policy initiatives - Textile Magazine

Contents 

6 Editorial 

policy initiatives 

8 New textile parks will provide four lakh 

additional jobs 

18 SIMA thanks CM for sanctioning Rs. 9-crore 

grant for textile parks 

62 Maharashtra textile policy envisages 

Rs. 40,000-crore investment 

40 

12 

Aditya Birla Group 

to invest $500 million 

in Turkish VSF plant 

cover story 

“India is ranked among the Top 3 markets 

worldwide for the Picanol Group. We will continue 

...” – P. KasiViswanathan, Head of Indian Operations, 

Picanol India Private Ltd. 

Exclusive 

26 KTTM plan to expand capacity and widen 

product range 

new products 

32 Lenzing’s Modal fibre with Edelweiss effect 

70 LYCRA(R) Sport fabric brand sets fresh 

performance standards 

84 Y-Tester, for smarter yarn testing 

Arvind-PD 

joint venture for 

glass fabrics 

20 

2 | The Textile Magazine jANUARY 2012

Contents 

22 

Our next issue 

For release at 

texfair 

coimbatore 

For advertising, mail us at: 

textile.magazine@gmail.com 

Foundation laid for SEL Textiles’ 

Rs. 1,500-crore integrated facility 

Corporate news 

16 Debt restructuring imminent in cotton textile sector: Fitch 

34 stovec sets up marketing network for direct sales 

38 suvin selected as consultant for technical textiles growth 

50 rotorcraft RoCoS to revolutionize compact spinning 

52 shri Lakshmi Cotsyn expansion to be completed by March 

61 rieter ComforJet licence for Hermann Bühler AG 

63 nakoda plans Rs. 1,935-crore investment for capacity hike 

66 Karl Mayer Academy offers extensive product training 

69 invista makes global organizational changes 

36 

GTN’s new growth 

strategy for 

Cotstyle Apparels 

76 

Fong’s Bangladeshi 

Customer Day 

proves most successful 

46 Awards 

• MSME Award - CTA Apparels • EEPC Award - K U Sodalamuthu 

Technology 

54 updated OEKO-TEX Test criteria coming into force 

82 Groz-Beckert gauge part system for process reliability 

with functional interaction 

Spinning 

58 sovereign guarantees quality components for spinning 

segment 

60 VRT, trusted supplier of a variety of travellers for decades 

bangladesh textile news 

72 turag goes vertical and selects Monforts stenter for new mill 

80 Largest Bangla garment exporter’s main reliance on 

Monforts technology 

76 Fong’s Bangladeshi Customer Day proves most successful 


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the written permission of the publisher. 

Debt rescheduling indispensable 

All the Indian cotton textile companies 

without exception having reported heavy 

losses throughout the year just gone by, the 

Textiles Ministry felt constrained to concede 

the industry demand for a comprehensive relief 

package to get over the crisis, including 

a moratorium on mills’ repayment of bank 

loans and interest. In fact, the operating losses 

of mills are more pronounced in the case 

of cotton yarn and lower-end fabric manufacturers 

due mainly to extreme volatility 

in cotton prices making them more prone 

to severe liquidity risks. The Government’s 

erratic and unpredictable cotton and yarn 

policy is largely to blame for the plight of 

thousands of spinning mills. The mid-year 

R. Natarajan, 

Managing Editor & Publisher 

announcement of a ceiling of 720 million kg of cotton yarn shipments, 

which of course was lifted later, and the decision on export of an additional 

10 lakh bales of cotton, besides the exportable surplus of 55 lakh bales, 

added to the woes of mills. Higher inventories, coupled with liquidity pressures, 

forced cotton textile mills to put off buying of high-cost cotton and 

yarn. At one particular stage cotton prices shot by 40 per cent. 

What has come as a morale-booster to the industry is the Centre’s proposal 

to extend interest waiver on loans to those companies which were left 

out under the subsidy scheme last year. Further, Fitch has rightly said that, 

based on its study of working of mills faced with mounting cash losses, 

immediate debt restructuring is indispensable. True, debt repayment capacity 

of some companies has deteriorated further, leading to over-utilisation 

of working capital limits. Debt restructuring has of course its drawbacks. 

If, for instance, the extended moratorium on repayment of loans is made 

available to all the companies, some of them needing no funds may also 

opt for extension as done during the 2008-09 slowdown. Again, there is no 

guarantee that debt rescheduling would yield the desired results in view of 

the nagging uncertainties gripping the global economy, with its adverse 

influence on the individual economies across the world. 

As elsewhere, there is nothing to cheer on the domestic front too. The 

Indian economy is on the slide with extremely poor stock market operations 

pushing the Sensex to far below the 16000-level, a steady erosion in 

the rupee value and the steep decline in aggregate exports, with the rate of 

growth in December at just 6.7 per cent. Of immediate concern are the US 

slowdown and the EU debt crisis, since the two regions together absorb 

about 60 per cent of India’s textile exports. 

52 nd 

Anniversary 

e d i t i o n 



New textile parks will provide 

four lakh additional jobs 

The Union Minister of 

Commerce, Industry and 

Textiles, Mr. Anand Sharma, 

has exhorted the textiles 

industry to improve 

its competitiveness at the 

global stage. 

Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles 

Speaking at the Parliamentary 

Consultative Committee on Textiles, 

Mr. Sharma said: “Besides 

nurturing what we have, it is essential 

to remain globally competitive. 

Increasing employability and staying 

competitive are the key objective 

for us.” 

The committee discussed the Integrated 

Skill Development Scheme 

(ISDS) and the Scheme for Integrated 

Textiles Parks (SITP). 

The Minister informed the members 

that the Indian textiles industry 

has an overwhelming presence in 

the economic life of the country. The 

sector contributes 14 per cent of industrial 

production, four per cent of 

GDP and 10.63 per cent of the country’s 

export earnings. It provides direct 

employment to over 35 million 

people, which includes a substantial 

number of SC/ST and women. The 

sector is the second largest provider 

of employment after agriculture. 

Allocation for textiles under the 

11th Plan was Rs. 14,000 crores, 

which was enhanced by Rs. 5,000 

crores to Rs. 19,000 crores. The 

Government has formulated the 

National Fibre Policy to provide a 

holistic boost to the development of 

the sector. 

On the Integrated Skill Development 

Scheme (ISDS), the Minister 

explained that the focus is on creation 

of a large variety of skills, from 

basic to specialized, to meet the 

needs of the industry. Textiles, being 

the second largest employment 



g e n e r a t i n g 

sector, requires a 

diversified portfolio of 

skills both across sub-sectors 

and processes. Skill creation under 

this sector is therefore strongly 

linked to quality standards and competitiveness, 

especially in export 

markets. 

As on date, 18 institutions are being 

funded under the first component 

and 12 organizations have been 

selected under the second. The Ministry 

is developing a skill exchange 

portal and an MIS portal. These 

portals will help improve scheme 

implementation. Under the scheme 

projects amounting to Rs. 423 crores 

for component I and Rs. 60 crores 

for component II approved. Against 

the target of 2.5 lakh textiles workers 

to be trained, a target of 1.5 

lakh workers would be achieved by 

March next. 

Referring to SITPs, the Minister 

said that in the 11th Plan 40 such 

parks were sanctioned, with a fin 

a n c i a l 

allocation of 

Rs. 1,400 crores. 

Of these, seven parks have 

been completed, 14 parks have 

drawn 90 per cent of grants, and 15 

parks are in progress. The Government 

sanctioned 21 new parks in 

October last to generate Rs. 9,000 

crores worth of investment in the 

textile sector and create employment 

for four lakh workers. 

The SITP scheme has attracted international 

attention and the Prime 

Minister has announced setting up 

of an Integrated Textile Park in Africa 

at an outlay of Rs. 350 crores 

under the India Africa Forum Summit 

II Declaration. 

The Minister also referred to the 

recently approved packages for 

weavers. 

Mr. Mahendra Kumar Roy of Jalpaiguri 

raised the issues pertaining 

to the jute sector and asked the Government 

to look into the problems of 

jute growers and mill workers. 

Mr. P. Vishwanath raised the issue 

of the Kancheepuram textiles 

industry, while Mr. Kanjibhai Patel 

sought details about the PPP component 

of the ISDS scheme and the 

criteria of selection of SITPs. 

The Minister of State, Ms. Panabaka 

Lakshmi, and the Secretary 

(Textiles), Ms. Rita Menon, were 

also present along with senior officers 

and key stakeholders. 

• 


corporate news 

Aditya Birla Group to invest $500 

million in Turkish VSF plant 

The $35 billion Aditya 

Birla Group has unveiled 

its plans to set up a viscose 

staple fibre (VSF) 

plant in Turkey’s Adana 

Organised Industrial Zone. 

The world’s No.1 VSF 

manufacturer, the group 

proposes to invest $500 

million over the next five 

years to set up a 180 ktpa 

fully integrated plant with 

a captive power plant, CS2 

plant and a sulphuric acid 

plant. The VSF plant will 

come up in two phases. 

Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group 

“In the VSF sector, we are reckoned 

as a marquee group with over 

21 per cent of the global market 

share. For us, VSF is a core business. 

Our aspiration is to significantly 

ramp up our global market 

share and our capacities by the turn 

of the decade. Establishing a worldclass 

plant in Turkey is a step in this 

direction,” commented Mr. Kumar 

Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya 

Birla Group. 

Elaborating, Mr. K.K. Maheshwari, 

Global Director of VSF 

Business, said: “Currently, our 

VSF manufacturing capacity is 750 

ktpa. Our ambition is to raise it to 

1.1 million tonnes by 2015. We 

expect to commission our plant in 

Turkey by early 2015. This capacity 

in Turkey will primarily cater 

to the textile industries here. Currently, 

100 per cent of VSF used in 

the textile and non-woven sectors is 

imported. Turkey, I believe, is the 

4th largest consumer of VSF in the 

world. It is expected to become the 

2nd largest consumer over the next 

five years. So setting up the VSF 

manufacturing facility here makes 

immense sense. We have been 

much encouraged by the Govern- 



ment’s proactive industrial policies 

and the work ethos.” 

While the plant will cater primarily 

to the domestic market, the 

group will export around 20 per 

cent of the VSF produced in Turkey 

to the European Union and 

other neighbouring countries. “It 

will provide employment to nearly 

500 Turkish nationals, besides generating 

substantial indirect employment 

through its engagement with 

the ancillary industries”, he added. 

Aditya Birla Group’s pulp & fibre 

operations span six countries 

– Canada, Sweden, Thailand, Indonesia, 

China and India. The group 

is on an ambitious expansion trajectory 

and is ramping up capacities 

in other parts of the world 

as well. A 120 ktpa greenfield 

project at Vilayat in Gujarat and 

a 36 ktpa brownfield expansion 

project at Harihar in Karnataka 

are underway at a total investment 

of $450 million. 

The Aditya Birla Group, with 

a market cap of $29 billion, is 

in the league of the Fortune 500 

companies. It operates in 36 

countries across the globe, and is 

anchored by 133,000 employees 

belonging to 42 different nationalities. 

This meritorious group 

was ranked No.4 in the global 

“Top Companies For Leaders” 

and ranked No.1 in Asia in a survey 

conducted by Aon Hewitt, 

Fortune Magazine and RBL, a 

strategic HR & leadership advisory 

firm, in 2011. 

• 





Fitch Ratings says cash losses in the Indian cotton 

textile sector are impairing the debt servicing capacity 

of manufacturers, making debt restructuring imminent. 

The agency also notes that while the Government’s debt 

restructuring proposal for the textile sector will provide 

temporary relief from liquidity pressures, it will not 

stem deterioration in the capital structure of cotton textile 

companies, most of which are heavily-geared. 

The Textiles Ministry recently recommended a moratorium 

extension by Indian banks on loans extended 

to Indian textile companies after cotton textile manufacturers 

reported operating losses for the first half of 

2011-12. The operating losses were most pronounced 

in cotton yarn manufacturing and lower-end fabric due 

to exceptional volatility in cotton prices, making them 

more prone to severe liquidity risks. Exposure of Indian 

banks to the textile sector is estimated at INR 600 billion, 

of which 75 per cent is the troubled cotton yarn 

sector. 

“Restructuring of loans will delay the deleveraging 

of Indian textile companies as repayments are rescheduled 

or deferred, keeping debt levels high,” says Tanu 

Sharma, Associate Director in Fitch’s Corporates team. 

“Leveraging continues to be impacted adversely by high 

working capital debt and lower margins.” 

Fitch notes that because of cash losses in the first half 

of 2011-12 and the fact that funds are tied up in inventories, 

the debt repayment capacity of some textile companies 

has deteriorated, leading to over-utilisation of 

working capital limits. In some cases, companies have 

defaulted due to an inability to obtain timely increase 

of working capital facilities, as banks tightened lending 

criteria for the sector. 

“Given the uncertainty over global economic recovery 

and, consequently, around overseas demand for textiles, 

the risk is that cotton textile companies, hit by cash losses 

or with large debt amid ongoing capex, would need 

to undergo a financial restructuring,” says Ms. Sharma. 

Should the extended moratorium be made available to 

all textile companies, Fitch does not preclude the possibility 

that some companies which are not in immediate 

need of liquidity may also opt for the extension as 

they had done during the 2008-2009 slowdown. Fitch 

assesses restructurings in line with its distressed debt 

exchange criteria which entails making an assessment 

as to whether or not a restructuring should be treated as 

distressed and taking appropriate rating actions. 

Demand for cotton and cotton products was weak 

between May and November 2011 as increased inventories 

and liquidity pressures caused textile mills to 

postpone buying of cotton and yarn. EBITDA margins 

of cotton yarn manufacturers fell in the first half of the 

year as companies sold off the high-cost inventories acquired 

earlier at the cost of lower margins and booked 

losses on forward contracts for cotton purchase. Margin 

recovery is expected for most textile companies in the 

fourth quarter of the year on the back of falling cotton 

prices although potentially weaker-than-expected overseas 

demand could offset the impact of such recovery. 

In YTD FY12 (end-March), Fitch has downgraded 

two textile companies by one notch to ‘Fitch B+(ind)’, 

revised the Outlooks of four companies to Negative 

from Stable, downgraded six textile companies to ‘Fitch 

D(ind)’ and assigned two companies ‘Fitch D(ind)’. 

Fitch has outstanding ratings on 54 textile companies, 

(excluding those in the non-monitored category), out of 

which two-thirds are cotton textile companies, and onethird 

are in synthetic or blended textiles. It has largely 

factored in the impact of cotton price volatility and refinancing 

risks in its ratings of Indian textile manufacturers, 

with 80 per cent of the cotton textile entities rated 

‘Fitch BB+(ind)’ and below. 

• 

The Textile Magazine jANUARY 2012 | 17


SIMA thanks CM for sanctioning 

Rs. 9-crore grant for textile parks 

Though the Indian textile industry has its inherent advantages, 

infrastructure bottlenecks is one of the prime 

areas of concern for the weaving and processing sectors 

which are the weakest link in the entire textile value 

chain. Therefore, the Government launched the Scheme 

for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) in July 2005 to create 

new textile parks of international standard at potential 

growth centres. 

The scheme had overwhelming response and attracted 

investments in 30 parks in the 10th Five-Year Plan and 

10 parks in the 11th. For the 12th Five-Year Plan, 21 

parks have already been sanctioned. 

The scheme provides 40 per cent grant, subject to a 

maximum of Rs. 40 crores, for infrastructure development, 

including land building, roads, drainage, water 

supply, electricity, effluent treatment plant, training 

centre, testing, laboratory, canteen, workers hostel, recreation 

facilities, and marketing support system. 

The Centre also encourages the State Governments to 

give another 9 per cent, subject to a maximum of Rs. 9 

crores, under the scheme to further strengthen the facilities. 

The Tamil Nadu Government considered the proposal 

positively and sanctioned funds. 

In a press release, Mr. S. Dinakaran, Chairman, 

Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), has thanked 

the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for sanctioning the State 

subsidy from SITP in spite of the severe financial crunch 

prevailing in the State, considering the urgent need for 

sustenance of the competitiveness of the State textile industry. 

Though the State accounts for one-third of the 

textile business and 47 per cent spinning capacity, it has 

suffered a severe setback in the weaving and processing 

sectors due to obsolete technology and pollution issues. 

Mr. Dinakaran has stated that the State Government 

subsidy would encourage consolidation and small & 

medium powerlooms and processing units in the State 

and go in for state-of-the-art technology with world 

class infrastructure facilities. He has also welcomed 

the nomination of the Director of Handlooms as the sin- 

Mr. S. Dinakaran, SIMA Chairman 

gle window facilitator for availing and monitoring the 

scheme. 

Out of 40 textile parks coming up in the country eight 

are in Tamil Nadu, of which only one park which is being 

promoted by SIMA is the dedicated textile processing 

park with marine discharge facility at Cuddalore. 

Mr. Dinakaran has appealed to the Chief Minister to 

nominate the Director of Handlooms as the single window 

facilitator for getting all clearances from the various 

State and Central Government authorities to expedite 

the process of implementing the park. It has taken 

more than six years for SIMA to get all the clearances 

to kick-start the park. The SIMA park would commence 

commercial production in 18 months and provide direct 

and indirect employment to 30,000 people in the State. 

The SIMA chief has also pointed out that of the 21 

parks recently sanctioned, only two are in Tamil Nadu. 

He has appealed to the State Government to earmark 

sufficient land along the coastal line and declare it as 

dedicated zone for textile processing and attract investments, 

thereby giving permanent solution for the perennial 

pollution problem in the State. 

• 



Arvind-PD joint venture for 

glass fabrics 

Mr. Sanjay Lalbhai, Chairman and M.D., Arvind Ltd 

Arvind Ltd. has announced the 

formation of a joint venture with the 

PD Fiber Glass Group of Germany 

for the manufacture of glass fabrics 

in India. The venture will cater to the 

requirements of a cross-section of 

industries like automobiles & transportation, 

wind energy, aerospace, 

ship building & infrastructure, etc. 

Besides infrastructure, India is 

making rapid strides in wind energy 

by becoming the fourth largest 

player in the world. It is also becoming 

a hub for automobile production. 

These three sectors – wind energy, 

automotive and infrastructure – are 

likely to lead the growth of the glass 

fabric market in India. 

The joint venture, Arvind PD 

Glass Composites Pvt. Ltd., will 

have a 51:49 equity participation 

from Arvind and PD Group respectively. 

A total investment of Rs. 80 

crores in five years is planned for 

the project which will manufacture 

30,000 MT/year of glass fabrics. 

Mr. Sanjay Lalbhai, Chairman and 

Managing Director, Arvind Ltd., 

said: “This move is part of a longterm 

strategy for our technical textiles 

business – a division we have 

established to explore new technologies 

in advanced textiles. We believe 

the coming years will see the global 

glass composite industry grow at a 

staggering 25% every year. This JV 

is projected to achieve a revenue of 

Rs. 250 crores after the first phase 

of investments. This will double to 

a revenue of Rs. 500 crores after 

the investments made in the second 

phase”. 

Mr. Preiss – Daimler, Managing 

Director, PD Management Group, 

observed: “In line with our growth 

aspirations and conviction in the 

global growth story of Fiber Glass 

Reinforcements, this is an important 

step for covering a larger global 

market and providing cost efficient 

solutions. Arvind, with its experience 

in weaving technology, and PD 

Group being the pioneer of the glass 

fiber to fabric industry, complement 

each other well in this partnership.” 

The new facility will manufacture 

woven, bi-axial and multi-axial 

glass fabrics along with stitched and 

chopped mat-glass fabrics. A large 

part of the new company’s output 

will be marketed overseas. 

India currently is a small market 

for glass fabrics, but as the country’s 

aerospace, auto and wind energy 

sectors grow demand is likely to expand 

considerably. 

• 



Foundation laid for SEL Textiles’ 

Rs. 1,500-crore integrated facility 

Mr. S. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, laying foundation for the new greenfield facility 

SEL Textiles Ltd. of the SEL 

Group has taken another step in its 

expansion and capacity augmentation 

drive with the Deputy Chief 

Minister of Punjab, Mr. S. Sukhbir 

Singh Badal, laying the foundationstone 

on December 16 for the stateof-the-art 

greenfield mega integrated 

textile park being set up at Panjava 

village in Muktsar District at an investment 

of about Rs. 1,500 crores. 

The ceremony was attended by a 

large number of company officials, 

industrialists and the public from 

the adjoining areas. This project had 

earlier received the approval of the 

State Empowered Committee under 

the Scheme for Integrated Textile 

Park. 

SEL is setting up the project with 

capacities of 188,160 spindles in 

ring spinning, 40 million metres in 

denim fabric and eight million pieces 

of denim garments per annum. 

The project will be operational in 

the next fiscal. 

The flagship company of the SEL 

Group, viz., SEL Manufacturing 

Company Ltd. had earlier commissioned 

the first phase of its four lakh 

spindlage plant at Mehatwara village 

in Sehore district of Madhya 

Pradesh in record time and established 

a new benchmark in project 

implementation. 

The textile park is expected to catalyse 

significant additional investments 

in the textile industry of Punjab. 

On the one hand, the plant will 



Mr. Neeraj Saluja, Managing Director, SEL Textiles 

be ultra-modern with the latest technology 

and strong systems. On the 

other hand, special emphasis will be 

laid on employment of women and 

regional workforce, besides development 

of green-belts. The major 

raw material, cotton, would be 

procured mainly from the northern 

belt comprising 

Punjab, Haryana 

and Rajasthan, 

creating value 

addition for the 

textile sector in 

the region. The 

textile park will 

generate direct 

employment for 

8,000-10,000 

people and indirect 

employment 

for over 40,000 

people. 

The company 

feels that with 

the growing 

world trade in textiles and clothing, 

India has immense opportunities as 

it has presence in the complete textile 

value chain and also advantages 

on account of availability of lowcost 

skilled manpower, increasing 

cotton production and a fast growing 

synthetic fibre industry. China, 

India and Pakistan account for a 

major portion of the world fiber consumption. 

Over the years, the size of 

spinning mills is also getting bigger. 

Greater investment and FDI opportunities 

are also available. 

All this is bound to increase the 

competitiveness of the Indian textile 

sector, especially against major 

competitors like China. Though 

China has been ahead of India in 

textile exports, the latter has ample 

opportunities for future growth. 

There is ever-increasing domestic 

demand because of growing population 

and higher income levels. India 

is also emerging as a preferred 

sourcing destination for consumers 

across the world. The textile industry’s 

committed efforts to harness 

its fundamental strengths is evident 

in the growing investments, leading 

to capacity augmentation with ultramodern 

technologies. 

• 


exclusive 

By K. Gopalakrishnan 

Kirloskar Toyoda Textile Machinery Private Ltd. (KTTM) will 

shortly reach another important milestone of selling three million 

spindles. Although the company has been associated with 

the Indian textile industry for more than a decade and a half, much of 

its growth was achieved in the last five years, says Mr. T. Parabrahman, 

KTTM Managing Director. 


exclusive 

Mr. T. Parabrahman, Managing Director, flanked by Mr. Mr. Masafumi Kunito, Deputy Managing 

Director (left), and Mr. Ashok Juneja, Associate Vice President (Marketing), KTTM 

The first millionth spindle was 

handed over to the Vardhman Group 

and the second millionth spindle to 

Loyal Textiles. Both achievements 

were made in the last seven years. 

Despite volatility in the textile 

industry, KTTM has been making 

steady progress in the Indian market. 

The company has plans to expand 

capacity, add new products, 

improve on the production systems 

and offer new technologies to customers. 

Mr. Masafumi Kunito, Deputy 

Managing Director of KTTM, says: 

“We are implementing Toyota Production 

System (TPS) and creating 

for the first time the concept of factory 

showroom. This is expected to 

tremendously improve our productivity”. 

Currently, KTTM has an installed 

monthly capacity to manufacture 

20,000 spindles but is already operating 

at a capacity of 30,000 

spindles per month. It is targeting 

sales of 360,000 spindles in 2011- 

12. With minimal investments and 

with the implementation of TPS it 

will able to increase its capacity to 

40,000 spindles per month, says Mr. 

Parabrahman. 

There are different estimates of 

the installed spindleage in India, but 

the most reliable estimates indicate 

around 50 million spindles in all. 

Annually another three million spindles 

are added or replaced. This offers 

a huge opportunity for KTTM 

for future growth. 

On the current recession, Mr. Parabrahman 

says: “It is very clear 

that the spinning industry has gone 

through an extremely bad phase for 

about 6 to 8 months. However, most 

of our customers are quite new. I believe 

the market will swing back by 

the middle of this year. Companies 

like KTTM have understood the 

phenomenon of these wild swings. 

Our partners in the supply chain also 

respond to these fluctuating trends. 

We work with over 135 component 

suppliers, and we take care of them 

during the good and bad times”. 

KTTM currently offers the popular 

RXI 240 series of spin frames. 

In the last couple of years, over 90 


exclusive 

per cent of sales have been with auto 

doffer and most of the machines 

have been long frames of 1440 spindles. 

The company introduced Toyota’s 

Compact System (EST) in India 

a couple of years back, and over 

120,000 Compact spindles have 

been delivered so far. 

KTTM is also seriously contemplating 

introduction of Toyota roving 

frame FL200. The company 

is currently conducting market research 

and a decision will be taken 

in the current year. 

“Our product reliability, lower operating 

cost, on-time delivery without 

price escalation are the strength 

of KTTM, keeping us retain our 

market share. This has also helped 

us in booking repeat orders to the 

extent of almost 60 per cent of our 

production capacity for which we 

are thankful to our esteemed customers”, 

says Mr. Parabrahman. 

Toyota’s strong philosophy of 

“Customer First” is followed at 

KTTM too. A pan-Indian sales & 

service network provides solution 

to customers within the shortest 

possible time. They also advise customers 

on predictive maintenance 

& overhauling of equipment to 

achieve optimal machine uptime. A 

well-stocked spares section further 

supports the customer by ensuring 

timely supply of parts with very low 

lead time, he adds. 

Today most of the leading spinners 

in the Indian textile industry 

are customers of KTTM, through 

Toyota’s global network. It has also 

bagged a couple of projects in Vietnam 

and Bangladesh. 

Mr. Parabrahman is confident 

that “in the next 10 years we expect 

KTTM to be one of the major players 

in the Indian textile industry”. 

KTTM also produces a range of 

auto components for export. Its auto 

parts division has received many 

awards for excellence in manufacturing. 

The total sales turnover in the 

last fiscal was about Rs. 300 crores, 

with 60 per cent contribution from 

the Textile Machinery Division. 

• 


new products 

Lenzing’s Modal fibre with 

Edelweiss effect 

Dr. Susanne Jary, Head of Marketing for Home Textiles, Lenzing 

Lenzing, the world’s leading 

manufacturer of innovative cellulose 

fibers, presented the botanic 

towel featuring the Edelweiss 

effect at Heimtextil in 

Frankfurt held during January 

11-14. Thanks to the natural 

origin of the fiber, Lenzing Modal 

is made from beech wood, 

and the botanic feeling can be 

incorporated into remarkable 

terry goods. Beech wood proliferates 

by rejuvenation. So no 

reforestation or plantations 

are necessary. More than half 

of the wood used at Lenzing 

comes from Austria and the 

remainder from the neighboring 

countries. 

The botanic origin of Lenzing Modal 

provides critical sustainability benefits 

for terry goods, benefits that are becoming 

increasingly important. However, it 

is not only the fiber’s eco-friendliness 

that makes it so compelling. Its performance 

properties such as color brilliance, 

absorbency and softness make 

terry goods of Lenzing Modal particularly 

appealing to consumers. In fact, 

89 per cent of consumers in a recent 

survey stated that towels with Lenzing 

Modal stay softer than 100 per cent cotton 

towels even after repeated washing. 

Plus, colors are richer and more intense 


new products 

with Lenzing Modal. 

Gradual fading or graying is no longer an issue with 

Lenzing Modal terry goods. Finally, these towels deliver 

a higher absorption rate than 100 per cent cotton towels, 

thanks to the fiber’s unique structure. 

With Edelweiss, Lenzing is setting new technological 

and environmental standards for the entire cellulose fiber 

industry. Lenzing’s innovative Modal production process 

involves oxygen-based chemistry. It is more environmentally 

friendly than conventional production procedures. 

Thus Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is the only Modal fiber to 

satisfy the highest environmental standards. Environmental 

benefits such as the replenishable and natural raw material, 

CO 2 

-neutrality and the highest production yield make the 

new Lenzing Modal Edelweiss the eco-fiber of choice. 

Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is produced differently from 

the conventional Lenzing Modal, but the fibers’ main properties 

such as softness and color brilliance are the same. The 

fibers process identically at all points in the textile chain. 

Susanne Jary, Lenzing’s head of marketing for home textiles, 

explains how unique Edelweiss is. “The fiber plant in 

Lenzing Austria is the only one in the world which is fully 

integrated and has all production steps, from the pulp to the 

fiber, perfectly under control. Throughout the entire process, 

attention is paid to environmental protection”. 

Lenzing is a pioneer in the field of wood-organic refineries. 

The integrated, CO 2 

-neutral process at the company 

site, in combination 

with other innovative 

processes, results in 

excess energy generation 

and the production 

of high quality 

Intense and brilliant colors with Lenzing 

Modal terry good (left) compared to 100% 

cotton terry (right). 

Lenzing Modal terry (left) immediately soaks 

up water. Water droplets remain on the surface 

of 100% cotton terry (right). 

32 | The Textile Magazine jANUARY 2012 

chemicals from the 

wood. The pulp factory 

serves as a net 

supplier of power for 

the entire Lenzing 

site. These special 

processes were developed 

by Lenzing 

and are not commercially 

available. 

•

new products 

Lenzing AG, the world market leader 

for man-made cellulose fibers, and 

the German company smartfiber AG/ 

Rudolstadt are expanding their mutual 

co-operation. In the future Lenzing will 

exclusively produce the lyocell specialty 

fibers smartcel and SeaCell developed by 

smartfiber at the Lenzing site in Upper 

Austria. 

In 2007, Lenzing already granted 

smartfiber a licence for pilot production 

of the new type of lyocell specialty fibers. 

Moreover, smartfiber and Lenzing 

have been co-operating for several years 

to develop fabrics and on various research 

projects. 

For reasons of profitability, the pilot 

plant of smartfiber is being relocated 

from Rudolstadt to Lenzing in order to 

be able to rapidly move ahead with the 

commercial exploitation of smartcel and 

SeaCell fibers in spite of rising energy 

and raw material prices. The integration 

of the facility in Lenzing, the world’s 

largest cellulose fiber production site, 

will facilitate a significantly better cost 

structure. Moreover, the smartfiber pilot 

plant had recently reached its capacity 

limits due to the continually increasing 

order volume, which no longer made it 

possible to optimally co-ordinate the incoming 

orders and accept large orders. 

smartfiber will continue to be responsible 

for the sales and marketing of smartcel 

and SeaCell. 

The smartcel and SeaCell fibers are 

primarily used in home textiles as well 

as in the fashion and medicine segments. 

The SeaCell fibers contain valuable active 

substances from seaweed which 

promotes health, nurtures the skin and 

protects against free radicals. smartcel 

sensitive is the first anti-bacterial, natural 

fiber available on the market to which 

the essential trace element zinc is added, 

thus enabling regenerative skin care and 

hygiene in textiles. 

The management of smartfiber considers 

the intensified co-operation with 

Lenzing to be an important and futureoriented 

step for the benefit of customers 

– a win-win situation for the two companies 

involved. Thus the high level of 

competence on the part of Lenzing with 

respect to the production and processing 

of lyocell fibers under the brand TEN- 

CEL will be combined with the original 

and innovative patented technology of 

the function-oriented fiber products developed 

by smartfiber. The objective of 

smartfiber is to be able to offer the best 

possible quality, service-oriented order 

processing and intensified sales-driven 

marketing support to customers in the 

future. For Lenzing the launch of pilot 

production for smartfiber at the Lenzing 

site is a consistent continuation of the 

research and development partnership 

which smartfiber and Lenzing have pursued 

for years. 

• 



Stovec sets up marketing 

network for direct sales 

Mr. Ashish Kaul, Managing Director 

Stovec Industries Ltd. has informed BSE 

that Stovec Industries Ltd. and A.T.E. Enterprises 

Pvt. Ltd., the sole selling agent 

of the company, have mutually decided 

through a formal agreement on December 

5 last to terminate the agency agreement 

for textile capital print and preprint equipments. 

Stovec now sells these products directly, 

with effect from January 1. 

Stork Prints is a global leader in the textile and graphics 

printing market, providing total system solutions 

from screens, lacquers, inks and digital engraving to a 

broad range of rotary screen and digital printing systems. 

It made several new introductions in both digital 

equipment and consumables at ITMA 2011. 

The new digital textile printer Sphene is designed to 

print on Polyamide Lycra swimwear fabric using acid 

inks. It can realise print speeds of up to an amazing 555 

m²/hr, while its feeding system allows virtually any fabric 

imaginable to be used, at widths of up to 1.85 metres. 

The Pegasus EVO manages to combine excellent print 

quality with exceptional efficiency and flexibility in operation. 

Its sophisticated and flexible squeegee system 

gives brilliant colours in the widest range of applications 

for halftones, fine lines and blotches. 

It also offers the most precise registration in the market. 

Through a combination of a unique paste recovery 

technology, the use of a blade squeegee, a superior drying 

process and an intelligent waste water recycling system, 

the EVO can save in excess of Euro 80,000, every 

year, in running costs. 

Yet it still manages to offer the flexibility today’s 

textile printers are looking for. For example, it accepts 

blade-, air-flow and magnet squeegees, and can 

be equipped with integrated coating & finishing technology 

to enable production of many different types of 

coated fabric. 

Moreover, the machine can also offer superb value for 

customers by retrofitting the new EVO upper part onto 

the existing RD 4, RDD and RD 8 frames. Customers 

can enjoy the advantages of individual drive, using the 

existing infrastructure and foundation of their machine. 

Two new rotary screens 

Users of Stork Prints rotary screen printing technology 

can also look to the future with confidence. For 

example, two new screens were introduced at ITMA. 

The 125/RR is characterised by a random distribution 

of conical holes. This significantly reduces the moiré effect 

whilst printing, which means less need for trials and 

fewer remakes and rejects. It also offers more freedom 

in design possibilities, for example through its ability to 



produce realistic weaving and tweed 

effects. 

Meanwhile, the new 195/19% NovaScreen 

distinguishes itself by combining 

high paste transfer rates with 

superb resolution. A patented design 

combines a high mesh count with 

minimum spacing between wider 

and ingeniously conical holes, so the 

maximum amount of paste is transferred 

to the substrate. It has been 

specially designed for printing fine 

halftones on voluminous substrates 

like single jersey, and also gives full 

penetration print on CV georgette or 

crepe articles. 

With the pre-press solutions on display, 

Stork Prints underlined that it is 

the only global partner that can offer solutions for every 

phase of the production process as well as consumables. 

For example, at its stand there was a bestLEN 8413 direct 

laser engraver doing what it does best – rapidly and 

accurately engraving screens. This was accompanied by 

a brand new highly advanced bestLEX laser exposure 

system, which integrates the advantages of optical screen 

exposure with those of digital laser technology. • 



GTN’s new growth strategy 

for Cotstyle Apparels 

GTN Industries, a vertically 

integrated yarns, fabrics 

and apparels group 

and a market leader in 

100 per cent cotton PIMA 

& GIZA mercerised single 

fibre Polo shirts and formal 

dress socks, has announced 

its plans to boost 

its branded apparels market 

leadership by bringing 

‘Cotstyle’ business into 

Cotstyle Apparels Ltd. 

Mr. M.K. Patodia, Chairman & M.D., GTN Industries Group 

Cotstyle Apparels plans to invest 

more than Rs. 200 million 

in its world-class mercerised cotton 

garment facilities to support 

its new growth strategy. Cotstyle 

Apparels sells 50,000 units of 

Cotstyle Single Fibre single and 

double mercerized cotton in more 

than 750 stores spread across major 

cities. The focus is to increase 

its presence in many cities across 

the country to meet the growing 

needs of its retail partners and 

consumers as well as increase its 

store footprint from the current 

level of 750 to 1,200 stores. 

“We want to unlock the huge 

growth potential of Cotstyle Apparels 

in the domestic market”, 

Mr. M.K. Patodia, Chairman & 

Managing Director of GTN Industries 

Group, said. “Our new 

strategy is in line with our ambitious 

growth plan for Cotstyle 

mercerized line of Polo shirts and 

socks. This shift will also bring 

marketing focus, consistency and 

simplicity as consumer accept- 



ance and demand for our business 

casual collections in the niche 

single fibre product markets continue 

to propel.” 

Cotstyle Apparels plans to invest 

more than Rs. 200 million 

in its world-class mercerised 

cotton garment facilities to support 

its new growth strategy. The 

overall investment by the group 

is Rs. 350 million. It has 90,000 

spindles spread across Hyderabad 

and Nagpur. The group has 

yarn mercerising unit in Shadnagar 

and fabric processing unit at 

Indiranagar near Hyderabad. The 

knitting facilities are located at 

Isnapur and garment-making in 

Patancheru and Balanagar, all in 

and around Hyderabad. 

“Domestic market growth will 

be a major focus area for Cotstyle. 

We are confident consumers 

in the domestic market will 

find tremendous clothing value in 

Cotstyle, as our apparels are made 

from the best cottons from all over 

the world – Egyptian Giza and 

American Pima. We make very 

fine yarn, and our body-friendly 

single fibre cotton is our unique 

selling proposition or USP”, Mr. 

Patodia added. 

Cotstyle Apparels has also announced 

its Spring Summer Collections 

2012. It expects its brand 

new solids to striped Spring Summer 

Collections will spin sales 

volumes of Cotstyle mercerized 

Polo shirts and socks by 50 per 

cent as more stores begin to sell 

the range of apparels. The Men’s 

Collection will include luxury 

mercerised cotton polo shirts, 

Pima and Giza cotton knitwear 

in a range of colours, including 

a new collection of stylish and 

modern colour palettes which will 

not only look good but also feel 

good. 

The Cotstyle garment unit 

has the capacity to manufacture 

2,00,000 units per year. “We may 

expand this capacity based on the 

market response in the next few 

years”, said Mr. Patodia. 

Cotstyle Apparels operates in 

a niche market and does not see 

any competition in its segment 

as the other players in the market 

are mainly brand-focused and 

not process-centric like Cotstyle. 

Currently, Cotstyle makes Polo 

shirts and formal dress socks. 

The major export markets include 

Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, 

Singapore, the US and Canada. 

The brand is equally dominant in 

Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. 

The company plans to tap new 

export markets, including the UK, 

Ireland and South American markets. 

It also plans to launch its 

branded stores in select cities. 

• 



Suvin selected as consultant 

for technical textiles growth 

Suvin Advisors Pvt. Ltd. 

has been empanelled by 

the Ministry of Textiles as 

consultant for business 

start-up under the Technology 

Mission on Technical 

Textiles (TMTT) with the 

Office of Textile Commissioner. 

This initiative by 

the Ministry is bound to 

boost the technical textile 

industry in India. 

Mr. Avinash Mayekar, M.D. & CEO, Suvin Advisors Pvt. Ltd 

Many steps have already been taken 

to promote the technical textile 

industry, including the scheme for 

growth and development of technical 

textiles (SGDTT), concessional 

customs duty for major technical 

textile machinery, technical textile 

machinery covered under TUFS, 

etc. 

Technical textiles is now the fastest 

growing segment in India, but 

entrepreneurs have difficulties in 

investing in technical textiles due to 

lack of knowledge about the technology, 

products, markets, process, 

and raw material requirement. 

To support them, the Ministry had 

sought applications from COE and 

other associations / institutes / independent 

bodies for empanelment of 

consultant for business start-up. 

The empanelled consultant will 

assist entrepreneurs in identification 

of product, selection of technology, 

machinery, raw material, etc. The 

consultant will also help in preparation 

of techno-economic feasibility 

project report and further guide 

them till project completion. 

Suvin Advisors is a professional 

engineering consultancy firm providing 

services like overall project 

and process management consultancy 

for sectors like technical textiles, 

traditional textiles, food, retail and 

other infrastructural facilities. 

Suvin has its strong presence in 

the technical textile industry, with 

its experts trained in international 

technical textile technology, execution 

of textile & industrial projects, 

etc., especially in developed countries. 

• 


cover story 

By K. Gopalakrishnan 


cover story 

The going has been really good for Picanol India since its commencement of operations 

in the country four years ago. In fact, the company’s business in the 

country has expanded consistently over the years, thanks to its continuous innovation 

in products and services and the strong relationship that team Picanol has 

established with its customers. With over 15,000 Picanol machines operating across 

India, the company has clearly emerged the leading supplier of weaving machines to 

the Indian textile industry. 


cover story 

Mr. P. KasiViswanathan, Head of Operations, Picanol India, (right), in conversation 

with a customer 

Spearheading much of Picanol’s 

growth in India is the dynamic sales 

team headed by Mr. P. KasiViswanathan, 

Head of Indian Operations, 

Picanol India Pvt. Ltd. In an interview 

to The Textile Magazine, 

Mr. KasiViswanathan spoke 

in detail about the company’s growth 

story so far and the future expansion 

strategy. 

Excerpts: 

Textile Magazine: How 

was the year just gone by for the 

Indian economy, particularly the 

textile sector 

KasiViswanathan: Well, a lot 

happened in 2011, mostly negative 

in nature. The Indian currency was 

devalued to the extent of 19 per cent 

as compared to 2010. Though partly 

attributable to local conditions, the 

European debt crisis and the US 

slowdown mainly accounted for 

the FII pull-out from the stock exchange 

(capital market). More than 

60 per cent of the Indian stock exchange 

transactions revolve around 


FIIs. The Sensex went down by 25 

per cent in the last 12 months. This 

was probably in line with the fall in 

other Asian countries. The index in 

China was down by 21.7 per cent, 

Hong Kong 20 per cent and in Japan 

by 17.3 per cent. However, the US 

market was higher by six per cent. 

The strength of the US dollar against 

other major currencies also pulled 

INR down. Overall exports from India 

were at a two-year low. On the 

other hand, I am surprised that the 

weak INR is not seen as an opportunity 

for Indian textile exports, as 

raw materials and labour (major cost 

components in textiles) are sourced 

locally in INR and thus offer lower 

cost compared to China where the 

currency has been strengthening 

against both the Euro and the dollar. 

Let us hope the new initiatives like 

allowing foreigners to invest directly 

in Indian stocks would attract more 

foreign funds, reduce market volatility 

and stabilise the Indian capital 

market. Local conditions are no 

better either. Factors like 

high interest rate (RBI 

revised the interest rate 

seven times in 2011 alone 

to control inflation which 

remained high at 9-10 per 

cent), rising fiscal and current 

account deficit, slow 

decision making due to 

political compulsions, etc., 

had their impact on all industry 

sectors, including 

textiles. Even though, of 

late, the textile market is 

most domestic market-oriented 

as compared to the 

condition obtaining some 

10 years ago, we need to 

focus on the export market 

mainly for earning valuable 

foreign exchange. 

Restoration of TUFS for 

the textile industry and the additional 

benefit of 10 per cent capital subsidy 

for new weaving machines were of 

course welcome signs. 

TM: Picanol has completed four 

years of its operations in India. 

How was the journey so far 

KV: A pretty good and smooth 

ride, I would say. Our focus was very 

clear when we started our operations. 

Picanol India started as a small set-up 

with three offices, one each in Delhi, 

Mumbai and Coimbatore. Today we 

are functioning as a complete team 

with sales, service and print repair 

shops capable of fulfilling the needs 

of individual customers all over India. 

We have also developed a separate 

team to take care of customer requirements 

of spares & accessories, etc. 

TM: How successful were the 

company operations in India in the 

last four years 

KV: Setting up of the Indian office 

made a lot of difference to the company 

customers. They are indeed happy 

with the decision to set up the Indian

cover story 

office with a dedicated sales & service 

set-up. Each regional office is 

self-sufficient, in the sense that it is 

equipped with adequate manpower 

to promptly attend to sales and service 

calls. By making frequent visits 

to customers, the rapport with them 

is getting better, making it easier to 

understand the market trend. We 

could also explore more and more 

new markets during the four-year 

period. 

TM: How many Picanol machines 

are currently in operation 

in India and how many market locations 

Please name some of the 

leading company customers and 

the major projects that you’ve executed 

for them so far 

KV: We have more than 15,000 

machines running all over the country, 

covering organised and mid-segment 

market areas like Ichalkaranji, 

Bhiwandi, Bhilwara, etc. Almost all 

major textile groups in India have 

installed Picanol weaving machines. 

Some top customers are Bombay 

Rayon, Alok industries, Vardhman 

Textiles, Nahar Industrial Enterprises, 

Bharat Vinay Mills, LNJ Denim, 

NSL Group, etc. 

TM: Can you throw some light 

on the weaving segment of the textile 

industry in India – the market 

size, the growth witnessed in the 

last few years and the major players 

in the segment 

KV: At the moment, weaving is 

only in its formative stage as compared 

to spinning. There are now 

only a handful of textile units with 

integrated plant facilities for spinning, 

weaving, processing and knitting. 

Though the opportunities for 

conversion from spinning to weaving 

are enormous, it is difficult to 

predict the market size as the growth 

of the weaving segment would depend 

on many factors. 

The global team of Picanol Group 

A large number of spinners can 

go for value addition, which implies 

opening up of the weaving market. 

Most powerloom units are getting 

themselves ready for modernisation. 

With policy support from the Government 

to go in for new machines 

with 10 per cent capital subsidy, the 

mid-segment markets will prefer 

new machines to imported secondhand 

machines. With the ongoing 

modernisation, even corporates from 

the organised sector would replace 

even 10-year-old machines with new 

ones. 

TM: What are the brand weaving 

products and solutions offered 

by the company in the Indian market 

What is its current market 

share 

KV: Thanks to our loyal customers 

and the repeat orders from them, 

we enjoy a leading market share in 

airjet and rapier technology. We released 

our latest airjet technology, 

OmniplusSummum, at ITMA 2011 

in Barcelona and are happy that the 

product attracted most customer attention 

at our booth. Basically we 

focus on lower consumption in order 

to reduce the cost of operation 

for the customer, higher speed, use 

of the latest hardware & software 

technology for our control station, 

etc. The star attraction among the 

weaving machines was the OmniplusSummum. 

We also released the 

new Rapier loom OPTIMAX with 

its potential for 540 cm wider width 

looms, as well as a positive guided 

gripper version, aiming at extending 

our range of applications in techni- 


cover story 

cal textiles. We have a major market 

share in both these technologies as 

proved over a period of time. 

TM: How prompt and efficient 

is your after-sales service Any 

special initiative which you would 

like to highlight in this regard 

KV: Our talented service team is a 

blend of youth and experience. The 

aim is that, with Picanol looms, new 

or second-hand, the customer should 

be able to get the best out of our machines. 

We can extend our expertise 

not only with regard to installation, 

regular servicing and in-plant training, 

but work with customers on performance 

enhancement program by 

which our team would jointly work 

with the customer team to accept the 

challenge of increasing the efficiency 

of loom shed and enhancement of 

the quality of the preparatory department. 

We continue emphasising the role 

of “original Picanol spares” on our 

machines, as this is the best way to 

safeguard the value of our customers’ 

investment. We even offer several 

weave-up or upgrade packages 

by which we offer our customers the 

opportunity to take advantage from 

innovations on new machine types 

without having to invest in a completely 

new machine. Some of the 

packages such as Cordless, Airmaster, 

ARVD+, LDEC System, etc., 

have attracted customer attention 

worldwide. 

TM: How will be the New Year 

for the weaving industry in general, 

and Picanol in particular 

KV: Customers focusing on fabrics 

designed to meet local demand 

will have an edge over the others. 

This is true considering the wide 

currency fluctuations and an uncertain 

export market due to the European 

debt crisis and the reduced demand 

from the US. In this context, 

I feel there will be greater demand 

for denim fabrics in India. This 

segment, with enormous potential, 

keeps growing year after year. You 

will also see India emerging soon as 

a leading global producer of denim 

fabrics. Yet another growing market 

is for shirting, followed by terry 

towel and sheeting. Though the latter 

is at present export-oriented, it will 

attract equal domestic attention over 

the next few years. 

TM: In the current uncertain 

economic scenario, what would be 

the factors driving demand, particularly 

for textile products 

KV: The weakening of the Indian 

rupee is of major concern for everybody 

(though, as said earlier, in 

my opinion this is an opportunity 

for Indian textile exports). Added to 

this are the gradual decline in overall 

industrial output and withdrawal of 

FIIs from the financial market. However, 

I am sure that India, an emerging 

Asian industrial power with its 

vibrant economy, will once again set 

an example by leading an economic 

revival from the current slowdown as 

it did a couple of years back by being 

the first to come out of the worst-ever 

global recession of 2008. What is 

needed is political stability and quick 

decision making. All eyes are on the 

forthcoming Budget, as well as the 

expected positive signals from the 

European Union and the US. 

TM: Are you planning any new 

product introduction in the emerging 

situation 

KV: No. Since we utilised ITMA 

2011 at Barcelona as the launching 

pad for several new machine models, 

we are sure the current year will 

witness surging demand for such 

sophisticated products, particularly 

OmniplusSummum which was the 

star attraction at the show, and the 

gradual market introduction of Optimax 

in wide and positive execution 

in the growing technical textiles 

segment. In brief, we are just assessing 

the market for the new products 

launched at the exhibition. 

TM: How important is the Indian 

market for Picanol, and what 

are the future growth and expansion 

plans 

KV: India is always ranked among 

the Top 3 for the Picanol Group. We 

will continue investing on expanding 

our sales and service activities in the 

country. Further, we will accelerate 

the expansion programme depending 

upon the achievements made 

in the next three years. Since, at 

the moment, weaving is getting top 

priority, we would like to see more 

value addition at the mid-segment 

market as well. 

• 


awards 

Best MSME Award presented 

to CTA Apparels Ltd. 

Dr. Mukesh Kansal, Chairman, CTA Apparels Pvt. Ltd. receiving the Award from Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, 

Chairman Emeritus, Infosys Technologies (extreme right) 

Dr. Mukesh Kansal, Chairman, 

CTA Apparels Pvt. Ltd., received 

the Award for the best MSME in 

the ‘Textile, Apparels and Accessories’ 

category at the recently held 

‘ET NOW-IndiaMART Leaders of 

Tomorrow Awards 2011’ in Mumbai. 

Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, 

Chairman Emeritus, Infosys Technologies, 

presented the prestigious 

Award to him and complimented 

CTA Apparels on achieving this 

recognition. 

Underlining the massive scope 

for MSMEs in the textile industry, 

Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & 

CEO, IndiaMART.com, said: “We 

have an MSME intensive textile and 

apparel sector. It requires all these 

enterprises to successfully match 

up with the evolving requirements 

and awareness of Indian consumers 

who are watching global trends 

closely. Such a scenario calls for a 

focused approach, besides grit and 

determination, from entrepreneurs 

to succeed and outshine others. 

CTA Apparels has done just that to 

become the Leader of Tomorrow. 

We highly appreciate CTA to have 

proven the potential and creativity 

to bag the Award.” 

Accepting the Award, Dr. Mukesh 

Kansal observed: “Exhilarated, 

acknowledged and humbled. This 

best describes how I feel on winning 

this prestigious Award. We, at 

CTA, always endeavour to achieve 

perfection and strive to elicit a feeling 

of ultimate customer delight. 

I feel that by achieving this milestone, 

we have raised the bar on our 

benchmarking process. We are now 

motivated to perform better and 

exceed the expectations of our customers. 

Let me also share that winning 

this Award was akin to getting 

a distinction in academics! Last but 

not the least, this Award has placed 

CTA Apparels on a globally visible 

platform.” 


awards 

A visionary entrepreneur, a Fellow 

Chartered Accountant and 

Fellow Company Secretary, Dr. 

Kansal also holds a doctorate 

(Stock Exchanges in India). Under 

his dynamic leadership, CTA Apparels 

has grown exponentially and 

boasts an annual turnover of over 

$25 million at present. 

While the company’s customerfocused 

and client-friendly operations 

manage to retain key customer 

relationships in today’s highly 

competitive market, Dr. Kansal’s 

keen financial acumen ensures that 

CTA Apparels offers a price conscious 

product that suits the customer 

need. 

After winning this Award, CTA 

Apparels set higher benchmarks in 

terms of quality, compliance and 

“all time on-time deliveries” for 

itself to achieve. They pledged to 

evolve and offer their valued clients 

more value. 

CTA Apparels, based in Noida 

near New Delhi, manufactures and 

exports ready-to-wear fashion garments 

for men, women and kids 

to some of the leading retail chain 

stores across the globe. It is a professionally 

managed company with 

an annual turnover of over $25 million. 

With over 2,500 machines 

across its three high-tech composite 

factories, the company has a capacity 

of producing over 6,00,000 

pieces monthly. 

The company specializes in 

readymade garments which include 

woven, women, men and kids 

garments / accessories and home 

furnishings. It strictly adheres to 

ethical and environmental codes as 

well as health & safety codes. 

EEPC Award again 

for K.U. Sodalamuthu 

Mr. K.S. Balamurugan, Managing Director, K U Sodalamuthu And Co Pvt. 

Ltd., receiving the Award from Dr. K. Rosaiah, Tamil Nadu Governor 

The Coimbatore-based K.U. Sodalamuthu 

And Co. Pvt. Ltd. has 

once again won the Regional Award 

from the Engineering Export Promotion 

Council (EEPC) in recognition 

of its achieving the highest 

exports during 2009-10 in the category 

“’Star Performer - Medium 

Enterprise”. 

The company manufactures and 

exports paper conversion machinery 

for production of paper cones, tubes, 

edge protectors and pulp-moulded 

products since 1970. Apart from being 

the market leader in India, it also 

exports to several countries, including 

the US, China, Brazil, Mexico, 

Russia, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa, 

etc. 

The Award was presented by Dr. 

K. Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil 

Nadu, at a function held recently in 

Chennai to the company’s Managing 

Director, Mr. K.S. Balamurugan. 

K.U. Sodalamuthu has been winning 

the export Awards consecutively 

for 18 years. 



Rotorcraft RoCoS to revolutionize 

compact spinning 

By Ganesh Kalidasan 

Rotorcraft was founded 

in Switzerland in 1973 by 

the current Chairman and 

President, Mr. Hans Stahlecker. 

It has since become 

a world leader in designing 

and marketing innovative 

spinning solutions. 

Being aware of the fact that compact 

yarns are more and more becoming 

standard and that pneumatic 

compacting systems are expensive 

as far as investment and running 

cost are concerned, Mr. Hans Stahlecker 

and his team have been doing 

extensive research in developing a 

compacting system which does not 

require air-suction, elaborate maintenance, 

costly spare parts and everincreasing 

cost of power. The result 

of this research is the RoCoS compacting 

system – the only one on the 

market today that allows spinning 

perfect compact yarn at no extra 

running expense compared to the 

spinning of regular yarn. 

The second generation in compact 

spinning, RoCoS (Rotorcraft Compact 

Spinning) enabling spinning 

mills to produce compact yarn at the 

cost of a normal ring yarn, has been 

well accepted by the industry. 

Depending on the end use of the 

yarn, RoCoS 1.21 opens up a new 



approach in marketing 

the yarn: 

• Selling the yarn 

with a premium as 

compact yarn. 

• Use a lower grade 

cotton mix and sell 

the yarn as standard 

yarn with similar properties 

but reduced hairiness. 

• Reducing the twist of 

the yarn resulting in a softer 

hand and gaining increased 

productivity on the ring frame. 

• Reducing the amount of 

comber noil and still keeping the 

same tenacity level at substantial 

lower hairiness. 

The latest innovation Rotorcraft 

has successfully brought to the ring 

spinning market is the energy saving 

spindle, RoLeC (Rotorcraft Low 

Energy consumption Spindle). The 

optimized spindle design for tubes 

Balamurugan appointed Sales Director 

of Rotorcraft India 

Mr. Soundararajan Balamurugan 

has been appointed Sales Director 

of Rotorcraft in India. He will be in 

charge of all sales and service activities 

in India. 

After completion of his studies in 

textile technologies, followed by a 

diploma from PSG Polytechnic in 

Coimbatore, Mr. Balamurugan was 

associated for over 20 years with the 

textile industry in India and abroad. 

For the last nine years, he was employed 

at Premier Evolvics Pvt. Ltd. 

With the appointment of Mr. Balamurugan, Rotorcraft is further 

strengthening its sales and service forces in India. Rotorcraft entered the 

Indian market in 2005, and with a population of over 7,00,000 spindles 

of RoCoS and substantial orders post ITMA 2011, India is one of the 

most important markets for the company worldwide. 

of up to 200 mm in length reduces 

power consumption by as much as 

10-15 per cent. RoLeC is offered 

as complete spindles to mills or as 

inserts MM52 to spindle makers. 

Depending on the power cost the additional 

investment can be retrieved 

within 1½-2 years. 

At 2011 ITMA Barcelona, Rotorcraft 

introduced new additions 

to its product portfolio: RoLuB 

(Rotorcraft Lubrication Beam), an 

entirely new spindle lubricating system 

which allows carrying out the 

oil change without removing the 

spindle top part or the necessity to 

take down the tapes. 

• 



Shri Lakshmi Cotsyn expansion 

to be completed by March 

Dr. M P Agarwal, 

Chairman-cum-Managing Director 

Dr. M.P. Agarwal, Chairmancum-Managing 

Director, Shri Lakshmi 

Cotsyn Ltd. (SLCL), has said 

the Rs. 992-crore expansion plan of 

the company, which includes expansion 

in the technical textile, denim 

and sheeting project, is scheduled to 

be completed in March. 

Addressing the company AGM, 

Dr. Agarwal disclosed that the net 

sales of the company in 2010-11 

increased by 17.12 per cent at Rs. 

1798.38 crores as compared to Rs. 

1535.48 crores in 2009-10. The net 

profit rose 13.60 per cent to Rs. 

104.11 crores (Rs. 91.64 crores). 

Earnings per share increased to Rs. 

49.35 from Rs. 45.90. 

Dollar appreciation benefited the 

company during the period, resulting 

in a 137.08 per cent jump in 

its export turnover, from Rs. 95.63 

crores to Rs. 226.72 crore. 

SLCL has announced a dividend 

of 30 per cent, i.e., Rs. 3 per share. 

SLCL is an integrated textile 

player engaged in manufacturing 

and processing a wide range of textile 

products and technical textiles 

for the defence sector. It has seven 

manufacturing facilities, in Aung, 

Malwan, Rewari Bujurg and Abhaypur 

in Fatehpur district of Uttar 

Pradesh, Sonepat (Haryana), 

Roorkee (Uttarakhand) and Noida. 

Its product range includes bed-linen, 

terry towel, denim and bottom 

weights, readymade garments, fusible 

interlinings, and embroidered 

fabrics and zippers. It services large 

institutional clients with a range of 

uniform fabrics, ballistics, 360 degree 

protected armoured vehicles, 

fabricated equipments such as sleeping 

bags and tents and fabrics like 

haversacks, facelets, and protective 

clothing and casualty bags. 

SLCL is a market leader in fusible 

interlining with over 35 per cent 

market share. Its product range is 

spread across several brands such 

as “STAR TRACK” (fusible interlining), 

“SVL” (zippers), “ALI- 

SHA” (embroidery and lace fabric), 

“GALAXY” (denim trousers, garments 

and bottom weight fabrics), 

“WEAVES” (home furnishing) and 

now the “DYFI” brand for readymade 

garments. 

• 


technology 

Updated OEKO-TEX Test criteria 

coming into force on April 1 

The OEKO-TEX Association 

has as usual updated 

the applicable test criteria 

and limit values for testing 

textiles for harmful 

substances according to 

OEKO-TEX Standard 100. 

The new requirements will 

come into force on April 1. 

The regular re-evaluation of the 

test parameters is based on current 

market and product developments, 

new toxicological findings and new 

legal requirements, also taking into 

consideration the REACh legislation, 

including the SVHC substances 

relevant to textile manufacturing 

which have been added in 2011. 

The OEKO-TEX criteria catalogue 

stipulates the following 

amendments: 

• With respect to the current version 

of the REACh candidate list 

and the current consultations, wet 

spun fibres and coatings will in future 

be tested for n-methyl-pyrrolidone 

and dimethylacetamide. Both 

chemicals are listed in the new category 

“Solvent Residues” and must 

not exceed a limit value of 0.1% 

weight by weight. 

• In addition, relevant test samples 

must also be tested for four new 

plasticisers: di-C6-8-chain alkyl 

phthalates, di-C7-11-chain alkyl 

phthalates, di-n-hexyl phthalates 

(DHP) and bis(2-methoxyethyl) 

phthalates. These will be incorporated 

with the phthalates already listed 

in the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. The 

total limit value of 0.1% weight by 

weight shall remain unchanged. 

• In analogy to the existing ban 

on alkylphenolethoxylates (APEO) 

within the framework of certification 

of environmentally-friendly production 

sites according to OEKO-TEX 


technology 

Standard 1000, the successful testing 

for nonylphenols, nonylphenol- 

(1-9)-ethoxylates, octylphenols and 

octylphenol-(1-2)-ethoxylates will 

in future also form a prerequisite for 

product certification according to 

OEKO-TEX Standard 100. 

The limit values that apply to 

all four product classes are nonylphenols: 

100 ppm, octylphenols: 

100 ppm, total nonylphenol-(1-9)- 

ethoxylates: 1000 ppm, and total 

octylphenol-(1-2)-ethoxylates: 1000 

ppm. 

The tests begin with the publication 

of the new Standard. In order 

to allow companies an adequate 

time-frame to implement any necessary 

changes in their production, the 

requirements will only come into 

force definitively after a transition 

period on April 1, 2013. This regulation 

does not apply to companies 

certified according to OEKO-TEX 

Standard 1000, as they already comply 

with the required criteria. 

• The limit value for extractable 

chromium is set at 10 mg/kg for 

leather products in product class IV. 

This exception to the usual chromium 

limit values for textile articles 

corresponds to the best available 

technology on the market at the current 

time and does not pose any toxicological 

risk when such products 

are used as intended. 

In addition to the new test parameters, 

the scope of the control tests on 

the OEKO-TEX certified products 

carried out throughout the world is 

being extended to cover 20 per cent 

of all certificates issued annually in 

future, as opposed to the minimum 

15 per cent tested to date. In practice, 

over recent years, an average of 

18 per cent of certificates have been 

tested using product samples taken 

from the shops at the expense of the 

OEKO-TEX Association. 

A new complement to the OEKO- 

TEX Standard 100 is now also available, 

on the basis of which it will be 

possible to certify special products 

such as tents, prams, office chairs or 

rucksacks according to OEKO-TEX 

Standard 100 in future. 

• 

Delhi meet discusses major issues 

With 11,283 certificates issued in 

the last year alone, and more than 

9,500 companies involved in the 

scheme in over 90 countries, the 

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 has once 

again confirmed its position as the 

world’s leading certification scheme 

for textiles tested for harmful substances. 

This was the conclusion at the 

meeting of the heads of OEKO- 

TEX institutes, which, in view of 

the growing number of certificates 

issued to production companies in 

Asian countries such as India, took 

place in Delhi for the first time on 

November 7 and 8 last. As always, 

the agenda included decision-making 

on the new version of the OE- 

KO-TEX list of criteria, and internal 

agreement by the 15 OEKO-TEX 

member-institutes on the existing 

quality control procedures to en- 

sure a consistent standard of testing 

and compliance with the required 

product quality, as well as on the 

question of international trademark 

protection for the “Confidence in 

Textiles” label. 

Another focus for discussion at the 

meeting was an analysis of the company 

audits that were introduced in 

2010. Since April last year, said the 

OEKO-TEX General Secretary, Dr. 

Jean-Pierre Haug, the OEKO-TEX 

Association had already visited over 

2,000 companies internationally as 

part of the certification process, in order 

to give them customised support 

with implementing the OEKO-TEX 

requirements regarding operational 

quality control. “When we carry out 

company audits on the spot, we can 

clarify any unresolved issues faceto-face 

with the quality managers, 

and so help the companies to gain 

maximum value for money from the 

certification process.” 

It was therefore unanimously 

agreed by the General Managers of 

the OEKO-TEX institutes that global 

company monitoring would continue. 

The aim is for all certificateholders 

to have been successfully 

audited by 2013. 

The OEKO-TEX representatives 

also unanimously confirmed the initiative 

by the technical OEKO-TEX 

Executive Committee to introduce 

checking for alkylphenolethoxylates 

(APEOs) such as nonylphenol as a 

requirement for product certification 

under the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 

in future. From January, nonylphenol, 

nonylphenol-(1-9) ethoxylates, 

octylphenol and octylphenol-(1-2) 

ethoxylates will be included in the 

OEKO-TEX list of criteria. So 

from April 2013 companies will be 


technology 

obliged to comply with the defined 

limit values in all certification processes. 

By also regulating these substances 

under the product-related OEKO- 

TEX Standard 100, the OEKO-TEX 

Association expects to have a significant 

impact on the global textile 

chain so that the use of these kinds 

of tensides will be considerably reduced. 

In order to start helping to 

eliminate alkylphenolethoxylates 

even sooner, the OEKO-TEX Association 

will begin testing for alkylphenolethoxylates 

straightaway as 

part of its regular control tests, and 

during company audits it will be 

helping certificate-holders to identify 

at this early stage the possible 

sources of this group of substances 

in their delivery chain, and to find 

substitutes. 

Alkylphenolethoxylates have 

been excluded since 1995 under the 

production-based certification of environmentally-friendly 

production 

sites in accordance with the OEKO- 

TEX Standard 1000, and are tested 

for accordingly by the OEKO-TEX 

General Managers of Oeko-Tex institutes meeting in Delhi 

member-institutes. 

The OEKO-TEX General Managers 

attending the meeting in Delhi 

were also unanimous in agreeing to 

extend the scale of regular control 

testing of certified products worldwide 

from the current level of at 

least 15 per cent of all certificates 

issued annually to 20 per cent in future. 

In practice, in recent years an 

average of 18 per cent of the certificates 

have already been tested at the 

OEKO-TEX Association’s own expense, 

using product samples taken 

from retailers. 

Another innovation that was introduced 

at the meeting was a supplement 

listing additional specifications 

which would enable special 

articles such as tents, buggies or 

push-chairs, office chairs and rucksacks 

to be certified under the OE- 

KO-TEX Standard 100, with immediate 

effect. 

Finally, the heads of the OEKO- 

TEX institutes announced that the 

forthcoming 20th anniversary of 

testing for harmful substances under 

the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 

would be appropriately marked by 

some special promotions. Planned 

projects include a re-launch of the 

existing 16-language website at 

www.oeko-tex.com, a specialist 

international conference, a Knowledge 

Olympics for specialist retailers 

in eight European countries and 

a competition for a media and corporate 

prize on the theme of sustainability. 

India has issued 624 currently 

valid OEKO-TEX certificates, thus 

being the fifth in an international 

comparison of the countries issuing 

the most certificates, behind 

China, Germany, Turkey and Italy. 

Since the first OEKO-TEX branch 

office was opened in India in 2005, 

demand for OEKO-TEX product 

certifications from local companies 

at all stages of the processing chain 

has increased steadily and continues 

to do so. 

Customer enquiries are now handled 

by four OEKO-TEX agencies, 

in Mumbai, Delhi, Tirupur and 

Ahmedabad, with a further office in 

Sri Lanka. 

• 


spinning 

Sovereign guarantees quality components 

for spinning segment 

By Ganesh Kalidasan 

Quality & productivity in textiles 

decides the survival of a company 

in this new era. Sovereign Engineers 

stands for quality drafting 

components since 1972, engaging 

high precision machinery for manufacturing 

and to maintain accuracy 

of the products such as fluted & 

knurled rollers, roller stand assembly, 

nose bar, bottom tension device, 

arm bar, arm bar bracket, gearing 

unit and other drafting spares along 

with SKF top arm drafting components 

for all makes of ring spinning 

frames / speed frames. 

More than a million spindles of 

ring frame and three lakh spindles of 

speed frame are converted by Sovereign 

are in operation the world over. 

The company has been awarded 

Mr. S. Dorairaj, Director, Sovereign Engineers 

ISO 9001 – 2008 by TUV SUD 

South Asia Private Ltd., for implementing 

and maintaining the 

quality systems. 

Major mills usually renovate 

their drafting once in 10-12 years 

maximum to maintain product 

quality and to get higher productivity. 

Even if the top arms are 

in good condition, bottom rollers 

need to be changed within 

the specified period to meet the 

quality standards. 

Tailor-made execution in 

drafting conversion work undertaken 

by the company for 

different makes / types of ring 

frames and speed frames in re- 


spinning 

puted mills like Lakshmi Mills Ltd., 

Madura Coats Group, Selvaraja 

Mills (P) Ltd., JCT Ltd., GIS Cotton 

Mills, Banswara Syntex, RSWM 

Ltd. Group, Nahar Group, Vardhaman 

Group, Vikram Woollens (P) 

Ltd., Modern Woollens, Bhiwani 

Textiles Mills, Orient Syntex, ST. 

Cottex Exports, Gujarat Ambhuja 

Exports, Arvind Group, Rajasthan 

Syntex & Rajasthan Textile Mills, 

Reliance Group and Raymond’s 

Group. 

Sovereign exports its products to 

Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, 

Spain, Germany, Italy, Phillipines, 

Vietnam, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, etc. 

It also supplies drafting components 

to reputed textile machinery manufacturers 

as original equipment 

manufacturer (OEM) both in India 

and abroad. 

Sovereign has a market share 

of 40-50 per cent in the domestic 

vertical, and exports contribute to 

more than 50 per cent of their revenue. 

Every year its export market is 

steadily growing, and concentration 

is now more on generation of orders 

from overseas & OEMs. The wellequipped 

infrastructure, lab and 

inspection facility to produce high 

precision and quality products has 

always been its biggest advantage. 

The company provides drafting 

conversions for ring spinning frame 

& speed frames to achieve desired 

quality standards such as Evenness, 

Imperfections and Classimat faults. 

This can be achieved by retro-fitment 

work with conversion kits like 

bottom rollers, nose bar or apron 

tension device. 

One of the most important features 

of the bottom roller is its hardness 

which is carried out as part of 

in-house facility to impart the uniform 

and required hardness. This 

ensures maximum top arm loads 

to avoid any distortion even during 

higher speeds. Hard chrome plating 

prevents the roller from any surface 

damage. This results in extended life 

span without affecting the performance 

and quality deterioration. 

Roller stand and slides are made 

up of special grade cast iron with 

different inclinations and centre 

heights. Nose bars short, medium 

and long profiles are used to process 

different types of fibre. Drafting 

spares like spacers, roving guides, 

inlet condensers, back condensers, 

etc., are also available with Sovereign 

Engineers. 

The Sovereign Group comprises 

spinning mills with one lakh spindles, 

two engineering industries for 

manufacturing drafting conversion 

materials and one engineering industry 

for manufacturing ring travellers 

in Coimbatore. 

• 


spinning 

VRT, trusted supplier of a variety 

of travellers for decades 

VRT is one of the renowned and 

well experienced traveller manufacturers 

in India. Established in 1964, 

traveller is a tiny component to insert 

the twist between ring and front roll 

nip. Also it is responsible for winding 

and binding the yarn on bobbins 

in the spinning process. Wide ranges 

of ring travellers are manufactured 

with state-of-art technology for both 

ring frames and doubling frames. 

VRT offers a variety of travellers 

to process cotton, synthetics, manmade 

fibers and blends, and they are 

well received in the market. VRT 

provides different types of travellers 

such as ‘C’, Ear, Concord and 

‘J’ types used for different types of 

rings. 

It provides better lubrication between 

the fiber and the traveller, 

smooth running results, low breakage 

rate and the best S3 & hairiness 

index values. Traveller wire selection, 

profile forming and surface 

finish are the most important factors 

which are perfectly maintained at 

the works for providing better quality 

& performance. VRT is adding 

new customers to its list day by day. 

Non-coated travellers in different 

profiles used for running in process 

for conditioning new rings to 

get longer life & better performance 

throughout the period of its life. 

VRT provides diffusion treatment 

with higher effect and the traveller 

is named as SUPER for nominal 

speeds. The nickel-coated traveller 

named ULTRA for higher speeds is 

also manufactured by VRT. 

The traveller speed can be accelerated 

to a maximum of 40-45 metres 

per second. Its life can be maintained 

to a minimum of 180 to 240 

hours without affecting the quality 

and performance. According to the 

ring’s web width 3.2 mm known 

as 1 flange for spinning travellers 

available in the types of L1, M1, H1 

flat profile travellers for low crown 

rings. 

Flat profile travellers EL1, EM1 

and EH1 are also manufactured 

by VRT. They are suitable for low 

crown and anti-wedge rings and are 

commonly used to spin cotton. L1, 

M1, H1, EL1, EM1, EH1, UDR (Ultra 

Demi Round) & HO (Half oval) 

profile travellers suitable for low 

crown & elliptical rings to spin cotton, 

synthetics and blends. Travellers 

are also available in the range of 

number 1/O to 26/O and number 1 

to 6 for ring spinning. 

The company offers a wide range 

of travellers like M2, EM2, Flat, 

0M2, EM2 UDR and M2, EM2, 

EH2 and HO profile for doubling / 

twisting the yarns. In the market the 

travellers are established as “easy 

access to excellent quality” enhancing 

productivity. 

For details, access: www.sovereignengineers.com 

• 



Rieter ComforJet licence for 

Hermann Bühler AG 

From left, Model, Mr. M. Kägi, CEO Hermann Bühler AG, Mr. Dr. B. Denzler, Chairman of the Board, Hermann 

Bühler AG, Mr. R. Thom, Rieter Head of Sales, and Model, at the ceremony marking the handover of the Rieter 

ComforJet licence to Hermann Bühler AG. 

Hermann Bühler AG, the spinning 

major in Switzerland, has acquired 

the Rieter licence for ComforJet 

yarns. The official handover of the 

certificate took place at ITMA in 

Barcelona. On the Rieter stand, Reto 

Thom, Rieter’s Head of Sales, presented 

the certificate to Mr. Dr. Beat 

Denzler, Chairman of the Board and 

Mr. Martin Kägi, CEO, Hermann 

Bühler AG, in the presence of numerous 

visitors. 

Hermann Bühler AG, with headquarters 

in Winterthur-Sennhof, 

Switzerland, produces yarns for customers 

with the highest demands. 

With innovative products, top quality 

and a perfect customer service, 

the spinning plant sets standards. Always 

interested in the latest technology, 

the company has been involved 

from the start in the development of 

the Rieter air-jet spinning machine. 

Consequently, it is also one of the 

first certified suppliers of ComforJet 

yarns. 

The form of the yarn construction 

on the air-jet spinning machine, turbulence 

from an air stream in a spinning 

nozzle, results in a new type of 

yarn structure. Typical features are 

the very low hairiness, the smooth 

yarn surface and the associated soft 

and voluminous yarn character. This 

yarn from the Rieter air-jet spinning 

machine is marketed under 

the brand name ComforJet. It offers 

many benefits, not only in downstream 

processing but also in the end 

product, and opens up new areas of 

application. 

Rieter actively promotes the supply 

sources for licensed yarns and 

also provides a direct link to the licensee 

via the Rieter website. Customers 

who have decided in favour 

of a yarn licence additionally have 

the option of exploiting the knowhow 

of the Rieter specialists and 

being supported by them in specific 

projects. Also, with their own marketing 

activities, licensed customers 

receive support from Rieter. 

• 



Maharashtra textile policy envisages 

Rs. 40,000-crore investment 

Mr. Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan 

State Textiles Minister 

The Maharashtra Cabinet has cleared the textile policy 

which aims to bring in investment to the tune of Rs. 

40,000 crores and create employment opportunity for 

around 11 lakh people. The highlight of the policy is 

that it provides for 12.5 per cent interest subsidy and 10 

per cent capital subsidy for new co-operative and private 

sector textile units in the cotton growing belts of 

Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra. 

Concessions under the policy will be applicable to all 

areas concerned with the textile industry like cotton ginning 

and processing, weaving / knitting, readymade garment 

manufacturing, processing of fibre / yarn / fabrics / 

garments, modernisation / expansion and rehabilitation 

of existing textile units, textile parks, and skill development 

activities, among others. Similarly, in the rest 

of the State, the interest subsidy is 10.5 per cent which 

includes five per cent from the Centre and four-five per 

cent from the State industrial policy, besides the recent 

provision. 

The State Textiles Minister, Mr. Mohammed Arif 

Naseem Khan, said the policy aims at development of 

the cotton growing belt of the State and welfare of the 

farmers in the region. The policy also proposes insurance, 

housing and medical health scheme for handloom 

and powerloom workers. “Because of the subsidies, the 

State exchequer will face a burden of Rs. 450 crores 

every year.” 

According to him, out of the 22 lakh powerloom 

units in the country, Nagpur, Bhiwandi, Malegaon and 

Solapur districts of Maharashtra have around 10 lakh 

units. 

“The Government had released loans to the tune of 

Rs. 1,919 crores to as many as 123 co-operative textile 

units in the State up to the 10th Five-Year Plan (2002- 

07), of which only Rs. 54 crores has been repaid,” he 

added. 

At present, as many as 59 co-operative textile units 

and 110 privately-run textile units are functioning in the 

State. 

• 



Nakoda plans Rs. 1,935-crore 

investment for capacity hike 

Nakoda Ltd. has decided 

to venture into further capacity 

expansion at a new location 

by setting up a 2,80,000 

MTPA plant comprising 

continuous polymerisation 

and direct melt spinning for 

the manufacture of POY and 

FDY in the denier range of 

30 to 500 having 12 to 578 

filaments in bright, semidull, 

full-dull, cationic and 

dope-dyed yarns. 

The Board of Directors, 

at its meeting held on January 

5, approved the major 

expansion plan to significantly enhance 

capacities and produce specialty 

yarns. After the completion of 

the expansion project, Nakoda will 

be in a position to cater to the entire 

range of polyester yarns in the 

domestic as well as international 

markets. 

The project, estimated to cost Rs. 

1,935 crores, is proposed to be financed 

by a mix of equity and internal 

resources and also long-term 

debts. The required equity for the 

same is already raised partly through 

GDRs and partly through preferential 

allotments to the promoters and 

strategic investors. 

Nokoda, incorporated in August 

1984, was engaged in trading of textiles 

for a year since incorporation, 

and established its own texturising 

Mr. B.G. Jain, Chairman and M.D. 

plant at Silvassa in the Union Territory 

of Dadra & Nagar Haveli in 

February 1986. It was engaged in 

processing of polyester yarn like 

texturising and twisting. Its licensed 

and installed capacity for texturising 

was 708 MTPA and for twisting 525 

MTPA. The texturising capacity 

was then expanded to 2,658 MTPA 

by adding new texturising machines. 

The expansion plant was set up at 

Karanj village in Surat district. 

The company embarked upon integrated 

plan of POY spinning with 

an installed capacity of 6000 MTPA. 

Initially, the POY spinning lines 

alongwith other machineries were 

erected at the site and commercial 

production commenced in March 

1997. Gradually, the POY capacity 

was enhanced to 12,500 MTPA by 

installing the balance equipments, 

increasing productivity, 

introducing cost control 

and by developing capabilities 

of human resources. 

In 2010 the spinning capacity 

was enhanced from 

50,000 MTPA to 1,00,000 

MTPA. The core business 

was expanded by implementing 

a continuous polymerisation 

(CP) plant as 

backward integration with 

capacity of 1,40,000 MTPA. 

The new project will be a 

state-of-the-art R&D facility 

to develop specialty yarns. About 

50 per cent of the production will 

be captively utilized at Surat Super 

Yarn Park Ltd. (SSYPL) located in 

the vicinity of the project. This is expected 

to be the only fully integrated 

polyester filament yarn plant as well 

as the first fully automatic plant in 

India. It has 100 per cent coal-based 

captive power generation assuring 

uninterrupted quality power supply 

at much cheaper rates. 

The project is expected to yield 

significant savings in packaging cost 

by elimination of cartons for the material 

to be supplied to SSYPL. It is 

also expected to result in savings in 

the cost of certain inventories like 

spools, caps, pallets, etc. 

The Textile Magazine jANUARY 2012 | 63 

•

Corporate social responsibility 

Jaipur Rugs to train 10,000 Indians 

in advanced carpet weaving 

Jaipur Rugs Company 

has announced that it will 

train some 10,000 people 

in northern India on 

advanced carpet weaving 

techniques and provide 

them with access to global 

markets by 2015 as part 

of the firm’s commitment 

to the Business Call to 

Action (BCtA), a global 

initiative that encourages 

companies to fight poverty 

while boosting business 

opportunities in developing 

countries. 

Ms. Asha Chaudhary 

CEO, Jaipur Rugs 

Jaipur Rugs, one of the largest 

manufacturers of hand-knotted carpets 

in India, is helping low-income 

people – approximately 60 per cent 

of whom are women – in the most 

economically disadvantaged regions 

of India gain access to local 

employment opportunities. Weavers 

in Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, 

Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan will 

receive one-month training in advanced 

carpet weaving techniques 

and quality control to improve the 

quality and quantity of rugs produced. 

Jaipur Rugs is globally 

renowned for its handknotted 

rugs and the way 

they are woven to contribute 

to socio-economic 

development. The rugs 

are exported to about 30 

countries. It is famous 

across the world for its 

Social Entrepreneurship 

Model which it has developed 

over the three 

decades by making production 

of hand-knotted 

rug industry completely 

meant for grassroots level 

people. 

There are more than 60 

processes in producing 

hand-knotted rugs. Each 

process provides its own 

potential of employability 

or work scope. This 

model or business was founded in 

1978 with nine artisans. Since then, 

Jaipur Rugs has evolved 40,000 

jobless people by assigning them to 

these processes. 

Weavers who demonstrate exceptional 

carpet making skills will go 

on to receive training to train and 

manage other weavers in the village. 

“Although there are 2.5 million 

artisans weaving rugs in India, most 

are not well-paid. In recent years, 

weavers have seen their wages 


Corporate social responsibility 

plummet due to contractors imposing 

unfair pricing practices when 

purchasing carpets at the village 

level,” said Susan Chaffin, BCtA 

Programme Manager. “We at BCtA 

welcome Jaipur Rugs’ commitment 

to creating new and sustainable job 

opportunities for women and unskilled, 

low-income labourers in 

villages, thereby enabling them to 

earn a secure livelihood.” 

According to the International 

Labour Organisation, approximately 

17 per cent of men and 66 

per cent of women in rural villages 

are unemployed. Among those that 

have jobs, 30 per cent of men and 

36 per cent of women live 

below the poverty line. 

Initiatives such as Jaipur’s 

provide jobs and opportunities 

to those people that 

need it the most. Trained 

weavers contracted through 

Jaipur Rugs earn an average 

of $300-$500 more per year 

than unskilled artisans. 

“Through this initiative, 

we have the opportunity to 

provide sustainable livelihoods 

to the poorest of 

the poor in an economically 

disadvantaged region 

of the world,” said Asha 

Chaudhary, CEO 

of Jaipur Rugs. 

“Each time you 

buy a rug and I 

sell it, we contribute 

to alleviation 

of poverty 

and create employment 

for underserved 

communities.” 

Since inception, Jaipur 

Rugs has provided training 

to more than 28,000 

low-income home-based 

weavers and an additional 

12,000 wool spinners 

and dyers. This latest 

commitment by Jaipur 

Rugs is part of the company’s 

long-term growth 

strategy and plans to extend 

its market globally. 

The Business Call 

to Action is a global 

initiative that seeks to 

challenge companies to 

develop inclusive business 

models that offer 

the potential for development impact 

along with commercial success. 

The initiative is the result of a 

partnership between the Australian 

Agency for International Development, 

Dutch Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs, Swedish International Development 

Cooperation Agency, 

UK Department for International 

Development, US Agency for International 

Development, United 

Nations Development Programme, 

UN Global Compact, Clinton Global 

Initiative and the International 

Business Leaders Forum to meet 

the Millennium Development 

Goals by 2015. 

Companies report on progress 

toward commitments on an annual 

basis. 

• 



Karl Mayer Academy offers 

extensive product training 

Mr. Fritz P. Mayer, CEO, Karl Mayer 

Karl Mayer’s customers not 

only benefit from its high-tech 

machines. The company’s knowhow 

and expertise can also give 

them the edge over their competitors. 

Companies can win leading market positions 

and tap into new applications using 

efficient high-speed Tricot machines 

and Raschel machines, and the opportunities 

offered by the Karl Mayer Academy 

to learn more about them are available to 

textile manufacturers worldwide. 

The company’s Training Centre runs its 

own training programmes at its headquarters 

in Obertshausen and at its subsidiary 

in Changzhou. The instructors at both locations 

work closely with each other, and 

this enables them to take into account the 

special regional requirements of customers 

on the company’s main markets. 

A comprehensive training programme 

was recently held at Karl Mayer (China) 

Ltd., which was attended by the product 

developer, Stefan Gross, and the instructor, 

Stephan Jung. These two specialists 

travelled from Germany to hold a series of 

courses on the RSJ range of machines and 

the RD 7 EL double-bar Raschel machine. 

The courses on the RSJ machine were 

held from October 17 to 26 at the Karl 

Mayer Academy in Changzhou. The programme 

consisted of three training courses, 

each lasting three days, providing information 

at different levels of detail. 

The course mainly attracted designers 



who had already had experience using 

the RSJ machines. The aim of 

the course was to provide them with 

the necessary expertise to develop 

more intricate patterns, to open up 

untapped markets, and to enable 

them to optimise the potential of the 

versatile RSJ machines. 

Standard articles, such as Powernet, 

can be produced on majority 

of the machines currently available 

on the market, but the options can 

be extended by working new, more 

sophisticated designs. The possibilities 

of producing more fashionable 

articles, such as lightweight Spotnet 

fabrics with attractive, lace-like patterns 

and functional lingerie fabrics 

with body-shaping zones should 

guarantee long-term capital utilization 

and good business – concepts 

that newcomers to this sector are 

also finding particularly attractive. 

Basically, the course involved 

presenting the range of machines 

and highlighting the differences between 

the various models, explaining 

the jacquard principles, and developing 

basic lapping and design 

parameters based on these principles. 

The experienced pattern developers 

were particularly interested in 

the performance features of the software 

and its latest upgrade. “Highend 

designs can be developed much 

easier and quicker using the latest 

functions. The edges of the motifs in 

particular have an incredibly smooth 

appearance,” said one of the course 

participants enthusiastically. 

The theoretical part was followed 

by the practical part, which involved 

drafting various patterns and producing 

them on an RSJ 5/1 EL in 

the training centre. As the machine 

was running, the advantages of using 

the individual functions, such 

as lapping changeover, the Multi- 

Speed function, and control of the 

fabric take-down to produce stitches 

of different size, became clear immediately 

– an invaluable learning 

experience for all the participants in 

the RSJ course, who were delighted 

with the course content. 

The Chinese designers and textile 

specialists developed many new 

ideas for generating future business 

and collected useful tips that would 

be invaluable to them in their dayto-day 

work. They were also given 

the opportunity to discuss produc- 



tion problems with the head of the 

course, Stefan Gross, and develop 

new ideas. 

The RD 7 EL scope for 

designing 

The two-part training course on 

the RD 7 EL was held a month after 

the RSJ course. The first part took 

place from November 14 to 19 and 

covered the construction of the 3D 

textiles produced on the double-bar 

Raschel machine. It was aimed primarily 

at designers and product developers. 

The second part of the course was 

held from November 21 to 26, when 

the instructor, Stephan Jung, described 

the technical features of the 

machine and the sequences involved 

in producing the various patterns, 

using the machine available on site. 

One of the main aspects covered 

in the course concerned the relationships 

between the construction of 

the pile spacer layer and important 

textile parameters such as thickness, 

weight per unit area, and compression 

resistance. Other topics 

covered included the quality of the 

warp-knitted spacer textiles, especially 

the design potential offered 

by the RD 7 EL. 

The specific configuration of the 

double-bar Raschel machine in the 

Karl Mayer Academy (four patterning 

ground guide bars on the front 

needle bar, one pile bar, two stitchforming 

ground guide bars on the 

rear needle bar and EL drive) offers 

a wide range of possibilities. 

For example, the course participants 

learned how to create structured 

surfaces, different coloured effects, 

soft-touch constructions and mesh 

patterns having different opening 

widths. Particularly interesting is 

the production of different pore sizes, 

not only on the upper and lower 

surfaces but also over the length and 

width of an area. 

To consolidate what they had 

learned, the students used the Proc- 

Cadwarpknit 3D system to simulate 

patterns and then produced them on 

a training machine. The RD course, 

which combined theory with practice, 

proved to be an extremely efficient 

and novel way of increasing 

the students’ knowledge. With their 

new-found knowledge, the participants 

returned home to breathe new 

life into the production of spacer 

textiles and thus to contribute to the 

success of their companies. 

While the training courses were 

being held in China, the training 

activities in the Academy in Obertshausen 

were continuing at full 

swing. If everything goes according 

to plan, roughly 220 participants 

will have attended courses on warp 

knitting by the end of the year. Most 

of the courses focus on Tricot machines. 

Basic courses (WKB) are available, 

which cover the basics of these 

versatile, efficient machines, and 

advanced courses are available for 

more experienced users. Special 

training courses are available for 

special applications. 

Most of the people attending the 

courses are employees of the company’s 

clients and they come from 

all over the world. They are able to 

benefit from a well-balanced mix 

of theoretical and practical instruction 

provided by a highly committed, 

experienced team of instructors 

in the Academy which is equipped 

with all the latest machinery and 

equipment. 

• 


new products 

LYCRA(R) Sport fabric brand sets 

fresh performance standards 

INVISTA, owner of the 

LYCRA(R) fiber brand, set new 

textile technology standards in 

high-performance active wear and 

outdoor apparel standards when it 

initially launched its LYCRA(R) 

SPORT fabric certification program 

two years ago. The company is now 

using this product of many years of 

textile expertise and innovations as a 

basis for expansion, and is introducing 

two additional tiers of performance 

standards focused specifically 

on the fast-growing compression 

and shaping categories within sports 

apparel categories: LYCRA(R) 

SPORT ENERGY fabric and 

LYCRA(R) SPORT BEAUTY fabric. 

INVISTA will be exhibiting at 

two tradeshows in late January – one 

at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 

in North America and the other at 

ISPO Munich where the new tiers 

will be launched. 

INVISTA is one of the world’s 

largest integrated producers of 

polymers and fibers, primarily for 

nylon, spandex and polyester applications. 

Its global businesses 

deliver exceptional value for customers 

through technology innovations, 

market insights and a powerful 

portfolio of global trademarks, 

including COOLMAX(R) fabric, 

CORDURA(R) fabric, fresh- 

FX (R) fiber, LYCRA(R) fiber, 

SUPPLEX(R) fabric, TACTEL(R) 

fiber, and THERMOLITE(R) fabric. 


new products 

The LYCRA(R) SPORT fabric platform combines the 

stretch fiber technology and the demanding fabric performance 

requirements designed specifically for sports 

and outdoor apparel. The program was originally developed 

in response to feedback from athletes and active 

people who expect freedom of movement and fit and 

shape retention in their athletic apparel – the same benefits 

that they also associate with the LYCRA(R) fiber 

brand. As a result, purchase interest for garments with 

LYCRA(R) SPORT fabric reach 60 per cent in consumer 

surveys. 

“We are very excited to be moving the LYCRA(R) 

SPORT fabric brand forward with new tiers that have 

clearly defined performance standards for the growing 

active and athletic audience that is looking for wellmade 

garments, with excellent fit and freedom of movement,” 

said David Capdevila, INVISTA Apparel’s global 

marketing director for active and outerwear. “We 

are confident that both the industry and end-consumers, 

both men and women, will find our tiers are the solution 

they are looking for to fill the gap in the market.” 

The new performance standards that make up the new 

tiers, built from the original LYCRA(R) SPORT fabric 

platform, were developed in recognition of the more 

unique requirements of the compression and shapewear 

sub-categories. The new three differentiated tiers of 

LYCRA(R) SPORT fabric are: 

LYCRA(R) SPORT fabric: The current performance 

standards enabling fabrics to maintain their original 

properties for longer, and delivering freedom of movement, 

bi-directional stretch, comfort and long-lasting fit. 

New to this tier is the qualification of natural fibers in 

fabrics meeting the required performance standards. All 

existing LYCRA(R) SPORT fabrics will qualify for this 

tier. 

LYCRA(R) SPORT ENERGY fabric: The new 

performance standards designed specifically for compression 

fabrics used in high intensity and high energy 

sports, maintaining the right balance between fabric 

compression power, freedom of movement and outstanding 

comfort. LYCRA(R) SPORT ENERGY fabric 

enables the creation of high performance compression 

garments. 

LYCRA(R) SPORT BEAUTY fabric: The new 

performance standards designed specifically for sports 

apparel where shaping performance meets beauty and 

style. This tier helps to improve the shaping impact of 

fabrics while maintaining the freedom of movement 

and comfort required in sporting activities. LYCRA(R) 

SPORT BEAUTY fabrics: looking in shape while getting 

in shape(TM). 

Hangtags for all three tiers will be available for garments 

made with LYCRA(R) SPORT fabric and that 

meet the demanding standards of each category. • 


angladesh textile news 

A newly established textile mill in 

Dhaka has selected a Monforts 

Montex stenter as a key element 

in its vertical knitted production 

process. 

The decision by Bangladesh’s Turag Garments & Hosiery 

Mills Ltd. to convert itself from a small garments 

producer into a full-scale textiles mill has proved successful 

following its transition in June 2009, with the 

company today supplying 100 per cent of its output to 

export markets. 

A key element in the fitting out of the mill, which is 

located on the outskirts of Dhaka in the South Panishail 

district, was the installation of a Monforts Montex JV 

stenter supplied by the Monforts representative, Bengal 

Technological Corporation Ltd. 

With the stenter installed, Turag is now undertaking 



chemically treated fabrics and materials such as 100% 

polyester, and we also need particularly high-temperature 

finishing. All this of course has to be of the best 

quality, because our entire business is for export, mainly 

to Europe.” 

Turag was already an established name in the export 

markets, having been founded in 1998, although it had 

remained a small-scale garment manufacturer until the 

decision to expand into textiles production. Now occupying 

an area of 39,623 m² (426,500 ft²), the factory 

employs a workforce of 1,900. 

Turag is best known for producing casual and sportswear 

with a variety of patterns and sizes of knit fabrics 

which are finished with different functions, such 

as wicking, moisture management, anti-bacterial, and 

mosquito-proof. 

The company works with special yarns such as polyester, 

micro-polyester, modal, bamboo cotton, Polyamide 

Tactel, Coolmax and Suplex. 

Mr. Hemantha, who spent much of his career working 

in the textiles and garments sector in the UK, says that 

knitting, dyeing, sewing, printing, finishing 

and garment manufacture. “We have used 

top quality machinery from Europe for all 

the processes, and we needed the Monforts 

stenter for the flexibility it gives us in fabrics 

handling,” says Mr. D.S. Hemantha, General 

Manager for textiles production, who 

commissioned the mill. “The stenter needs 

to handle all natural materials, together with 



the intention of making the mill a vertically integrated 

one was to better control supplies, quality and cost. 

“To go from a single garment production unit to a fully 

integrated mill is an enormous step. We had to start 

by constructing the buildings, which illustrates how new 

everything is. But we had extremely efficient support 

from Monforts and Bengal Technological, both in installation 

and in training, and the mill is now working 

very effectively”, he adds. 

The Montex stenter features a wide range of energy 

saving solutions providing reduced running costs, improved 

efficiency and productivity, and has an integrated 

heat recovery system fitted as standard. 

Energy saving, says Mr. Hemantha, is a very important 

aspect of textiles production in Bangladesh because 

of uncertainty of power supply, and as backup to the 

main supply the company has installed two generator 

sets, one powered by gas and the other by diesel. 

Montex is handling approximately 10 tonnes of fabric 

per day, working at the rate of 26 days per month, the 

remainder being holiday or downtime for maintenance. 

It can handle fabrics up to 240 cm in width, although 

the most usual widths range from 172 to 200 cm. The 

weight of the fabrics handled ranges from 180 to 320 

g/m². 

Flexibility of the Montex allows the mill to undertake 

small runs and to work with customers on developing 

new product lines, often niche products that will have a 

limited production run. 

Turag is a 100% supplier to the export market, with 

Germany taking 30-40 per cent of output, and France 

and Sweden also representing significant markets. Small 

quantities are going to the UK and Japan. 

• 




Encouraged by the wide acclaim won by the India Customer Day & 

Workshop held earlier, Fong’s arranged the Bangladeshi Customer 

Day & Workshop at its Shenzhen headquarters during December 

27-29. The event which was attended by 20 Bangladeshi guests 

included seminars and a factory tour. 



Mr. Walter Leung, 

Sales Director, Fong’s National Engineering Co. Ltd. 

In his opening address, Mr. Shahabuddin, Managing 

Director of Pacific Associates Ltd., Fong’s agent in Bangladesh, 

explained the working relationship betweeen his 

company and Fong’s. This was followed by a detailed presentation 

on corporate updates by Mr. Walter Leung, Sales 

Director of Fong’s National Engineering Co. Ltd. 

After the inagural function, Mr. Gary Cheng, Area Sales 

Manager of Fong’s National Engineering Co. Ltd., led a factory 

tour of the 110k sq. metre land site allocated 

by various brands production plants of Fong’s National, 

Monfort Fong’s, Tycon Alloy and Goller. 

After the site visit, Fong’s technical team shared 

the latest company technology by making a professional 

presentation on THEN AIRFLOW, TEC 

Series and ALLWIN. 

After the visit of Fong’s production base, the 

team was also taken around two China factories, 

namely, Kam Hing Textile and Donghaipang Textile. 

The Bangladeshi guests were impressed with 

the success stories of FONG’S, THEN and Monfort 

Fong’s brand machines and systems. 

Mr. Li Zhiyong, Managing Director of Donghaipang, 

spoke in detail of his sophisticated factory 



with all the up-to-date automatic 

control systems. 

He said: “We have used 

Fong’s overflow machine, 

THEN AIRFLOW and Monfort 

Fong’s stenter range. We 

have also applied the control 

system of Fong’s Viewtex 

and THEN’s CHD chemical 

dispensing system. The 

reason why we are using the 

full range of Fong’s machinery 

and system is the group’s 

ability to provide one-stop 

service, avoiding the inevitable 

problem related to hardware 

and software. Secondly, 

Fong’s provides comprehensive 

technical support and after-sales 

service, minimizing 

the debugging time. Thirdly, 

Fong’s provides all the materials 

and parts needed for the 

system, assuring a standard 

quality”. 

Based on the feedback from 

customers, all of them would 

definitely be keen to join this 

programme again and would 

like Fong’s to arrange such 

technical seminars in future. 

• 



Largest Bangla garment exporter’s main 

reliance on Monforts technology 

The Noman Group, one of the 

largest vertically integrated textile 

producers in Bangladesh and in 

2010 the country’s biggest exporter 

of garments, has added a new Monforts 

Montex stenter to its line-up as 

part of massive investment aimed at 

keeping the group in its premier position. 

Originally founded as a trading 

company in Dhaka in 1968 and 

which now owns 19 mills and employs 

a workforce of more than 

40,000, Noman is Monforts’ largest 

customer in Bangladesh. 

The new Montex 6500 stenter was 

supplied and installed by the Monforts 

representative, Bengal Technological 

Corporation, at the Noman 

Weaving Mills plant at Sreepur, on 

the outskirts of Dhaka. 

Noman already uses a range of 

Monforts technology in its continuous 

dyeing and sanforising lines with 

Monfortex and Toptex shrinkage 

units for woven and knitted fabrics. 

These sanforizers offer increased residual 

shrinkage, higher production 

speeds, and reduced water consumption 

for cooling and substantial time 

savings for blanket changes. 

Mr. Gabriel Tagasa, advisor at the 

group’s multiple outlets in the Sreepur 

Zone, said that Noman invested in 

new equipment throughout 2010 to 

expand spinning and dyeing capacity 

at its woven and knit garment 

units, ensuring that the group has the 

capacity to maintain its position as a 

major exporter. 

Installing the new Monforts 6500- 

6F stenter, which joins two other 

Monforts stenters, will allow Noman 

to step up its output of dyed and knitted 

fabrics and offer faster and more 

flexible production times to its customers. 

“All our work is exported,” says 

Mr. Tagasa. “Consequently, the 

Montex 6500 is an important investment 

for us. It adds to the enormous 

flexibility we already have, which 

is substantially based on our existing 

Monforts technology. A lot of 

our customers are producing niche 

fashion items, sportswear and so on, 

often in relatively small production 

runs. We can therefore produce what 

is needed to meet their design and 

quality criteria”. 

Meeting costs is also extremely 

important during this period of intensely 

tough competition, and the 

company wants to stay ahead of its 

domestic competitors as well as international 

producers. 

Mr. Tagasa further says: “We work 

very closely with Bengal Technologies 

and Monforts to achieve this, 

and regard our relationships as a real 

working partnership. In addition to 

the size and capacity of the Montex 

6500, we are very impressed by the 

machine’s energy saving operation. 

There is a great shortage of energy 

supply in our country, and although 

we are fully backed up by generators, 

we are always very conscious 

of the need to reduce our energy consumption.” 

Noman has leapt into the 

first place from its previous 

position in the number 

three slot, benefiting from 

the global slowdown 

that has 

created a windfall 

for Bangladesh 

textile 

importers in 

general. With 

$ 4 0 0 - $ 4 2 0 

million worth 

of exports in 2010, Noman has ended 

a long-held domination by the Opex 



Group and the Nassa Group. 

“The global downturn prompted many top low-cost 

retailers to search for more economical supply sources,” 

says Mr. Tagasa. “Since we operate on economy of 

scale and with very low profit margins, we are receiving 

increased orders from top retailers like Asda, Wal-Mart 

and Target.” 

The group’s spinning mills have 463,600 spindles 

manufacturing from 8/s to 80/s counts both in carded 

and combed forms, supporting both the local and export 

markets. In the home textiles sector, Noman is the 

largest producer in Asia and one of the biggest in the 

world, exporting to Europe and North America generally, 

with leading names like H&M, M&S, IKEA, Wal- 

Mart, Asda, Carrefour, Aldi, Lidl, and JYSK amongst 

its customers. 

In apparels, the company is greatly increasing its 

production capacity for twill, poplin, canvas and yarn 

dyed fabrics and will be launching a new product line 

in denim, towel and jersey knitted fabrics. 

The company is now expanding its woven and knit 

garment units, adding a new 75,000 spindle spinning 

mill and an additional 100,000 m 2 of fabric dyeing and 

finishing units. It is also investing in new poplin, bednet, 

terry towel and home textile facilities. 

Bangladesh’s more than 2,500 active garment and 

textile manufacturers exported $11 billion worth of 

knit, woven and home textile items in 2009, with only a 

handful exporting over $100 million or more. 

Cotton prices have increased significantly in the last 

two years, but retailers and end customers were unwilling 

to raise their prices. In terms of pricing, however, 

Bangladesh is competitive due to the low wage economy. 

The quality of products made in Bangladesh has 

also improved greatly, especially with those manufacturers 

who have recently invested in European technology. 

Noman has been able to build on these advantages 

by enacting new strategies such as cost minimisation 

in different areas of production, increasing value-added 

products, product diversification, segmenting the products, 

opening new markets, and development of new 

products offering better margins. 

A few years ago, European and North American 

customers thought Bangladesh was unable to turn out 

quality products, but now they are buying more from 

Bangladesh because of the price and quality of the texti 

les. 

• 


technology 

Groz-Beckert gauge part 

system for process reliability 

with functional interaction 

The Groz-Beckert system 

concept for deployment 

of tufting gauge part 

systems in all relevant 

tufting applications is a 

consistent development 

which addresses the 

growing demands of the 

industry for precision and 

process reliability. 

The Groz-Beckert tufting gauge 

part systems offer tangible benefits 

in the manufacture of tufted floor 

coverings by ensuring the controlled 

and co-ordinated combination 

of materials and the functional interaction 

of all tool components, for a 

tufting result which is truly impressive 

in terms of both its quality and 

economy. 

Alongside an extensive fund of 

experience gathered over decades 

spent in the manufacture of needles 

and gauge parts for producing tufted 

floor coverings, customers also benefit 

from Groz-Beckert’s acknowledged 

expertise and technological 

market leadership in every area of 

textile and fabric production. 

Ultramodern design methods such 

as CAD and FEM guarantee the 

development of top-quality tufting 

gauge parts taking into account the 

specific needs of the relevant industry 

(engineered products). 

Groz-Beckert works closely with 

tufting machine manufacturers 

and raw material suppliers, as well 


technology 

as consulting with its customers 

around the globe, taking on board 

their requirements and their valuable 

experience. 

Process competence 

The continuous endeavours to 

improve products are aimed at 

minimizing production risks during 

the tufting process. Particular 

importance is attached to the selection, 

application and combination 

of top-quality materials to ensure a 

progressive production process in 

compliance with the very strictest 

quality guidelines. 

Groz-Beckert is able to call upon 

ultramodern laboratory and analytical 

processes in the achievement of 

this goal. It produces all needles and 

tufting gauge parts in its own fully 

integrated and certified production 

facility, in compliance with the most 

stringent environmental standards 

using internally developed machines 

and highly qualified workforce. It 

guarantees customers around the 

globe security of supply with its tufting 

gauge parts. With this pledge, it 

offers the guarantee of fast, reliable 

and sustainable product quality. 

Application competence 

The continuously updated and 

successful Groz-Beckert gauge part 

range is the culmination of many 

years of close co-operation with its 

customers, machine manufacturers 

and its own in-house development 

work. It applies its technical knowledge 

and its application-specific 

knowhow to all tufting applications. 

With the aid of a production facility 

in the Groz-Beckert Technology 

Centre, this fund of expertise 

allows customers to test and verify 

the process reliable interaction of 

a gauge part system solution under 

different conditions. 

Its international sales presence is 

additionally backed by its unique 

online tufting catalogue which is designed 

to help select the ideal gauge 

parts for customer-specific requirement, 

as well as providing information 

about product specifications 

and other useful details. 

• 


new products 

Y-Tester, for smarter yarn testing 

The concept of testing yarn for evenness at the laboratory 

has two main benefits – to test the yarn and confirm 

whether its qualities are within the specified limits, and 

to eliminate periodic faults generated by machines. 

The progress in textile digital electronics has opened 

up new boundaries paving way for newer testing opportunities 

and reduced cost of testing. TeFoc, in its 

pursuit of newer technologies, is introducing Investa’s 

Y-Tester, which can be an alternative to the laboratory 

evenness tester and can provide users with newer opportunities 

of testing. 

Mr. Jan Blasko, Sr., Technical Manager of Investa 

Uni and former scientist at the Czech Textile Research 

Institute VUB, has, in association with his former colleagues, 

developed the Y-Tester, the unique instrument 

which simplifies yarn testing. With opportunities for 

more meaningful testing of yarn spinners can produce a 

consistently high quality yarn throughout. 

The use of latest digital electronics and sensor electronics 

has made the model simple. The system has a 

control unit attached to an optical sensor – the whole 

equipment is compact and can be easily carried – with 

provision of large storage of data, USB connectivity for 

transfer of data, etc. 

The system can check the unevenness of CV% of 

yarn, U% of yarn, imperfections in yarn, spectrogram 

analysis, etc. It can also provide detailed statistical analysis 

of data. 

The system can be programmed for testing short yarn 

length (starting from 8 metres). It can be taken to the 

ring frame or open end machine, and each spindle/rotor 

can be tested for short lengths. The unevenness CV% of 

the yarn produced at each spindle/rotor is measured. If 

CV% in a particular spindle/rotor is within the average 

CV% value it could mean that the quality of yarn produced 

at the spindle/rotor is good and the operator could 

proceed to check the next spindle/rotor. 

As the testing of short length with the Y-Tester takes 

less than a minute it is possible to check a large volume 

of spindles/rotors a day and identify those that are producing 

bad quality yarn. These spindles/rotors, which 

Control Unit 

Sensor unit 

Testing on ring spinning 

are giving high CV%, can further be checked for longer 

length of 100 metres and above and measure U%, imperfections, 

spectrogram faults and count variations. 

Yarn quality studies 

Another application where the Y-Tester comes in 

handy is while studying the performance of various 

components of the spinning machine. For instance, for 

components like cots, aprons, spacers, bobbin holders, 

etc., performance analysis can be done immediately, 

whereas with the conventional laboratory equipment 

this study is a long-drawn out process. 

With all these data the factors for production of bad 

quality yarn can be identified and corrected instantaneously. 

The system can also be used in ring spinning mills and 

open-end mills without evenness tester as it this eliminates 

the need for an evenness tester at the laboratory. 

As the system is mobile it can be used for checking of 

yarn anywhere and everywhere. 

With all these new opportunities the mills using this 

equipment can maintain a high quality level and stay 

above competition. 

For details, contact: TeFoc Machineries, No. 301, 

Police Kandasamy Street, Behind Thasami Nest, Puliyakulam, 

Coimbatore - 641 045. E-mail: info@tefoc. 

com 

• 


international regulations 

Growing awareness of ill-effects 

of chemicals in textiles 

In the wake of renewed 

consumer concern about 

the chemicals used in 

clothes and footwear and 

their potential for harmful 

effect on both individuals 

and the environment, 

national and international 

regulatory frameworks 

such as REACH and CP- 

SIA have been created 

with the aim of restricting 

and prohibiting the use 

of such substances. Restricted 

substances now 

abound within the textile 

industry in the light of 

consumer awareness. 

Restricted substances, including 

harmful chemicals, can pose grave 

danger to people, the environment 

and companies using them. The recall 

of a product for use of dangerous 

substances can cause irretrievable 

damage to a company’s reputation. 

Greenpeace International, for example, 

in its recent publication, ‘Dirty 

Laundry 2: Hung Out to Dry’, focused 

on the use of the chemical nonylphenolethoxylate 

(NPE) and its 

release into the environment from 

its use in the manufacture of clothes 

and footwear. The example highlights 

how concern over chemicals 

doesn’t impact merely at the point 

of production. It can also come up at 

the point of sale, affecting both company 

sales and consumer choice. 

Many restricted substances are of 

the group considered harmful to the 

environment and unfit for public exposure, 

creating new challenges for 

companies that manufacture and sell 

clothes and footwear. The industry 

has reacted by implementing an integrated 

approach and presenting a 

united front as it meets the requirements 

posed by local and international 

manufacturing regulation, 

international standards, chemical 

specifications and consumer product 

regulation. Hazardous chemicals 

now have to be identified and assessed 

throughout the entire supply 

chain. 

It is therefore of the utmost importance 

that the control and management 

of risk is undertaken at every 

point along the supply chain so as 

to ensure that the final product has 


international regulations 

minimal, if any, impact on public 

health and the environment. 

Stringent quality assurance 

systems are required to ensure 

that products adhere to the required 

standards from source 

to appearance on the market. 

Vital elements to the process 

of quality assurance include 

factory system reviews, documentation 

verification, operation 

control and an assessment of the suppliers of raw 

materials. The management and evaluation of raw materials 

and chemicals, including chemical substances and 

their components therein, is also of utmost importance 

in a thorough and stringent quality assurance system. 

Mechanisms that enable the consistent and fair evaluation 

of new components and suppliers also need to be 

established in order to ensure that no restricted chemical 

substance poses a threat to the quality of the finished 

product or even makes an appearance on the production 

line. 

To increase a manufacturer’s 

competitiveness whilst building 

the brand image and enhancing 

the company’s reputation, 

not to mention making 

their product stand out from 

the rest, there is nothing better 

than showing that a company 

takes its environmental 

responsibilities seriously. 

SGS has extensive experience 

within the regulatory field and has the expertise 

and thorough knowledge of the regulation that seeks to 

protect the environment from chemicals used in manufacture. 

SGS experts (http://www.sgs.com/softlines) 

can help manufacturers to take action that will form the 

blueprint plan a company uses in its quest for chemical 

control. SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, 

testing and certification company. It is recognized 

as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With 

67,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 

1,250 offices and laboratories around the world. • 

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education 

Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry & Textiles, and Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, Board of Governors 

of NIFT, along with students at the convocation ceremony 

Mr. Anand Sharma, Union 

Minister of Commerce, Industry 

& Textiles, has asked 

fresh graduates of the National 

Institute of Fashion 

Technology (NIFT) to embrace 

the traditional knowledge 

of design in their work 

and keep their connect with 

ethics and ethos alive. 

“Our country is a rich nation in 

terms of tradition and old practices 

of design. The NIFT students and 

faculty have to adopt and take this 

forward as a responsibility”, he said 

at the 17th Convocation ceremony 

at NIFT. 

The Minister congratulated NIFT 

on its completing 25 years and 

awarded Degrees for the fresh batch 


of graduates and post-graduates of 

2011 at the Convocation ceremony. 

The Board of Governors of NIFT 

and experts from the industry were 

also present on the occasion. 

Mr. Sharma said that the Indian 

fashion industry is still evolving, but 

surely it has made its mark. “It has 

been a long journey, and the need is 

to keep creating hopes and harvesting 

dreams”. He lauded the NIFT 

efforts in preserving and propagating 

the traditional arts and crafts of 

India at both the local and regional 

levels. 

Ms. Monika S. Garg, Director 

General of NIFT, in her address, 

said: “NIFT is committed to creating 

and maintaining an environment 

that promises an approach of knowledge 

transfer. Here the academic 

strategy embraces internationalism 

and facilitates an invigorating 

thought-process which is multi-disciplinary 

and dynamic.” 

She disclosed that this year, in the 

presence of the Prime Ministers of 

both the countries at Dhaka, NIFT 

entered into an association with the 

BGMEA Institute of Fashion Technology, 

Bangladesh, for collaboration 

in areas based on building 

specific professional competencies. 

“We are confident that this endeavour 

will identify placement and job 

opportunities for NIFTians in Bangladesh. 

The institute this year has 

enhanced the international visibility 

and standing. NIFT has entered into 

a strategic alliance with the Fashion 

Institute of Technology, New York, 

in the form of Dual Degree. Our 

strategy seeks to realize the opportunities 

to find the better placement

education 

options for the students in India and 

overseas”. 

NIFT has 15 centers in India. 

Since 1987 it has produced designers 

and fashion entrepreneurs who 

have shaped the Indian fashion industry 

into a global leader. 

The Director General also said 

that over the last few years NIFT 

has undertaken strategic steps to 

forge international linkages with 

international schools of repute. Currently, 

it has over 30 MoUs with 

foreign fashion schools for student 

& faculty exchange, conferences, 

seminars and exhibitions. In 2011, 

the existing MoUs were reviewed, 

and four new ones were signed with 

the Fashion Institute of Technology, 

New York, the BGMEA Institute of 

Fashion Technology, Bangladesh, 

the University of Wolverhampton, 

UK, and the Royal Academy of 

Arts, the Hague. 

NIFT has also entered into an 

MoU with the Textile Committee 

to increase the knowledge base of 

its faculty, students and research 

scholars. As part of this agreement, 

facilities like library, publications, 

laboratories, etc., are made available 

by the Textile Committee to NIFT 

for research purposes. 

Ms. Monika Garg presenting the 

annual Academic Report, recounted 

the journey of NIFT through expansion, 

extension and benchmarking 

in fashion education. 

As per the NIFT policy, after 

completion of four years the complete 

curriculum is reviewed incorporating 

views from industry and 

alumni. Accordingly, an elaborate 

and intensive exercise of peer and 

industry review of the curriculum 

of their respective departments was 

carried out by the Chairpersons in 

January 2011. Two-day workshops 

were organized for each discipline 

in NIFT Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore 

and Gandhinagar, in which peer institutes, 

industry members and NIFT 

alumni and faculty participated. The 

focus was on dynamic and emerging 

needs of the industry and future 

trends. The new curriculum has 

been implemented with effect from 

July 2011 onwards. 

Built into the academic curriculum 

are internship, industry visits, 

out-bound programmes as well as 

real life projects, seminars and interactions 

which provide opportunities 

for students to appreciate and 

understand the working of the industry. 

The institute also undertakes 

research and consultancy projects 

for the industry with its expertise in 

Design, Management and Technology 

at strategic and operational levels. 

The students get the opportunity 

to work in stimulating environment 

with industry projects focusing on 

integrative abilities that use skills 

ranging from technical expertise to 

creative exposure. 

As an attempt to inculcate social 

awareness, the Craft Cluster Project 

has been woven into the Academic 

Calendar. Understanding the social 

responsibility towards this sector, 

the NIFT students continue to contribute 

to the clusters through design 

intervention and product diversification. 

In all, 1,492 graduates from 10 

streams of study and from nine centers 

of NIFT were awarded Degrees. 

Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, 

Board of Governors of NIFT, in 

his brief address, congratulated the 

graduating students. 

• 


events 

ITM Texpo Eurasia to showcase 

Turkey as major textile power 

The Turkish textile exports 

were estimated at 

$704.248.000 in October 

2011. Compared to 

the same period of the 

previous year, this is an 

increase of 12.3 per cent. 

Exports for the January- 

October period also increased 

by 25.8 per cent 

compared to the previous 

year. These figures 

indicate that the Turkish 

textile industry is again on 

an upswing. 

The overwhelming response received 

to ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 

to be held during April 21-24 also 

underlines the importance of Turkey 

in the global textile industry. Most 

of the exhibition space has been fully 

booked. Foreign textile machinery 

manufacturers, who were not 

sure about the world textile industry 

trend and the future of textiles in 

Turkey a few months ago, do understand 

the growing importance of the 

Turkish companies, as the country 

ranked among the first three in terms 

of the number of exhibitors and visitors 

at the exhibition. 

Especially in terms of machinery 

purchases, Turkish textile industrialists 

attracted attention in terms 

of their conscious investments as 

professional visitors at ITMA 2011. 

Mr. Necip Guney, Sales Director 

ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 has received 

very good response from international 

exhibitors. 

ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 Exhibition 

organized simultaneously with 

HIGHTEX 2012 and Yarn Exhibition 

will be the most important 

sectoral meeting of the year. Hall 

2 and Hall 3 dedicated for spinning 

and dyeing-printing-finishing technologies 

are fully booked. Hall 7, 

which is also dedicated to dyeingprinting-finishing 

technologies, is 

booked 70 per cent. Hall 12, dedicated 

to weaving-knitting technologies 

is booked 90 per cent, and in 

compliance with the space booking 

demands received, Hall 10 has 

also been dedicated for knitting and 

weaving technologies. 

• 


The Textile Magazine – classified column

policy initiatives - Textile Magazine

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