical steps being price of recycled polyester fibre (PET bottle fibre) was noted at Rs. 74-77 per kg. taken by the government”. RIL had increased prices of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and MELT recently, but it had kept the price of The MPs, along with Rapolu conveyed the urgency of the monoethylene glycol (MEG) unchanged for the current week. The company fixed prices as: PTA Rs. matter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She 81.70 per kg (up 0.50), MEG at Rs. 57.10 per kg (no change), and MELT Rs. 89.25 per kg (up 0.43). The understood the concerns raised and assured that necessary company’s PSF was noted at Rs. 106 per kg. North Indian cotton prices were also stable after mild gain measures would be taken. This endeavour by the delegates recently. The price had increased by Rs. 40-50 per maund of 37.2 kg after rise in cotton futures. aims to ensure a secure ecosystem for India’s weavers and textile industry. They hope the government and the However, the prices were unchanged today because of limited buying from spinners. Cotton arrival Hon’ble Prime Minister will take necessary precautions to was noted at 15,000 bales of 170 kg each in north India. The natural fibre was traded at Rs. 6,150- ensure the safety and prosperity of India’s weavers, who 6,250 in Punjab, Rs. 6,150-6,250 in Haryana and Rs. 6,350-6,425 per maund in upper Rajasthan. are the heart and soul of India’s textile value chain Cotton was sold at Rs. 59,000-61,000 per candy of 356 kg in lower Rajasthan 20 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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22. No need to freak out over the migrant labour amil Nadu accounts for 45% of yarn produced in Tamilnadu is making efforts to bring sizeable T the nation and the textile industry provides job investments to the State. opportunities in Tamilnadu (next only to agriculture) They stated the in reality there is no clash between for the huge illiterate and poorly educated men and the migrant workers and the local workers and women in a large scale. On the labour front, Tamilnadu circulation of WhatsApp news is false and not revealing is considered to be the leading State in India with regard the true state of affairs. This has been highlighted by to availability of skilled labour and maintenance of the Director General of Police in his video clippings. peaceful industrial relations. Consequent to mushroom The video clipping taken in Railway Station has been growth of industrial units in the State, the industry twisted as if there is a clash between the north Indian started facing labour shortage and in order to overcome and South Indian workers. They informed that on 2nd the same, migrant workers belonging to Bihar, Odisha, migrant workers. However, in the recent few weeks March 2023, there was a virtual meeting organized Chattisgarh, Uttarkhand, Assam, West Bengal, etc., are a section of group and political outfits are making hue by the Coimbatore District Collector among the coming forward to work in Tamilnadu and such and cry over the engagement of migrant workers and industry Association wherein, he explained the real employment is prevalent for more than a decade. The demanding that the migrant workers (hailing from North position and there is no truth in the so-called clash employment of migrant workers is not just confined India) should not be permitted to work in Tamilnadu. among the workers, but at the same, steps were only to the textile industry but also prevalent in other They further stated that such groups are sowing the being taken to give confidence for the migrant workers industrial and service sectors as well. seeds of hatred in the minds of working people in to work peacefully in Tamilnadu. Rajkumar and Ravi Tamilnadu, against the engagement of migrant T. Rajkumar, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Sam stated that the social media news are spread workers. Such attitude and demand from these Industry (CITI) and Ravi Sam, Chairman, The Southern out of proportion and both the migrant workers and sections would pose a danger to the industrially India Mills’ Association (SIMA) jointly addressed the the industry need not panic. They have appealed to developed State like Tamilnadu and affect the Press. They have stated that there is no discrimination the Government of Tamilnadu to take serious action performance of the industry, as a whole. They have between the local workers and the migrant workers against trouble mongers through the concerned pointed out that unless this issue is sorted out in the in terms of wages and both of them are treated equally departments and protect the industry and the working initial stage itself, it would ruin the industrial growth in by industry. In fact, the industry is providing hostel class and maintain industrial peace in the State the State, when particularly the Government of accommodation with food based on the needs of the India's textiles exports showing signs of rise expressed hope that cotton and yarn exports would declined by 28.7 per cent to $9 billion during April- start to increase from April onwards. January this fiscal. Goyal also addressed the dip in cotton and yarn The Minister explained that many countries have been exports, saying that outbound shipments were at an facing foreign exchange problems since the Ukraine all-time high last year due to inflation. This year, conflict, which has led to reduced non-essential however, prices have been quite suppressed, leading imports. Additionally, many countries are not to a decline in exports of cotton and yarn. He hoped accepting non-essential goods from outside their to see a reignition of cotton and yarn exports from territory, quoted him as saying. April 1, 2023. Goyal also revealed that textiles exports from Although ready-made garments of all textiles dipped Bangladesh receive customs duty concessions in ndia’s textiles exports have been impacted by various I by about 3.5 per cent in January to $1.5 billion, during developed markets as it is a developing country. In issues such as foreign exchange problems in several April-January this fiscal, it rose by 5.22 per cent to response, India is now pursuing free trade agreements countries and the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war. $13.4 billion. On the other hand, exports of cotton to secure duty concessions for its textiles industry, However, Union minister Piyush Goyal has said that yarn, fabrics, made-ups, and handloom products which would help boost exports the industry is now showing signs of growth. Goyal Stakeholders of Surat textile industry to represent against BIS code for yarn epresentations will be made to the Union Textile the factories. The yarn prices will also go up, due to R Minister Darshana Jardosh next week by which many weaving units will be forced to shut down stakeholders in the Surat textile industry along with and even lakhs of textile workers will become jobless,” Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry said SGCCI President Himanshu Bodawala, adding they (SGCCI), against the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will also make representations to Gujarat BJP code which will be implemented from April 3 on President C R Paatil, too. domestic and imported yarns. Quality control on different types of like polyester Different stakeholders of the industry, including continuous filament yarn, polyester partially oriented Pandesara powerloom association President yarn, polyester staple fibre yarn, polyester industrial Ashish Gujarat, unanimously decided in a meeting yarn and grey spun polyester yarn had been declared led by SGCCI President Himanshu Bodawala to by the Ministry of Chemical and Fertilisers last year, It would not be possible to stock, produce or sell yarns make representations to Union Commerce effective from April 3. “We have also come to know without a BIS certificate, once the code comes into Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of Chemical and that if a yarn without BIS code is found by the practics from April 3. “With the BIS code coming into Fertilizer Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Minister authorities from the factory or any other units, the effect from April 3, there will be a shortage of yarns in of State for Textile Darshana Jardosh instead of merchants would attract a penalty that will be 10 times the market. This will also affect lakhs of powerloom carrying out protests. the value of the seized yarns,” said Bodawala weavers and labourers who will not get yarn to run 22 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

23. Textile Symphony in Ahmedabad-India lobal textile industry stakeholders gathered over industry participation in this event. 40 different G the weekend in Ahmedabad for a technology companies ranging from fiber to hygiene products symphony to deliberate on the way forward the sector. participated in this conference,” stated Tulsibhai Patel, Vice President of TAI. Over 800 delegates representing different counties like India, United States, Germany, Switzerland, South Major themes that occupied most discussions Africa and Uganda participated in the World Textile revolved around fiber needs, sustainability, plastic Conference-3, organized by Textile Association (India) issues, technical textiles, and modernization. “India [TAI] that focused on the entire textile value chain from needs to grow big in technical textiles and plan cotton to industrial textiles to marketing. strategies for Indian companies to penetrate into this burgeoning sector,” opined Nirav Shah, Co-Founder “We have organized this major event to be of service of Diagonal Consulting. to the global textile sector in this critical time period,” stated Mahendra Bhai Patel, Honorary Secretary of TAI. “Textile sector needs to focus now on modernization of Kimberly-Clark, who traveled all the way from the such as improving the quality of cotton, aiming at The conference received the highest attention and was United States for this conference. contamination free fibers instead of expansion,” stated inaugurated by Honorable Bhupendra bhai Patel, Chief Velmurugan Shanmugam, General Manager of “Post COVID-19 era is experiencing the shift in global Minister of the State of Gujarat in the presence of Aruppukkottai-based Jayalakshmi Textiles. growth equation, supply chain issues and skilled labor Honorable Darshana Jardosh, Union Minister of State issues. Hence there is a need to re-strategize,” stated for Textiles & Railways, India. Tony Fragnito, President An important theme that came again and again like Dr. P. R. Roy, Ex-CEO of Arvind Group and the Founder of the USA-based Association of the Nonwoven repeating motifs in a concert was the need for skilled of Ahmedabad-based Diagonal Consulting. Fabrics Industry (INDA) attended the event all the way next-generation workforce and creating more from Cary, USA. awareness on emerging technologies. Leaders from leading fiber companies such as Indorama and Reliance discussed the availability of fibers for the As is the case with Beethoven’s 5th Symphony set on “Indian textile sector needs more information on industry which will be requiring about 20 million tons in four movements with vibrancy, tempo and melody, practical knowledge and project details on technical the next 3-4 years. Effective utilization of resources like the conference focused on four notes: 1) Economy textiles,” stated Gandhiraj Krishnasamy, Honorary fibers is critical for the sector. Cotton Council and textile sector; 2) Growth and fiber balance (Natural Secretary of the South India Unit of TAI. International’s presentation focused on the services vs. Synthetics); 3) Sustainability and Innovation and As is the case with international symphony events, provided to better utilize United States’ cotton. 4) Training Next Generation and Research. the textile conference was conducted in a massive The need to collaborate more with institutes of “Growth in manufacturing is happening in the APAC auditorium Dinesh Hall in Ahmedabad that can seat research and higher learning has become important region and India is important in this equation,” stated over 800 people with a world class audio set-up such to gear-up innovation. “We focused on obtaining more Bryan Haynes, Technical Director Global Nonwovens as the Musikverein in Austria, Vienna 23 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

24. India's Textiles Minister commends CITI for India and Australia pro-sustainability efforts spoke on expanding their two-way investment he Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) was praised by India’s Textile Minister Piyush T Goyal for organising the third edition of the Global Textiles Conclave (GTC) under the ‘Strategies for Balancing Sustainability and Profitability in Textile Value Chain’ theme along with the first edition of the India Textile and Apparel Fair (ITAF) and the CITI Textile Sustainability Awards 2023. Goyal inaugurated the conclave via video conferencing held in Jaipur on March 15, 2023. The Minster emphasised the need for adopting sustainability that would help overcome the challenges of climate change. He cited the example of the Carbon Border Adjustment Tax reforms in the European Union when it came to consumers demanding transparent practices that could help in reducing the carbon footprint, CITI said. The Minister mentioned that plug-and-play model infrastructure will be made available where the entire textile value chain can be relocated, and the country’s products can be made to compete in foreign markets to boost the 5 F vision of Prime Minister Modi. He pointed out that the government is doing its best to provide the necessary ecosystem for the textile industry to be present in one place. He spoke about the Product Linked Incentive Scheme, Samarth, National Technical Textile Mission, and various schemes to develop small textile clusters, Silk Samgra scheme to promote silk, Jute I - care to support the jute Industry, and the ROSCTL Scheme. Goyal urged industry players to collectively pledge to also mainstream their efforts towards sustainability ndia and Australia are set to enhance their bilateral I and circularity in the textile sector. He emphasised industry players to evolve their business around 3 economic relationship through the implementation of the Ps—People, Planet, and Profit collectively and collaborate with premier institutions like IITs, DRDO, Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), and the NIFT for research and development to create sustainable supply chains. He exhorted the negotiations for the India-Australia Comprehensive industry to make ‘zero defect, zero effect’ their success mantra. Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), and further development of two-way investment, according to the He further urged the industry players to focus on research, sustainable practices, compliance, and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. innovation including the start-up ecosystem to leverage technology and new ideas. He also asked the industry’s leaders to focus on supporting a circular economy In a recent meeting at the 18th India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and Australia’s Minister for trade Coats unveils state-of-the-art sustainability and tourism, Senator the Don Farrell, met to discuss next steps for further enhancing the bilateral economic hub in Madurai, India relationship. The Ministers also discussed engagement in the G20, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and oats, the world’s leading manufacturer in thread and structural components for apparel and footwear, C the World Trade Organization (WTO). has officially opened a new state-of-the-art Sustainability Hub – a spinning and twisting pilot plant The Ministers look forward to concluding CECA as soon as in Madurai, India to further progress its sustainability commitment. possible, are pleased with the progress resolving various Over the last 4 years, Coats has bilateral technical market access issues and look forward achieved strong progress against to continuing engagement, the Commerce Ministry said. ambitious targets in the areas of Energy, Both countries’ representatives also noted that Prime Materials, Water, Waste and People. Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Anthony Coats have now announced new targets Albanese look forward to swift progress in negotiations for 2026 across the same material areas and for an early conclusion of ambitious CECA, which will and these provide the next horizon build on the foundation laid by the ECTA, including new towards its 2030 commitments. areas of trade, investment and cooperation. CECA will Emissions reduction across the create new employment opportunities, raise living company’s entire value chain is at the standards, and improve the general welfare in both heart of these new targets. countries. The new Sustainability Hub in Madurai will sit alongside the Coats Sustainability Hub in Shenzhen, Minister Farrell reiterated Australia’s strong support for China, accelerating the material transition to recycled and renewable materials. The two hubs will India’s G20 presidency. Ministers agreed that the G20 work together to innovate new generation materials for sustainable sewing threads for apparel, footwear needs to help the world navigate a pathway back to strong, and performance materials. This material transition journey is fundamental to the delivery of Coats’ sustainable, and inclusive growth, including accelerating emissions reduction targets. progress to achieve the sustainable development goals. The Sustainability Hub in Madurai will support customers and other stakeholders in creating sustainability Australia and India have agreed to continue working in the industry, enabling Coats to streamline sustainability innovation, enhance brand collaborations together through the IPEF on areas of mutual interest, and facilitate faster sustainable product offers and market entry capabilities. It is part of a $10 mn including the clean economy and resilient supply chains. investment planned over next five years in scaling up the development of green technologies and They also reaffirmed the importance of the multilateral materials to accelerate the achievement of Coats’ ambitious sustainability targets. trading system with the WTO at its core and committed Rajiv Sharma, Group Chief Executive, said: "I am pleased to announce the launch of this state-of-the- to improving its functions and having a fully functioning art manufacturing facility in Madurai, as the ‘Centre of Excellence’ for spinning and twisting in Coats. dispute settlement system by 2024. We are firmly committed to a journey towards net zero and alongside our energy transition strategy, Bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $31 materials transition is fundamental to this." bn last financial year, and both countries agreed on the The new state-of-the-art spinning and twisting pilot facility is located in the heritage site of Coats in potential for significant enhancement of bilateral trade in Madurai in a sprawling area of 10,000 square feet. It has the infrastructure to process multiple fibers, the next 5 years blends & high-performance fibers like aramids 24 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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26. Reducing trade deficit with China a difficult task for India ndia’s trade deficit with China – estimated at a I The Indian textiles sector is little over dollar 100 billion in 2022 will climb up further, without a sizeable increase in its exports. largely un-organized and small in Now products have to be identified which have a size, especially fabric big demand in China, apart from those already being manufacturing, fabric processing exported. From the textile industry side, cotton and and garment manufacturing cotton yarn are the two items, the exports of which need to be stepped up. segments. These segments suffer But with the Chinese spinning industry becoming from lacks of capacities and use weak the possibility of more cotton yarn exports is old technologies. Capacity practically nil. For, Beijing has invested heavily in S.VENKITACHALAM expansion or technology Vietnam in the field of spinning to produce cotton is a senior economic upgradation is a big challenge for yarn and in textile units for turning into fabrics or garments to cater to requirements of its clients in journalist with more the small and medium scale units Europe and elsewhere and to those to whom with limited resources because than 40 years of Vietnam exports, these products. Already Vietnam of higher risks perceived by experience, covering has the most modern textile industry, much more lenders and also because of lack than India. It has emerged as a major competitor Industry, Commerce & to India. India’s yarn exports to China have been of awareness. Textile Ministries. In declining for the past few years. this article the author Spinning is a capital intensive industry and is very global apparel and textile trade slowed down. This discusses about important for the value added sector to develop and trend is expected to continue in the future as well. thrive. Currently, India has 52.45 million spindles and reducing trade deficit The present apparel market is estimated at dollar 8.76 lakh rotors spinning capacity. There is excess with China, a difficult 237 billion and it is growing the rate of 15 percent capacity of yarn for exports and the low demand in since 2007. task for India. the global market has forced a large number of mills to cut back on production. There was a limited According to a study by Wazir Advisors, China’s per growth in the spinning sector in the past few years capita expenditure on apparel has also grown at owing to reduced demand for yarn exports. percent to reach a level of dollar 171 billion during the same period. This shows that the domestic Chinese customs data show that trade between the demand of apparel in China is growing and will reach two countries touched an all time high of dollar 136 dollar 615 billion by 2025. This will put pressure on billion in 2022, surpassing the dollar 125 billion mark its exports and focus will shift to domestic suplies. a year ago. Chinese exports to India rose to dollar 119 billion, a 22 percent increase in this period. Here is the opportunity for India to increase its share India’s imports declined by 30 percent to dollar 17.5 of the global market being gradually by China. India, billion. The trade defect stood at dollar 69.4 billion as the largest and more resourceful country, has in 2021. The overall trade with China totalled dollar the capability to take maximum advantage because 126 billion, a 43 percent increase year in year. India’s of its huge textile base, adundant manpower and exports to China increased by 34.3 percent year on infrastructure. But is has to fully tap its potential as year to reach dollar 128 billion in 2021. The trade far as apparel exports are concerned. Large scale between the two countries continue to boom, structural changes in policy framework is necessary. despite border tensions. The rapid expansion of It has to start from reforming of labour laws to exit bilateral trade since the beginning of the century policies to fast track the approval process. has pushed China to emerge as India’s largest goods Moreover, finalisation of an FTA with EU can bring trading partner. about a huge positive impact on Indian apparel exports. While there is a dire need to step up exports to reduce the trade deficit, there is no easy to do that. Most large international buyers are now adopting This is because India is dependent on a whole lot of the “China plus one sourcing model where they are raw materials - be it for the electronics sector, active in at least one other country than China. pharmaceutical industry or the textile sector - from Bangladesh’s infrastructure cannot support the high China. Even buttons and zippers for T-shirts and growth it witnessed in the last decade. This apart trousers come from China. social and environmental compliance in Bangladesh are already under question. In Vietnam, East Africa, Now let’s look at the Chinese waning presence in Myanmar etc., there are issues of labour, unrest, the global textile and apparel trade. Following the political instability etc., In comparison India is a far economic crisis in China in 2009 its growth in the 26 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

27. (Source: PCI Analysis) Raw Material Scenario Manufacturing Competitiveness in terms of Raw Material (Values for 2015) Unit Bangladesh China India Vietnam Cotton Production *000 (480-pound) bales 125 27,000 29,500 4 Acrylic *000 tons - 640 92 - Polyester Staple *000 tons 136 9,030 1,310 250 Polyester Filament *000 tons 70 23,909 3,070 171 Nylon s+f2 *000 tons - 1,955 102 49 Polypropylene s+f *000 tons - 700 41 - Cellulosic s+f *000 tons - 3,103 498 - better and stable sourcing destination of and limited suppliers in some areas of India and treatment. On the other hand, China, Pakistan, Sri international buyers. Bangladesh. Vietnam enjoys a lower cost than India Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand follow a fibre meutral and consistent suppliers. China has the highest policy. There is a need to align our production with India enjoys the position of being the second largest power cost, but its supplies are consistent and the world consumption patterns through the exporter of textiles products in the World. However reliable. The lending rates in India are very high than introduction of fibre neutral tax policy. its share in the global exports tells a different story. those in China and Vietnam, while it is comparable It is a mere 5 percent, whereas China’s share is The Indian textiles sector is largely un-organized and to those in Bangladesh. High lending rates affect about 41 percent. Italy, Germany and Bangladesh small in size, especially fabric manufacturing, fabric the cost of production and lower its – which are all comparatively smaller countries than processing and garment manufacturing segments. competitiveness. India – have a similar share of 4-5 percent in the These segments suffer from lacks of capacities and global trade. This shows that India has not been It is known that man-made textiles and garments use old technologies. Capacity expansion or able to realize its full potential, despite the presence are in great demand worldwide. But despite being technology upgradation is a big challenge for the of a complete value chain and abandant supply of the second largest textiles exporter, India lags behind small and medium scale units with limited resources cheap and skilled labour. in this segment because of non-availability of man- because of higher risks perceived by lenders and made fabrics at competitive prices. Indian textiles also because of lack of awareness The power cost in India is higher than that in value chain is subjected to a differential tax Bangladesh and Vietnam. There are some erratic 27 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

28. Coats Digital partners with oats Digital is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Manchester the Manchester Fashion Institute C Fashion Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), based on a shared vision to support the ongoing digitalization of the global fashion industry. Coats Digital has worked closely with the MMU Senior Lecturing Team to customise VisionPLM specifically for use in an educational environment. The solution enables students to learn how to use critical fashion planning and product lifecycle management software to provide real-world, industry simulated project briefs. The ultimate objective is to support graduate employability by ensuring students have practical experience of solving real industry challenges with the very latest digital tools and skills. Manchester Metropolitan University’s Manchester Fashion Institute is one of the largest Fashion Schools in the UK and a top modern university for research quality. Ranked second for the power of its research in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2020), the institute has an impressive portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate fashion courses developed with international industry partners and informed by world-class research. The institute offers the latest cutting-edge digital technologies to collectively support the ongoing digitalization of the fashion industry through the development of responsible future-proofed graduates, ready to champion inclusive and sustainable practices. Jackie Rayner, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Fashion Institute, said: “Our partnership with Coats Digital will enable us to prepare our graduates for an industry that is rapidly being powered by technology and driven to deliver more sustainable practice across all areas of business. As a provider of innovative, digitally focused education, we are truly excited to be working with Coats Digital’s industry experts who have worked tirelessly to engineer a fully tailored solution focused on our students’ digital skills development.” Coats Digital’s VisionPLM is a powerful digital platform that is used to improve the way that products are managed from concept to delivery. The solution is supporting today's fashion businesses to develop sustainable and socially responsible and socially compliant products faster, at the right price and quality whilst eliminating waste, loss of revenue and reputation associated with incomplete, inaccurate, or missing information. Configured to reflect industry best practices, VisionPLM offers core product lifecycle management and extended sourcing functionality, creating ‘one version of the truth’ - from design, material and product development (including tech packs), to sampling, approvals, costing, vendor capacity management, order allocation and purchase order status updates. Anita Mitchell, Digital Lead, Manchester Metropolitan University, added: “Manchester Fashion Institute is long regarded as a trail blazer with regards its adoption of digital fashion technologies. Our continued success has been based on strong collaboration with international fashion brands and leading technology providers which play a vital role in helping us develop the rapidly changing workforce requirements of an increasingly digitised global fashion supply chain. This latest collaboration with Coats supply chain is changing the way that apparel is being manufactured and how true Digital further strengthens the Manchester Fashion Institute’s goal to support the sustainable practices can be embedded into the production process from the Fashion Industry by preparing a steady stream of future-proofed fashion professionals very start of the design process. Coats Digital is committed to delivering robust that are ready for the real world where Product Lifecycle Management is a de-facto solutions that can be easily integrated into an educational framework, so that next strategic tool for the industry’s digital transformation. generation fashion graduates have the tools they need to successfully navigate the complex real world of global fashion. We are truly delighted to have secured a On the first day of the VisonPLM system roll out on 7th March 2023, first- and second- long-term partnership with such an innovative, forward-thinking fashion school and year BA Fashion Buying and Merchandising students were the first to start learning we look forward to integrating further advanced solutions in the near future to help about the comprehensive benefits of a robust PLM to identify, measure and adapt students fully understand how best working practices, sustainability and fair wages the buying, product development and supply chain processes, whilst supporting are all going to play an increasingly important role in their future careers.” sustainable practice across the entire fashion value-chain at the same time. Students will be engaging further with the newly integrated software in collaboration Student Quotes with a number of key fashion brands to develop and communicate sustainable and • ‘Surprisingly straightforward and captures some really great information all in socially compliant fashion products that meet the efficiencies demanded by effective one place’ sustainable fashion practice. • ‘Something different! I didn’t think it was hard to use, once you knew where to navigate too. It is obviously going to help us in graduate roles so that motivates Julie Tubby, Senior Director, Customer Operations, Coats Digital, commented: “The me to figure it out’ future of the fashion industry is increasingly being driven by technology. Students entering the industry need to understand how the rapid digitization of the fashion • ‘Really good system, interesting to see what’s needed in the job’ 28 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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30. 3rd Global Textile Conclave, Jaipur organized by CITI The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry recently organized the 3rd Global Textiles Conclave (GTC) from March 15 – March 17, 2023, in Jaipur. The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Textiles, Piyush Goyal, through a video conference held in Jaipur on March 15, 2023. ddressing the event, the Minister praised the efforts of the Confederation A of the Indian Textile Industry (CITI) towards improving sustainability in the textile value chain. He congratulated CITI for organizing the 3rd edition of GTC, which was themed "Strategies for Balancing Sustainability and Profitability in Textile Value Chain." The Minister also lauded the first edition of the India Textile and Apparel Fair (ITAF) and the CITI Textile Sustainability Awards 2023. Goyal was pleased that the conclave was held on World Consumers’ Rights Day and highlighted how consumers are now more conscious of their environmental footprint and demanding transparency in the products they use. He also pointed out that the EU has already initiated Carbon Border Adjustment Tax reforms, which is an early sign of the need for adopting sustainability to overcome climate change challenges. The Minister stressed that the Government is doing its best to provide the necessary ecosystem for the textile industry to thrive and that the entire textile value chain can be relocated to one place, where plug-and-play model infrastructure will be made available. This will help boost the 5 F vision of Prime Minister Modi and make Indian textile products competitive in foreign markets. Further, the Minister urged the industry players to collectively pledge towards mainstreaming sustainability and circularity in the textile sector. He emphasized the need for evolving businesses around the three P's - People, Planet, and Profit, and collaborating with premier institutions like IIT’s, DRDO, NIFT for research and development to create sustainable supply chains. He also exhorted the industry to make zero defects zero effect their success mantra and focus on research, sustainable practices, compliance, and innovation, including the start-up ecosystem, to leverage technology and new ideas. The India Textile and Apparel Fair (ITAF) was inaugurated with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Rajiv Arora, Chairman, Rajasthan Export Promotion Council Dr. SN Modani, Chairman of the Rajasthan Textile Mills Association T Rajkumar, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, Rakesh Mehra, Deputy Chairman of CITI. The textile industry has long been criticized for its negative impact on the Dr. SN Modani, Chairman of the Rajasthan Textile Mills Association, gave environment, with fast fashion being one of the primary culprits. However, the the opening speech, highlighting the importance of the textile and apparel industry also plays a significant role in the economy, providing employment and industry in India's economy. He also stated that the industry is notorious contributing to the country's GDP. In this context, finding a balance between for climate-related risks and emphasized the need for sustainable sustainability and profitability has become a pressing issue. manufacturing practices. CITI Textile Sustainability & CITI – BIRLA Awards 2023 T Rajkumar, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) launched the first Textile followed Dr. Modani's speech and talked about the importance of Rajasthan in Sustainability Awards and a Fashion Show during the 3rd Global Textile Conclave the T&A ecosystem. He announced the agenda for the three-day event, which held in Jaipur on March 16, 2023. The move is aimed at promoting sustainable included ITAF, GTC, and Sustainable Textile Awards 2023. practices in the textile industry and recognizing those who have made efforts Rajiv Arora, Chairman of Rajasthan Export Promotion Council (REPC), gave the towards sustainability, circularity, and traceability. inaugural address on behalf of the Rajasthan Government. He invited industry CITI has been promoting excellence in the textile value chain since 1993-94 stalwarts to invest in Rajasthan and promised a roadmap for boosting trade. through the CITI BIRLA Economic & Textile Research Foundation Awards. He also announced plans for a Mega Textile Park and a robust air-freight system to facilitate trade in Rajasthan. Arora emphasized the importance of sustainability However, this year, CITI expanded its areas of focus to include sustainability, and green power to make businesses more sustainable. circularity, and traceability. The objective is to encourage the textile and apparel industry to chart a more aggressive path with both planet and people at the The inaugural session of ITAF concluded with Rakesh Mehra, Deputy Chairman center of all activities. of CITI, welcoming all the attendees and reiterating the importance of sustainability and the environment in the textile and apparel industry. The first-ever CITI Textile Sustainability Awards were launched with texfash.com as the Knowledge Partner. The awards were judged by an eminent jury. The The event was a great platform for industry leaders to come together and objective of the awards was to recognize efforts being made toward discuss the future of the textile and apparel industry in India. The focus on sustainability and to incentivize others to tread the same path. The broader sustainability and the environment is a step in the right direction for the industry objective was to trigger a cascading effect of innovation and pragmatic work. to grow while minimizing its impact on the environment. 30 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

31. The awards were given across three categories: Progress Towards Sustainability, Expanding Circularity, and CITI Reverse Resources Sustainability Awards for Recyclers 2023. M/s RSWM Ltd – LNJ Denim, M/s Pratibha Syntex Ltd, and M/s Usha Yarns Ltd respectively were adjudged the winners in the above categories. The awards are expected to trigger more innovative and sustainable practices in the textile industry, reducing its impact on the environment. With initiatives like these, the textile industry can work towards creating a more sustainable future. In addition to the award distribution ceremony, CITI also organized a Fashion Show with supporting partners - Apex University, Jaipur, Arch College of Design & Business, Jaipur, and Poddar International College, Jaipur. The theme of the Fashion Show was "Going Green." The participating institutes displayed their collections on Cohesion, Remembering the Hues, and Eco Denim. Cohesion presented resort-wear in natural dyes in print and pattern, and use of sustainable khadi fabric. Remembering the Hues presented street-wear in unisex designs created on khadi with baggy silhouettes, kantha details, and pockets for utility. Eco Denim showcased how denim can be transformed into unique and fashionable items through upcycling. sustainability in the industry. The Chairman of CITI, T. Rajkumar, thanked the attendees and the Indian government for supporting the Textile Industry. He The 3rd Global Textile Conclave (GTC) concluded on a successful note also congratulated the winners of the CITI Textile Sustainability Awards and with the presence of Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Hon’ble Minister of State urged the industry to adopt sustainable practices in the long run. for Textiles and Railways, who graced the Valedictory Session as the Guest of Honour. The Secretary General of CITI, Chandrima Chatterjee, announced the next edition of the GTC, which will be held in Ahmedabad in February 2024, in collaboration The Minister highlighted the importance of the Textile Industry in India's global with Spinners Association Gujarat and other regional textile associations. The contributions, particularly in light of India's presidency of the G20. She also President of SAG, Ripple Patel, confirmed the participation of major textile emphasized the need for the industry to innovate and adopt new technologies associations from Gujarat to make it the mega textile event of 2024. to meet the emerging needs of the market. The Deputy Chairman of CITI, Rakesh Mehra, proposed a Vote of Thanks to The event was organized by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), conclude the successful event which received appreciation from the Minister for its efforts towards promoting 31 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

32. nybody who wants to master the current and future challenges such as lack of Digitalisation next Level by Messer Cutting Systems A skilled staff, the energy change and shortage of resources needs digital processes. Digitalisation solutions from Messer Cutting Systems network machines and systems. Thus, metalworking companies operate fast and purposefully with the aid of relevant real time information in their production. The modern solutions range from creating quotations, nesting plans and production planning right up to material handling, production monitoring and process analysis. Messer Cutting Systems is the World-wide leader in the production of cutting technologies. As a solution supplier, the company not only offers the most modern cutting machines but is also the expert for all processes around cutting. Following the motto “Solutions beyond machines”, Messer Cutting Systems offers customised solutions using digitalisation for companies to optimise metalworking processes, improve efficiency, increase productivity, and reduce costs. the control ready for processing. Important information is transferred to the control This covers all phases of production digitalisation: with the Sales Quotes module pre-configured by OmniFab, even while another cutting order is just being cut. of the OmniFab Software suite, for example – linked to the ERP system – quotations are calculated quickly and reliably. These are based on the processing times, Thanks to the nesting plans and NC programs, even complex cutting orders can be material consumption, dimensioned drawings, production parameters and many processed with high cutting quality, quickly, efficiently and with economic material usage. other key data. This saves time and minimises errors. Digital cutting orders in production planning ensure an optimum utilisation of the machines. The cutting orders are sorted automatically according to urgency, material The OmniFab module Material Flow recognises exactly which cutting orders are or other important attributes. In this way, users get the best out of their production. planned for a machine at which time. It controls and coordinates the entire material flow automatically. This includes material handling systems such as loading and The Global Connect does not only score through its modern design, but also proves unloading stations, storage towers and material transport units with pallets and to be extremely easy to operate. The operator is guided intuitively, and with lifters which are fully integrated. This ensures minimum idle times. tolerance for mistakes, through all production steps. Plate processing takes place without manual intervention. Reliable production data reports support an unbroken With the process analysis tools, the production can be further optimised using traceability chain. real time data from every connected machine with machine loading, errors, and the causes for down-time. The networked systems and machines from Messer Cutting Systems work together perfectly. They supply relevant information from the production in real time so that Dream Team: OmniFab and Global Connect companies can operate faster, with more economy of resources and more The deep integration of the OmniFab software suite in the new Global Connect purposfully. Thus the flexible and automated processes offer the ideal prerequisites control raises production processes to a new digital level. It digitalises all cutting for mastering the current and future challenges such as the lack of skilled staff, orders and the checking of the cut parts. All cutting orders are directly available in energy change, and the shortage of resources 32 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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34. VT Garment improves its Productivity, Plan he adoption of FastReactPlan helped VT Garment secure the prestigious 'Golden Accuracy and performance with FastReactPlan T Award' at the 'Thailand Lean Award 2017 in recognition of its outstanding LEAN manufacturing and management processes. About the customer: Founded in 1981,VT Garment Co. Ltd., is an award winning global manufacturer of outerwear, sportswear and protective equipment, such as: ski jackets and pants, boardshorts, polyester padded jackets, woven jackets and pants, knitted jackets and bulletproof armour-plated materials. Around 20 per cent of VT Garment’s electricity usage comes from solar energy and it has ISO 9001 certified facilities in Thailand and Myanmar which produce over 136,000 pieces per month. The company boasts an annual turnover of 50 million USD and its customers include: Patagonia, Jack Wolfskin, Montbell, O’Neill and other big and small brands in the United States and Europe. VT Garment supports a workforce of 2,000 and has one of the largest Original Equipment/Original Design Manufacturing (OEM/ODM) factories in the world with Fair Trade certification. The company’s dedication to innovation, local sustainability, environmental protection, fair wages, and advanced digitisation has secured it a raft of awards including: Thailand Lean Award (Golden), Thailand Quality Award (Golden) and the Thailand Kaizen Award (Golden). Key Facts Customer: VT Garment Co. Ltd. Location: Bangkok, Thailand Challenge • Manual processes meant planning was inaccurate & laborious • Capacity was often over-booked or under-booked • Lack of visibility caused late delivery and overtime costs • Poor planning resulted in material waste and loss of business Key Benefits • Productivity improved by 95% • OTDP improved by 50% • Plan accuracy improved by 92% • Planning time reduced from 3 days to 2 hours • Reduction in time spent loading orders by 67% based on factors such as cost, efficiency and delivery time. The automation of The Challenge –Inaccurate Planning Processes negatively impacted the planning processes has also freed up time for staff to focus on other important whole business and restricted business growth tasks, such as improving customer satisfaction and supporting new innovations Prior to implementing FastReactPlan, VT Garment found that the lack of automation and business growth. and real-time visibility in the production planning process not only meant there was limited information sharing between different departments, but also that A significant reduction in errors and a more accurate representation of its production manually produced capacity plans based on unreliable historical data were time capabilities has also led to an unprecedented 92% improvement in plan accuracy consuming and cumbersome to produce and not accurate enough to make informed which has improved VT Garment’s ability to meet customer delivery expectations. production decisions. As a result, VT Garment’s management and planning teams The ability to quickly review and revise plans immediately by monitoring late order found that capacity was often over-booked or under-booked, causing late deliveries requests and on-time items has also increased its OTDP performance by 50%. and unnecessary staff overtime costs. Since the implementation of FastReactPlan, VT Garment is now able to quickly Insufficient tools and resources for monitoring and optimising production efficiency, evaluate the efficiency of each plan variation, which has reduced the time spent on lengthy reporting times and limited information sharing and coordination between planning from four hours to 10 minutes. This has helped the company reduce planning departments also meant that VT Garment was unable to respond to customer time by 57%, reduce order plan loading by 67% and improved its overall productivity demands for quicker order confirmations, resulting in lost business and poor efficiency by 95% across the whole business. customer satisfaction levels. This led to increased pressure on staff, wasted The Solution –FastReactPlan has eliminated overtime hours, improved staff resources and decreased profitability. The inability to make informed business morale and enabled the company to take on more complex orders decisions consequently not only negatively impacted overall company performance, but also its potential for growth. The solution has enabled VT Garment to save significant staff hours by streamlining the planning process, from order placement and checking delivery dates to tracking The Solution –Accurate, Highly Visual Capacity Plans have significantly production activities, which has meant that extra time can be dedicated to delivering increased productivity, optimised on time deliveries and enabled staff to work an enhanced customer experience. on other business improvements VT Garment found that the FastReactPlan implementation had a positive impact on Following the implementation of FastReactPlan, VT Garment now has the ability to staff morale by simplifying the challenging task of planning and reducing unnecessary view capacity plans from multiple perspectives, resulting in a comprehensive and unplanned overtime hours, so that staff had a more consistent, stress-free understanding of its production capabilities and limitations. The solution has enabled working environment. VT Garment to easily compare different plans and select the most optimal option 34 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

35. A Case Study With the ability to anticipate future plans and understand available capacity, VT Garment can now accurately calculate working hours effectively to take on additional business orders that it would have previously shied away from. FastReactPlan has also enabled the company to handle a wider range of orders, including shorter and more complex order requests, as it has the visibility and agility needed to make informed decisions based on accurate plan variation assessments. The Solution –FastReactPlan helped company become award winners in lean manufacturing The adoption of FastReactPlan was instrumental in helping VT Garment secure the coveted 'Golden Award' at the 'Thailand Lean Award 2017,' an influential government-subsidised nationwide awards ceremony covering all manufacturing industries. The annual Thailand Lean Award recognises companies that have undertaken strategic changes to their businesses to adhere to lean management principle. Award winners serve as exemplary leaders to others who are looking at adopting lean management for quality, savings, delivery and speed. Testimonials – “Hyperinflation leads to softening market conditions leaving large amounts of excess stock for brands and retailers. This, in turn, adversely impacts order volumes for manufacturers. Against this backdrop, apparel manufacturers need to rethink and overhaul their operations. To combat the current ‘fluid’ fashion environment, it is inevitable that we needed to be more lean, digital and agile. We, consequently, chose Coats Digital as our transformation partner because of their experience in delivering innovative solutions that support our journey towards operational excellence. One of the defining reasons for our selection of Coats Digital was to support our entry at the ‘Thailand Lean Awards 2017’. We were subsequently delighted to win the prestigious ‘Golden Award’ for recognition of our adoption of FastReactPlan. The award is a testament to the effectiveness of how the FastReactPlan system has been instrumental in supporting our Lean Manufacturing objectives to help us achieve significant improvements in our production processes” said Chalumpon Lotharukpong, Managing Director, VT Garment. Garment secure its much-deserved recognition as one of the most innovative We are exceptionally pleased with FastReactPlan. It allows us to plan better manufacturing companies in Thailand. With its strong commitment to sustainable because we can choose the plan based on different factors, such as Capacity, practices, fair wages, great working conditions and technological innovation, we Efficiency and OTD percentages, which has eliminated the need for manual are honoured to be continuing to play an important part on VT Garment’s journey calculations altogether. The customer experience has also greatly improved towards increased award-winning digitisation and further global success” said as a result of our ability to provide timely and accurate information, which is Pakawan Veerarote, Customer Success Manager, Coats Digital. crucial for customers to make informed commissioning decisions. With the implementation of FastReactPlan, we are now able to send accurate plans and Key Benefits and ROI information to customers in less than two hours, rather than the usual 3 days • Overall productivity improvement of 95% it took before the implementation. • Plan accuracy increased by 92% He further added that FastReactPlan has effectively eliminated the need for • OTDP improvement of 50% overtime work. Prior to its implementation, our planner often had to work four • Overall planning time optimised by 57% to six additional hours of overtime to meet delivery deadlines. Since implementation, our planner now has much more time for other tasks that can • Reduction in time spent loading orders by 67% greatly enhance the business. Because all are plans are now based on accurate • Overall planning time reduced from 3 days to just 2 hours data, we are also benefiting from a significant reduction in overtime hours on • Quicker response in accepting or changing customer orders the factory floor, as well as greatly reduced levels of firefighting, since we can • Ability to confidently take on new business now anticipate potential issues with future orders – such as delayed raw materials • Elimination of costly overtime hours or late orders – and address them proactively. • Significant reduction in errors With its many functions, FastReactPlan has enabled us to cope with all • Reduction in last-minute firefighting situations, whether large or small orders. In a nutshell – it is awesome. Each order is now identified by different colour codes, which makes it much easier • Plan-based capacity monitoring in minutes for executives or planners to differentiate tasks, assess work in progress • Standardised PO, Colour & delivery level visibility across all departments and act immediately if there are any issues. We can also plan activities super • Increased productivity across all departments effectively, such as communicating the date to send a pattern file, since • Improved staff morale everyone involved in that job receives an alert when the file needs to be • Automated data capture and consolidation sent. This makes the whole production process run seamlessly and smoothly. And as an old industry saying goes, ‘if you have a good capacity plan, then • Reduced shipping freight costs half of the victory has already been achieved’. Greater resilience and agility • Quicker response in accepting or changing customer orders will undoubtedly enable us to navigate through and respond quickly to supply • Reduced report generation time saving of 67% - from 3 days to 1 day chain shocks, and future proofing for agile manufacturing will undoubtedly • Reports on Shipment & Plan Vs Actual generated within less than 10 minutes be the key to our success in 2023 and beyond. Outro “We are absolutely thrilled that VT Garment has experienced such unprecedented FastReactPlan is the market-leading apparel production planning software solution, results since its adoption of FastReactPlan. The solution has positively impacted supporting a faster, more reliable order confirmation process and production plan all areas of the business and proves just how vital, accurate and highly visual capacity which is optimised for delivery, speed and efficiency plans are to the future growth of a fashion apparel manufacturer. We are also extremely proud that Coats Digital has played such a pivotal role in helping VT 35 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

36. United States with a market share of 19% is also the leading consumer of coated fabrics across the globe The global coated fabrics for defense market size are likely to reach $4,541.4 mn in 2023. Global coated fabric for defense sales will rise at 3.7% CAGR over the next ten years. By the end of 2033, total coated fabrics for defense market valuation are set to cross a valuation of $6,530.9 mn. abrics that have undergone a coating procedure for modification of F functionalities are called coated fabrics. Coated fabrics are created from both woven and non-woven textiles by laminating or coating fabric with polymer, rubber, or various other materials. Addition of coatings makes fabric surface more impervious to damage. Fabrics made of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, Teflon, and neoprene find numerous applications in the defense sector. These fabrics are useful in several environmental challenges such as fire, UV radiation, scratches and abrasions, chemicals and oils, and more. Coated fabrics hold added properties such as waterproofing, durability, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, flame resistance, and thermal resistance. Thanks to these features, coated fabrics are gaining immense traction across defense & military sector. What Makes the United States a Key Market for Coated Coated fabrics have become an integral part of defense & military sector. This is due to their ability to provide invaluable properties to military forces and Fabrics for Defense? equipment. Rising usage of coated fabrics in several military & defense Burgeoning Military Expenditure Making the USA a Key Market for applications will boost the global market. Coated Fabrics for Defense Fabrics such as PVC coated fabrics and polymer coated fabrics are gaining wider The United is likely to remain one of the key markets for coated fabrics for popularity. Coated fabrics find application in personal protective equipment in defense through 2033. The country with a market share of 18.9% is estimated defense industry. This is due to their ability to protect the wearer from various to be one of the leading consumers of coated fabrics across the globe. hazards. These fabrics are used in helmets, gloves, face shields, etc. The United States leads the global market for defense equipment manufacturing Burgeoning demand for coated fabrics from military aircraft will bolster coated and trade, as per a survey conducted. It is known to have one of the largest fabric sales worldwide. Coated fabrics such as polyester, Teflon, and aramid military expenditures in the world. The country spent around $800 bn in military are widely used in parachute release bags, flight suits, ejector seat covers, and defense in 2021. anti-gravity pants and suits, troop seating, aircraft flotation bags, and several Keeping the growing geopolitical tensions in mind, the United States is set to other applications. continue its remarkable annual military expenditure over the forecast period. Changing warfare strategies, owing to the rising border conflicts in various The United States coated fabrics for defense market create an absolute $ countries are driving these countries to procure highly advanced next-generation opportunity of $436.7 mn by 2033. Between 2023 and 2033, coated fabric sales aircraft & ships. This increasing demand for aircraft is expected to stimulate for defense in the country are set to rise at 4.2% CAGR. the use of coated fabrics in numerous aircraft components. Driven by this, Competitive Landscape coated fabric sales in defense sector will rise at a significant pace. The global coated fabric for defense industry is highly consolidated. This is due Key Trends Shaping the Global Coated Fabrics for to presence of several key coated fabric manufacturers across the globe. Defense Industry Tailored solutions offered by market leaders that comply with strict regulations and requirements are creating hindrance for new entrants in the market. This Increasing Military and Defense Spending to Boost Coated Fabrics has shifted bargaining power toward the supplier side, resulting in higher profit for Defense Industry: margins for leading manufacturers. The global military and defense sector is witnessing a significant increase in expenditure. Various governments are spending huge amounts to Significant increase in military expenditure in emerging economies is creating strengthen their defense sector. This rising expenditure in the military and substantial demand for cost-efficient products with optimum performance. This defense sector, particularly in emerging economies, will lead to a surge in is creating a favorable environment for new entrants in the market. the production of several military artillery and protective equipment. This New product launches, mergers, and acquisitions are go-to strategies of in turn will propel the use of coated fabrics such as neoprene, Teflon, and several manufacturers. Various manufacturers are also significantly polyester over the next ten years. investing in the development of new and advanced technologies to enhance Government of various countries are increasing their budgets for the defense the recyclability of materials. industry. They are allocating higher budgets for weapons, uniforms, vehicles, and other equipment. According to the latest data published by the Stockholm Key Developments International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the total global military In December 2021, Trelleborg Group through its Trelleborg Industrial Solutions spending increased by 0.7% in 2021. It reached a massive valuation of $ acquired polymer-coated fabrics operations of USA-based, privately owned 2,113 bn. The United States, Russia, India, and the United Kingdom are the company Alpha Engineered Composites to enter new markets in coated fabrics. top five spenders accounting for 62% of expenditure in 2021. Increasing military In February 2023, Carrington Textiles unveiled its latest innovations in military and defense spending by these countries will drive the global coated fabrics textiles at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi for defense market through 2033. 36 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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38. Archroma completes acquisition of the textile effects business of Huntsman Corporation Archroma, a global leader in sustainable specialty chemicals and solutions for industries such as textiles, packaging & paper, paints and coatings, recently announced the closing of the acquisition of the Textile Effects business from Huntsman Corporation (“Huntsman Textile Effects”). hen the Huntsman Textile Effects acquisition was first announced in W August 2022, Archroma Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Heike van de Kerkhof called the transaction a “merger of equals”. Indeed, the global business of Huntsman Textile Effects comprises approximately 2,300 employees in 33 countries and 10 production sites globally which, when combined with Archroma, means the company will have more than 5,000 employees in total, in 42 countries and 35 production sites. The companies’ combined product portfolios will be highly complementary, offering fashion brands and the global textile industry the high performance and innovation they expect, whilst respecting natural resources and the planet. Archroma is a portfolio company of US-based private investment firm SK Capital Partners. Since its formation in 2013, the company has been building a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to serve the apparel, textiles, packaging, paper, coatings, adhesives and sealants markets. The acquisition of Huntsman Textile Effects adds to the rich heritages of Archroma, with Archroma having previously acquired the global textile chemicals business of BASF, M. Dohmen, and the stilbene-based paper optical brightener business of BASF. Thomas Bucher, Group Chief Finance Officer; Heike van de Kerkhof, Archroma Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO); Rohit Aggarwal, Divisional President & CEO of the Archroma Textile Effects division, as well as President Asia; Sameer Singla, Divisional President & CEO of the Archroma Paper, Packaging & Coatings division, as well as President Americas and Europe, Middle East & Africa (from L to R) In addition to the closing of the Textile Effects acquisition, Archroma announced that it has updated its overall business into two operating divisions for growth, each focused on a separate end market. The Textile Effects business acquired from Huntsman will be integrated with the Brand &Performance Textile Specialties business of Archroma into one new division named Archroma Textile Effects. The new division will be led by The acquisition of Huntsman Textile Effects adds to Rohit Aggarwal, former President of Huntsman Textile Effects, who is appointed as Divisional President & CEO of the Archroma Textile Effects division, the rich heritages of Archroma, with Archroma as well as President Asia. having previously acquired the global textile The Packaging & Paper Specialties and Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants chemicals business of BASF, M. Dohmen, and the businesses of Archroma have been recently combined into one new stilbene-based paper optical brightener business of division named Archroma Paper, Packaging & Coatings, under the BASF. Archroma is committed to supporting global leadership of Sameer Singla, Divisional President & CEO of the Archroma Paper, Packaging & Coatings division, as well as President Americas and megatrends and societal shifts such as circular Europe, Middle East & Africa. fashion, plastic-to-paper replacement, and water- This new structure will ensure that both divisions obtain the resources and based paints and coatings, with the innovations focus needed to continue providing Archroma’s customers and business and solutions needed to do so. partners with the superior experience and solutions they have come to expect. synergies of not just one but two leaders in textile chemicals and dyes. The In particular, Archroma is committed to supporting global megatrends and integration will allow us to offer the cost-effective innovation, quality, societal shifts such as circular fashion, plastic-to-paper replacement, and reliability, expertise and market coverage that our partners need to win in water-based paints and coatings, with the innovations and solutions needed the current market conditions.” to do so. Rohit Aggarwal further adds: “I am very excited to see our two leading teams Heike van de Kerkhof comments: “We are very proud of Archroma’s unite. We share the same passion for innovation and the same vision for a achievements in recent years which have been driven by innovation and more efficient and sustainable textile and apparel sector. At this critical time organic initiatives, as well as the integration of strategic acquisitions. We for our industry, we have a unique opportunity to step up as champions of have made substantial investments in development and production of high transformation that help textile manufacturers and brands around the globe performance and earth-friendlier dyes, as well as a host of systems and find new avenues for growth and new ways to delight and inspire consumers.” solutions that reduce the environmental and energy footprints of the mills, leading the industry’s efforts to offer more sustainable products to the Sameer Singla concludes: “Archroma has a long history of providing our dyes, consumers. The acquisition of Huntsman Textile Effects enhances Archroma’s specialty chemicals and water-based emulsions to paper, packaging, paints, position as a leader in innovation, service and sustainability and creates a coatings and many other applications. With our new Paper, Packaging & powerhouse with superior capabilities to serve our customers and markets.” Coatings division, we will be able to partner with our global customer base to drive innovation in our market, providing the increasingly sustainable solutions Thomas Bucher, Group Chief Finance Officer, adds: “With this acquisition, that consumers demand and deserve” Archroma is now in a position to leverage the complementarities and 38 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

39. Fespa Global Print Expo 2023 set to welcome strong line-up of 490 90 exhibiting companies are already international exhibitors 4 confirmed to participate at FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience 2023, including 95 suppliers who were unable to attend the events in the last two years due to travel restrictions, including DP Solutions, euro laser, INX, Lüscher Technologies, Marabu, SPS Techno Screen, Vastex International and Vivid Laminating Technologies. The line-up also features 78 new exhibitors, including Aerolam Decoratives, Carbon Quota, Duveholm Stallbacken, Magon, Newtown Packaging, Ronchini Massimo, Scandinavian Print Group, Toscana Systems and XEIKON. Visitors to FESPA Global Print Expo 2023 will see solutions from event sponsors Durst, Surfex, Brother, Mimaki, Hanglory and HP and hardware from leading suppliers including AGFA, Aeoon, Aleph, Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, Kongsberg, Liyu, MHM, Sakurai, Swissqprint, Ricoh, Roland, ROQ and Zünd. Confirmed automation and workflow software suppliers include Caldera, efi, Enfocus BV, One Vision and Print Factory. Ahlstrom Munksjö, APA, Hexis, Image Perfect/Berger Textiles, InkTec, Neschen, ORAFOL, Poli-Tape and Sun Chemical are also among the companies presenting media and consumables. Head of FESPA Global Print Expo, Michael Ryan comments: “Exhibitors who haven’t been able to participate in FESPA events in the last few years can’t wait to share their innovations and expertise with our visitors. And we know that printers benefit hugely from being able to see products from many suppliers in one place, helping them to compare and evaluate the right investments for their business. Our mission this year is to give valuable new perspectives to printers and sign makers. With the strongest line-up of FESPA exhibitors since 2019, we can guarantee that visitors to Munich in May will be in the best place to get the insight and advice they need to overcome their production challenges, access new opportunities and imagine their business future.” Christoph Gamper, CEO & Co-Owner, Durst comments: “Whereas there was a strong focus on faster production in recent years, digital printing is now no longer the new kid on the block. The emphasis is now on automation, efficiency, and an overall sustainable process in the various digital printing applications. We are pleased to have FESPA in our ‘neighbourhood’ this year and look forward to a lively exchange of applications and unique views, celebrating achievements and discussing new perspectives. The best ideas are born in dialogue, and FESPA offers the ideal setting.” European Sign Expo 2023, the leading European exhibition for signage and visual communications, will be co-located with FESPA Global Print Expo. With the support of Platinum Sponsor EFKA, the event will reunite key signage professionals with companies specialising in channel lettering, digital signage, dimensional signage, engraving and etching, illuminated displays, out of home media, LED, outdoor systems, laser cutters and sign tools. The brand new Personalisation Experience will give visitors the opportunity to learn more about personalisation, with specialist suppliers including Antigro, Brother, Dreamscape, Infigo, Optimus, Printbox, Print & Logistics, Taopix and XMPie showcasing products and solutions. Registration for FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience is now live. Entry to all three exhibition areasis free for members of a FESPA national Association or FESPA Direct. The ticket price is 30.00 euro for non-members who pre-register using code FESM306 before 23rd March. A four-day pass for the Personalisation Experience conference area will be priced at 495 euro. Tickets to the PE conference are 225 euro for visitors who register before March 23rd using codePEX1 39 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

40. GTE Ahmedabad 2023 - Showcased latest technologies for apparel manufacturing The textile Industry has always played a pivotal role in the industrial and economic growth of Gujarat State. The Garment sector of this industry, which has witnessed an accelerated growth over last few years, is still having tremendous potential for growth in today’s era. Gujarat is home to major apparel industries in Ahmedabad, Surat, Gandhinagar, Baroda, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Valsad, Vapi, Silvassa and Pali producing for well-known clothing brands in the state. ver the years, the state’s textile industry has made rapid strides, evolving O as a leader not just in domestic but also in the global domain. Gujarat’s textile industry accounts for 18 percent of global silk production and 59 percent of the world’s loom capacity, making it the second-largest region for textile manufacturing capacity in the world today. Gujarat is the leading producer of textile raw materials like cotton, or silk, the state has established an acute dominance on the production of necessary raw materials. Now Gujarat is the leading cotton producer with around 28% of India’s total cotton and exports 60 percent of the country’s fiber. With a contribution of 65 to 70% to India's denim production, Gujarat is the largest manufacturer of denim in the country and the third largest in the world. Gujarat also produces 30 percent of the country’s woven fabric, has more than 50 percent of the country’s processing machinery manufacturers, and 90 percent of the country’s weaving machinery manufacturers. Making it an ideal place for garmenting in India. The Government of Gujarat promotes apparel & textile industry aggressively with good policy based incentives. It has sanctioned many apparel parks in the state to promote domestic and export over the world were showcased. In fact the show had a complete display of sales of the textile and garments. garment making machines. The show was approved by MSME and supported by the garment industry associations. The current supply and demand factors provide very conducive and favourable business and market environment for the technological investment. In such GTE has always been an integral trade platform for the companies to launch new scenario, there is a big need to the textile industry here to upgrade itself with technologies and equipment. The show covered all segments of garment the latest technological developments taking place worldwide. That is why for manufacturing technologies including, CAD/ CAM, spreading & cutting machines, providing these technologies under one roof Garment Technology Expo (GTE) sewing machines, laundry machines, garment dyeing machines, finishing 2023, one of the leading international trade shows for garment industry was equipment, fusing machines, embroidery machines, printing & digital textile organised at Helipad Exhibition Ground, Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat (India) from 2nd- printing, packaging machines, quilting machines, knitting machines, software 4th March, 2023. solutions, spares & attachments, accessories & trims, testing equipment, dyes & chemicals, fabrics, fancy yarns, support services, etc. The B2B Expo provides a single point meeting ground for the garment manufacturers and technology providers to discuss, source and access latest GTE Ahmedabad is a flagship event, which has been building partnerships between technological development in the industry under one roof. The growth of the Gujarat garment making community and technology suppliers worldwide. The expo in terms of the increasing number of new quality participants from across show provided an excellent opportunity and a wonderful platform to see latest the globe and the increase in overall size of the exhibition speaks for the fruitful automated apparel technologies in Gujarat itself that can make it more & appreciable role played by GTE for the apparel technology in Western India. competitive. Earlier, to get latest updates and upgrade the manufacturing plants people used to travel to trade shows overseas or bigger cities like Delhi and In this edition, more than 500 brands & companies including leading manufacturers Mumbai but GTE made it easier for them. To sustain and further enhance our and suppliers garment machinery and accessories from India as well as abroad growth it is necessary for the industry to work towards introduction of best participated in the show. The show received very good response with more practices and latest technologies for development of niche apparel products. than 7900 visitors from Ahemdabad and nearby regions visited the show. The All in all, GTE established itself as a must-visit destination for buyers from the event brought together a large number of industry visitors from this sector where textile and apparel industry in this region. wide a range of garment machinery, accessories and support services from all 40 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

41. Exhibitor’s comments e have been exhibiting at e take part in each and every W W GTE Ahmedabad since the GTE since several years and first edition and are dealers of we are into supply of hanger automated garment machinery of systems, box conveyor systems, several brands. We have displayed intelligent storage systems and data the latest technologies and most of tracking systems for the garment the buyers are genuine and the manufacturing industry. We met a response has been good. Buyers good number of buyers from seem keen to upgrade their Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and technologies. We have received a many other cities of North and lot of inquiries and have also sold a South India. We are satisfied with few machines. the response. S Eswaran Manpreet Singh Walia Mehala Machines INL International inger has a complete range of e are participating at GTE S W stitching machines which Ahmedabad since the first meets all needs of a garment edition and are distributors for manufacturer. Singer has almost several global brands of garment 6,000 all India dealers and offers machinery. Buyers came from in service in more than 300 locations and around Ahmedabad, Surat and in India, which extends even to a few other cities outside Gujarat. small villages. We will now also Our experience has been directly sell to garment factories. satisfactory. We got a good number of orders and also met new and existing dealers, who came from all over Santosh Lade Neville Turel India. Experience has been great. Singer India E.H. Turel & Co. ukatech takes part at each and his is our second edition at T T every edition whether in New GTE Ahmedabad and are Delhi, Ahmedabad or Bengaluru. We agents for well known sewing offer solutions from concept to machine as well as spare part cutting including Designing and brands like StrongH, Kansai, CAD-CAM solutions. We have Brother, etc. We met a good customers in Ahmedabad who number of new prospective produce only 500 pieces per day, buyers and dealers. The market in but still have adopted our solutions. Gujarat seems to be developing We always have a good experience as compared to a few years ago. at any GTE edition. We met The buyers came from several customers even from Lucknow. cities of India. Umesh Gaur Hitesh Luniya Tukatech Gauge International ere our focus is on automation his is the first time we are H T and we have introduced many participating at GTE multi-needle sewing machines, Ahmedabad. Optitex deals in 2D & which have UBT. These machines 3D software for CAD-CAM. The are top of the line, under the brand local garment industry still works in Duke. Apart from this we have a traditional manner and buyers displayed complete sewing solution were very surprised to see the for denims. We are always part of benefits of adopting our software. GTE and the visitor response was We have received many genuine good. We had many customers from inquiries from buyers in Gujarat and other places from Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore and other western India. Overall we are happy cities. We are very happy that we Bhavya Anand Parvinder Singh with the outcome. created awareness of our software. Hari Chand Anand & Co. Optitex ansai is a 65 years old Japanese his is the first time we are K T company which manufactures participating at GTE Ahmedabad only Chain Stitch Machine for and are Chinese manufacturers of various garment fabrics. We also automated stitching machines. GTE have a multi needle machine, which is a very platform to show our has around 90% global share. There technologies to end users and has been a good flow of buyers. We dealers. Our experience has been met buyers from many cities of very good as we expect to generate India like Bengaluru, Mumbai, good business from this exhibition. Jaipur, Delhi and also several cities We are satisfied and based on this of Gujarat. For the next Ahmedabad experience will come back again for edition, we will come back with a next edition. Praveen Kumar Jhadav Rahul Prakash bigger stall. Kansai Special Ningbo Supreme 41 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

42. his is the first time we are his is the first time we are T T exhibiting at GTE Ahmedabad exhibiting at GTE Ahmedabad and manufacture and specialise in and are distributors of Gemsy brand Bonding and Stitchless technologies sewing machines in Gujarat and as well as import and sell also all-India distributor for Daisen. automated technologies. Since we Our experience has been very good deal in niche technologies, most of as we met many existing as well as the buyers were not aware of our new dealers from all over Gujarat technologies, so it was an and also Mumbai, Jaipur, Indore, enjoyable experience explaining our Jabalpur, Ujjain and many other technologies. We met maximum cities. We will be able to increase number of buyers from Mumbai and our dealer network significantly due Lalit Dash RC Patel Ahmedabad. to our participation. Sakho Enterprises Daisen his is the first time we are a e are participating at all T W participating at GTE Ahmedabad GTE editions since a long and have a sewing machine brand time and are showing here named Sonex. We offer the highest automated cutting machines and quality of machines. We have finishing solutions. We can see an received a very good response and interest among buyers to switch our experience at GTE Ahmedabad to automated machines. GTE is an is similar to GTE Delhi as buyers awesome platform to meet a large came from all over India. They even number of buyers from all over came from smaller cities of India. Just like GTE Delhi, GTE Maharashtra and Gujarat. Overall Ahmedabad now also sees visits our experience has been from buyers from all over India. Navin Sharma Mohit Sethi outstanding. Sonex Sewing Machine Fablook International his is the second time we are his is the first time we are T T participating at GTE and are exhibiting at GTE Ahmedabad importers and distributors of and are showing single head multi industrial sewing machinery, spare needle computerised embroidery parts, packing and finishing machines, which are suitable for materials. We met a large number of smaller quantities and single new and existing buyers as well as designs. The Ahmedabad market dealers. We had a very good seems small but response is good. experience this time. For the next We are also in talks to sell a few edition we will increase our stall size machines. We will definitely return by three times. Buyers and dealers for the next edition. came from all parts of Gujarat and Akash Hemanth Kumar also from other cities of India. Dilip Machines Krishna Sewing his is the first time we are e sell our own brand of T W exhibiting at GTE Ahmedabad stitching machines under the and supply technologies beginning name of Sera and we offer the from Cutting Room till Packing, complete range of stitching which includes Stitching, Finishing, machines. We met a very good Fusing and QA machinery. Our number of visitors and the response experience has been very good, was beyond our expectations. Apart from several cities of Gujarat; Other than Gujarat, the visitors we also met buyers from Mumbai, came from all over India. Bhilwara and several other cities. We have also taken orders for a few machineries. We will surely come Mohd. Bilal Kapil Gupta back for the next edition. Ample Garment Machinery RK Garment e are taking part at GTE his is the second time we are W T Ahmedabad since the first exhibiting at GTE Ahmedabad edition and we are a 43 years old and offer CAD-CAM solutions or company dealing in industrial entire cutting room solutions. We stitching machines. We are sole have got a very good response and selling agents of Jack brand in most of them were quality buyers. Gujarat. There has been a good rush Buyers came from Ahmedabad, of buyers including dealers from Baroda, Surat, Jaipur, Delhi, practically all districts of Gujarat. Bengaluru and also Mumbai. We are From Vadodara alone, we met nine fully satisfied and will absolutely dealers. We are totally satisfied come back for the next edition. with our participation and will Ketan Shah Harish Kamalanandan surely return for the next edition. Stitchman Natwest Inc. 42 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

43. Exhibitor’s comments e manufacture sustainable e have been associated with W W garment washing GTE since 2005 and are technologies like Nano Particles manufacturing Flatbed Knitting machine, Ozone machine, machines since 2004. We see a lot Waterless technologies etc. The of potential and so Ahmedabad will response has been excellent and be a good market for us. Maximum we have sold all machines on inquiries came from Ahmedabad display. Buyers came from and buyers also came from Surat Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Jaipur, and a few other cities of India. We Delhi and many other cities. had a very good experience and will surely return for next edition of GTE Ahmedabad. Vishal Prajapati Harish Daffu Ramsons Omex Mechanical his is our third edition at GTE e sell the entire range of T W Ahmedabad and offer CAD-CAM Luoke stitching machine Solutions for the garment and brand and also heat transfer leather industry. As always, this machines and we supply all over time too we had a good experience. India. We are here to meet garment GTE is a good brand and is always factories as well as dealers. Our able to attract a good number of experience was fabulous as we footfalls. We had maximum number met buyers and dealers from all of buyers from all cities of Gujarat over Gujarat and also India. We are like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, 100% satisfied with our Bhavnagar, etc. There is no doubt participation and will plan to take that we are satisfied. part in the next edition Vishal Agrawal Hiren Gadhiya Onyx Solution's Hare Krishna Impex e are participating at GTE e are participating at GTE W W Ahmedabad for the first time. Ahmedabad for the second But still we received excellent time and supply Flatbed Knitting response from buyers. GTE is a very machines in which sweaters, pillow good platform for those who want to covers, mufflers, socks etc, can be start a new garment factory or want manufactured. We also supply to upgrade their machinery as they Digital Printing Machines. The will be able to see all technologies response has been beyond our under one roof. Buyers came from expectations. Buyers came from all over Gujarat and from other many cities of Gujarat and also from cities of India, where there is a Mumbai and other cities. We are decent garment industry. We also fully satisfied with our participation. Tapan Kapadia Shrikant Patil met a buyer from West Africa. HSW Embroidery Machines Perfect Textile Solutions his is the first time we are his is our second time at GTE T T exhibiting at GTE and Ahmedabad and have increased manufacture sustainable industrial our stall size by four times. We deal washing machines, which reduce in spare parts of stitching lots of water and energy machines, steam irons, cutting consumption or total cost is reduced machines, etc. This time we met by 60%. We are here to create buyers from various cities of Gujarat awareness. The footfalls have been as well as Mumbai, Bengaluru, good. The majority of buyers came Tirupur, Kolkata, Delhi, Ludhiana and from Ahmedabad. We will surely many other cities. In 2019, most of take part in the next edition of GTE the buyers were from Gujarat, but Ahmedabad. Regarding GTE Delhi, this time it has been pan-India just Parthiv Panchal Chintan Mehta we will think about it. like GTE Delhi. Onyx Machinery Sunny & Co. his is the first time we are e are taking part at GTE for T W taking part at GTE and offer third time and are dealers of project consultancy, turnkey services garment solutions from cutting to and garment machines from cut to stitching and offer several pack, including spare parts for renowned brands. We have also garment factory. We also try to offer doubled our stall size as against the the highest level of services. We offer previous edition. GTE is a very good technologies from several brands. platform to build relations and We met buyers from several states of network with new buyers from all India like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat. We met many new buyers MP and also from South Indian from Surat and Rajkot. We are 100% states. We are fully satisfied with our satisfied with our participation. Chandrabhan Gosavi Chirag Desai participation. Bapu Traders Jyot Sewing Machine 43 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

44. Thoughts about Embroidery Production Management Hey, it is not rocket science! Industrial production processes are precisely planned by engineers, technologists, logistics analysts. Steps are carefully measured and planned, their timing accurately estimated and the material is stocked and delivered to the production in time. This is necessary because of tight profit margins: poorly designed processes may result in making a loss on the job. Yet, the embroidery industry frequently suffers from poorly estimated jobs, delays and unexpected overheads. Engineering precision not yet touched our area in most companies. There are difficulties about how to estimate the actual costs of a job at the design phase. This is important, so we can have better management in our factory and also that we better understand the cost factors. Here are a few ideas about how embroidery designing can provide cost estimates for the production, so resources can be prepared. It is not rocket science but we need to use science built into the design software to improve our Production Management. Basic numbers higher speeds are acceptable because the logos have backing fabric, to stabilize the design against distortion but fashion work, is mostly done on a single fabric layer without backing. Today, embroidery machines equalize threat tension against speed. The machine slows down on longer stitches, so the thread tension caused by the thread feeding/tensioning mechanism stays even. This way the quality of long and short stitches is about the same. Still, the proportion of long stitches and short stitches in a design can affect the overall stitching time. It is advisable to keep the stitches in a design relatively short (under 7 mm). The embroidery design software usually provides stitch estimate and some also provide machine running time estimates as well. You can setup the running Basic cost factors in a design: number of stitches, color changes, trims, jump stitches. parameters for each machine, and fine tune them with test designs until you Sometimes, number of sequins, beads. The number of stitches is a basic number, get estimates that are within 10-15% of the actual run time. multiplying them by the machine speed (stitch per minute) will give us the core value of the running time. Embellishment usage Another estimate that is necessary for production is to know how much thread the design will use. The design software can give the Production Manager this information in meters for each thread color. The stitch length calculation parameters depend on the bobbin tension, the top tension, the average machine speed and the type of thread we use. Some software give you a formula, where you can adjust parameters and run tests, compare the estimate with the result and adjust the formula until you get a close result. From then you can easily estimate the thread usage. It is possible to estimate the amount of embellishment (sequins, beads) the job will take. If you need to report the costs of the job later, such design numbers can help. For example, the Wilcom Production Worksheet has such report. Summary The above are just a few ideas and examples how the Production Manager can collect data from the Design Department in order to plan the production of a new design, make sure that there is enough stock of thread and other parts Estimating Running Time and also can calculate the costs of the job. This can also help to provide better The basic number here is “machine speed”. Most embroidery machines are set quotation for future jobs to much lower speed than the maximum speed, this is to reduce thread breaks (By Janos Horvath, Vice President International Sales, Wilcom) and reduce the thread tension and therefore fabric distortion. For logo work, For Latest Trend Forecast visit... www.apparelviews.com 44 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

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46. BRINGS TOGETHER NEW, EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED TALENT ne of the most eagerly-awaited events in the calendars of all fashion audience. The business of fashion is also a key driving force, with the O followers in the country, Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI 2023 recently largest ever area dedicated to the FDCI Showroom and the presence of concluded, giving us a glimpse at all the trends. buyers expected from around the world. Over the past few years, there's been so much conversation around "As India's first and biggest make up and premium skincare brand, Lakme has sustainability - it's gone mainstream and it's here to stay for all the right always taken pride in leading the narrative on fashion and beauty and is now reasons. We're ready to witness what's trending on the fashion front this raising the impact at this intersection even more at Lakme Fashion Week. We season with sustainability as its theme. The first season of Lakme Fashion are truly looking forward to the newest edition of Lakme Fash ion Week in Week in collaboration with FDCI for 2023 is back at Jio World Garden in partnership with FDCI. Given Lakme Fashion Week is the mecca of the confluence Bandra Kurla Complex. The four-day beauty and fashion event is held from of beauty and fashion in the country, it is here that we want to embark upon our March 9 to 12 with Sustainable Fashion Day and the Lakme Grand Finale at new journey of "Unapologetically Me" - to partner the modern Indian woman to Jio World Garden. own her beauty and embrace it unapologetically. We look forward to our alliance with all the talented designers, makeup and hair artists, and models to curate a Along with a host of new GenNext designers, we got to see many familiar range of showstopping, unapologetic looks with our widespread portfolio and names make a comeback on the runway, like Namrata Joshipura and Anavila. latest launches, Lakme Absolute Lip Mousse and Lakme 9to5 CC Mousse," From new frontiers of sustainability to a return to classic, old-school high- said Harman Dhillon, Vice President, Hindustan Unilever Limited. glamour fashion by the masters, there was something for everybody. Here are all the major highlights that you might have missed from Fashion Week… Sunil Sethi, Chairman FDCI commented, "We are all excited to return to Mumbai with this edition of Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. As we continue Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI brings together new, emerging and to foster a partnership that brings to the fore the best of talent we currently established talent from across the industry to present a world-class beauty have in India in the fashion and design space, we could not be more excited to and fashion event. The platform has always offered two showcase areas spotlight new and emerging talent as well as give a platform to established (runway and atelier) for designers and will continue to champion designers to bring their creativity to life. Audiences can expect never seen before sustainability, inclusivity, and diversity through cutting-edge innovations manifestations of design on the runway that we are sure will contribute to a and eco-conscious initiatives. Also live streamed across OTT partners of sustainable growth of fashion and nurture the industry as a whole." all showcase platforms to reach a wider Indian and global fashion 46 46 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

47. The Anavila Label opened the Atelier during sustainable fashion Anavila’s’ collection “DABU” dreamt up by ace designer Anavila Misra. The new collection called “DABU” was devoted to the beauty of the sari and it’s graceful and elegant drape, which has never been bound by zippers, buttons, or belts. Undoubtedly, the focal point of the show was the unstitch beauty of the sari and its fluid creativity. DABU, which comes from the Hindi word ‘dabana’ or press, is a very labour-intensive technique and involves several stages of printing and dyeing. The natural dyes of ivory, ochre, sage green, indigo, madder, kashish and black with a luxurious presence of gold and silver danced in gay abundance on the yards of glorious fabrics. AKAARO – The Sky Is Mine by Gaurav Jai Gupta The collection “The Sky is Mine” was inspired by the project ‘The Sky is Blue’ from the international Klein Blue that the French artist visualised. Adopting this unique artistic approach to fashion, the ‘Akaaro’ brand brought to centre stage its signature hand woven fabrics that were masterly developed using unconventional materials like stainless steel, Merino wool, monofilament silk, along with cotton for a grand exploration and potential of the colour blue. There were magical blues that brought visions of Lord Shiva in sharp focus, as the hues ranged from deep blue that were reminiscent of outer space, or glossy shades from computer programmes and artificial intelligence that moved on the futuristic theme of the show. There was a great explosion of straight lines as they merged creatively with concentric circles and abstract forms that further added beauty to this contemporary collection of garments. 47 47 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

48. Nitin Bal Chauhan collection – THE OUTSIDER Nitin Bal Chauhan’s collection “The Outsider” had a very unconventional inspiration at Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. The designer is known to showcase collections that have inspirations as well as construction, design and silhouettes that make the audience sit up and take notice of the designer’s creative talents. The asymmetric silhouettes were the focal point of the look, along with the unusual off-centre design detailing that was eminently eye catching. The juxtaposed panels further added to the inspiration of the collection and created a feeling of absurdity that was derived from the author’s novel. Layers of textures formed the base of the look, while the 3D hand embroidery, which is the designer’s signature touch was observed on the clothes, shoes and even headgear. Nitin Bal Chauhan is renowned for his clothes that have a marked punk flavour and this season too, his extensive use of metal on the garments projected a neo-minimal punk look. Ruchika Sachdeva’s ‘Bodice’ label presented by RISE Worldwide Through this showcase, Bodice launched its Spring/Summer ’23 collection, which celebrated the triumph of colour with an array of fluid silhouettes. Sundresses stood out, and wardrobe staples were refined to elevated daywear. Visible on the ramp was a stylish collision of bright pinks, tangerine and electric blue that perfectly balanced the unbleached beauty of Kora. Comfort was the key word when asymmetric tent tops had tie-up detailing at the waist, while a wide assortment of sundresses were uniquely panelled with gentle, feminine tailoring to satisfy the beach lovers. For more practical options, there were flared trousers and pleated shirt dresses that added to the wide wardrobe variety. Separates were an important aspect of the collection, as versatile coordinate sets could be re-worn, styled in numerous ways as well as mixed and matched as per the moods of the buyers. The fluid, flowing, silhouettes added to the relaxed, edgy look of the ensembles that would suit the holiday mood of the wearer. 48 48 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

49. “Kacho” (Raw) Khadi collection by Divyam Mehta Divyam Mehta’s “Kacho” (Raw) Khadi collection was a visual collage that amalgamated rural Rabari wall patterns with dots that were laid out in geometrical forms. This was achieved with spontaneous brush strokes and immaculately embellished with Kantha stitches. The collection showcased a quiet colour palette comprising slate, fossil, grey and indigo that highlighted the raw textures of the denim and cotton khadi. Divyam added further detailing in hand carved wooden blocks as well as screen prints. The interesting aspects were the stark stitches that were visible on tailored jackets, trousers, odhanis and interesting cocoon like drapes. The design medley of the collection included drapes with meticulous patterns and artisanal construction that was emphasised with darning stitches to highlight the seams. Suket Dhir - Tribute to Nature collection Suket Dhir’s “Spring Forest” collection for men imagined Khadi in a new avatar as images of animals amongst lush foliage were presented in a contemporary format. It was fascinating to see Suket’s versions of animals out from the cold winter as they celebrated Spring in the forest. It was amazing to spot a hornbill relaxing with a cigar, while a black buck whistled in the distance, or another blew bubbles with a chewing gum and a leopard in a helmet was ready to ride away. Khadi was presented as summer and winter garments in muted hues and dreamt up in cotton and cotton silks. The weaves were in different counts that offered plain twill as well as jamdani that was printed in refreshing colours. The garments embellished with kantha, had clever detailing, trims and displayed great, luxurious, satin, silk lining. Sharply cut and very well constructed the men’s wear options in Khadi from the “Spring Forest” line by Suket Dhir gave a variety to choose from. 49 49 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023

50. “Khadder” collection by Shruti Sancheti For Shruti Sancheti, Khadi was not just a cloth when she designed her collection “Khadder”. For her, it has always been a fabric that is an integral part of the Indian freedom movement. Creating a line of timeless clothing from Khadi, Shruti selected cotton and silk Khadi woven in small clusters of Vidarbha, in fine thread counts that varied from 120 to 200. Adding her fashion sensibilities to the fabric, Shruti brought in geometric motifs that featured stripes and checks. The colour palette was devoted to indigo, rust, maroon and beige that featured soft and earthy tones to match the textures of the fabric. The hand block printing was however the focal point of the line, while embellishments like cord embroidery and exquisite mukaish work highlighted the detailing of the garments. The wide array of comfortable duster jackets, perky boleros, practical co-ord sets, long layer-friendly dresses, some cool kurtas and bundies offered both Indian and western style directions. JJ Valaya showcased a unique collection from his bridge-to-luxury brand “JJV.Kapurthala” The “JJV.Kapurthala” collection was a travel inspired look that offered occasion wear, based on the travelogues of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala, which is also known as the Paris of Punjab. The collection of 42 immaculately tailored and constructed ensembles showcased a grand tapestry of weaves that brought in unison traditional motifs, abstract designs as well as stripes. The colour card stayed true to the NEXA hues of blue, black, and ivory that highlighted the exquisite silhouettes of the dramatic garments. Against an impressive back drop, the creations were unveiled in their regal glory as men’s and women’s wear glided on the ramp on elegantly styled models. Smart kurta/bundie sets for men were balanced with stylish basic shirts with animal prints. Women’s wear featured an interesting deep ‘V’ neckline for a long-sleeved blouse worn with a colourful maxi skirt. 50 50 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023 APPAREL VIEWS / MARCH 2023