Perfect Sourcing Latest Issue by Garment Show of India

VOL. 11, ISSUE 10, MARCH 2022 ` 175

RNI NO. DELENG/2011/39197

METAVERSE CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF FASHION

UKRAINE ORDERS SHIFTING WEAVING RUSSIA TO INDIASUCCESS IN INDIA; IN WAR

CAN INDIA TAP THE OPPORTUNITY?

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CONTENT

COVER STORY

Metaverse Fashion Changing The Dynamics Of Fashion

CEPA Between India and UAE to boost India’s Apparel Exports 27 Rising Supply Chain Issues Prompts Closer Sourcing 28

BURNING ISSUE

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 29-31

UkraineRussia In War Fashion Brands Suspends Sales In Russia 18

INDIA NEWS 32-38

Rise in Raw Material Price needs Urgent Action 20-21 TRENDS

Fashion Weeks Concluded: Insights for Trends in 2022 22-23 MARKETUPDATE

Orders Shifting to India… Can India Tap The Opportunity? 24-26

MARCH 2022

FAIR AND EVENTS

Weaving Success in India; Picanol Inaugurates New Office 40-42 Fair calendar 2021-22 43

COVER STORY

MARCH 2022

EDITORIAL

WAR SETTLES NOTHING…

he war between Ukraine and Russia has created an alarming situation for the textile and apparel industry as the cost of production is going up almost everyday. Though India is not exporting to both the countries in a major way, however, the rising cost of fuel and raw material is affecting the industry. On one hand there is a surge in orders from across the world on the other there is a disruption in supply chain because of constant increase in raw material, freight and fuel price all of which is hampering the smooth flow of business.

Deepti Marwah Editor

PERFECTSOURCING

OM SAI RAM

Email: editor@perfectsourcing.net

In this issue, you will read about Metaverse which is changing the landscape of the fashion industry. Interestingly, the way in which it is constantly making its way to all leading fashion brands is very fast and the trend is expected to continue for years to come. In our story we have also spoken to one of the companies Trace Network which is into making digital avatars, virtual showrooms and discussed with our team how Metaverse can change the fashion industry in a number of ways. While initially it was only considered to be useful for people engaged in gaming who wanted to have their gaming identity by creating their digital avatars, the trend is now fast forwarding towards people buying fashion and accessories to be present at events, meetings or even social gatherings via their digital avatars. This has opened up a plethora of opportunities for Metafashion.

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The pandemic no doubt hit hard on most of us, however, the good part is that the industry is now very rapidly gearing back to normal. The weaving czar Picanol India recently expanded its office space and inaugurated a new one. The company sees robust demand for the weaving machines in the coming days and considers this period to be one of the golden ones for the industry. In this issue, you will also read how a lot of orders are moving towards India as there is an increased demand for apparel and fashion products from all over the world especially the US market where things are getting back to normal. A lot of manufacturers see diversion of a few orders from China as one of the reasons for the situation. The market is completely open and it is the time for everyone to perform and grow. We hope that the current issue of Perfect Sourcing will serve as an important source of information and will help our readers in remaining updated about the market.

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COVER STORY

METAVERSE FASHION CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF FASHION Metaverse is described by Meta as the ‘next evolution of social connection’, offering a three-dimensional virtual reality universe where users from all over the world are present at the same time. This new platform, in which big brands from the gaming and entertainment industries are investing one after the other, is also seen as an important opportunity for the fashion world.

MARCH 2022

COVER STORY

t is expected that clothes will gain more importance in the virtual world as well as in the physical world with the Metaverse becoming more involved in people’s daily lives. In addition to the digital presence of brands selling clothing in the real world, companies selling clothes that can only be worn in the digital world are taking fashion to a different dimension. Recently, the world-famous sportswear brand Adidas stepped into this 3D virtual reality world by collaborating with the digital collection Bored Ape Yacht Club, including 10 thousand NFTs. Nike has announced that they have started a partnership with online gaming platform Roblox to offer a free virtual playground called Nikeland. Zara announced its AZ Collection in the metaverse by signing with South Korea-based fashion brand Ader Error as well. Leading luxury brands Gucci, Balenciaga, and Burberry have already taken their place in the most played video games worldwide. The 3 trillion dollar fashion industry continues to grow rapidly and is among the sectors that adapted to the metaverse the fastest. On the one hand, existing apparel and retail brands are starting to take their place in the digital environment as well as in the physical world, on the other hand, the whole world is witnessing the emergence of start-up companies that produce only digital clothing.

action on this issue. Although it has become popular recently, the term metaverse dates back to Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel ‘Snow Crash’, presenting a vision of a ‘computer-generated universe’. The metaverse has been the subject of numerous books and movies afterwards and is now turning from science fiction to reality. Metaverse creates a new universe for fashion as well. It is expected that clothes will gain more importance in the virtual world as well as in the physical world with the Metaverse becoming more involved in people’s daily lives. For this reason, while the metaverse emerges as a market that offers important opportunities for the fashion industry, NFT plays an accelerating role in this transformation, making products in the digital environment unique. In addition to the digital presence of brands selling clothing in the real world, companies selling clothes that can only be worn in the digital world are taking fashion to a different dimension. Instead of consumers having to use their imaginations to visualize how a garment looks — and even more importantly, how it would look on them — they can now virtually interact with any piece of clothing. They can take a 360-degree look at a product. They can zoom in on even the smallest detail, rather than relying on a few photos the brand uploaded to the website. Consumers now have the ability to even virtually try on items by dragging one or more products onto photos of themselves

3 billion people play video games on a regular basis today and 100 billion dollars worth of virtual goods are sold annually from these platforms. Players buy these clothes or accessories, called ‘skins’, for real money to customize their appearance in an online game .

HOW BIG METAVERSE IN FASHION WOULD GET? The game industry dominates the entertainment world and was worth $ 203.12 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach $545.98 billion by 2028. 3 billion people play video games on a regular basis today and 100 billion dollars worth of virtual goods are sold annually from these platforms. Players buy these clothes or accessories, called ‘skins’, for real money to customize their appearance in an online game. So, why do users show such interest in clothes that they cannot wear in real life? After Facebook introduced Meta in the past months, combining its applications and technologies under a new company brand, the concept of metaverse began to be heard frequently and lots of large companies took

Why do people pay for digital clothes they cannot actually wear? Considering that 3 billion people regularly play computer games today, users who spend a MARCH 2022

COVER STORY long time in the digital environment and socialize on online platforms attach great importance to the appearance of their avatars and game characters. The designers, inspired by the fantasy and science fiction elements of the game world, produce extraordinary and remarkable clothes and accessories for the digital environment, different from real life. Digital fashion is bigger than reality and makes people not only wear clothes, they wear fantasies.

CASE STUDIES Founded in 2020, RTFKT Studios sold virtual sneakers worth $3.1 million in about 5 minutes. The company’s co-founder Benoit Pogazzo stated that the production process took only 2 weeks. Luxury fashion brand Burberry has created a series of unique characters named Sharky B in Mythical Games’ video game Blankos Block Party. Playable NFT creations, complete with Jetpack, armbands and pool shoes, quickly hit sales of nearly $400,000.

THE DEMATERIALISED, the first authenticated virtual goods marketplace, generating new visceral experiences and revenue streams for fashion creators and consumers, produces only digital clothing and accessories and continues to work on using them in different online games. In 2019, Louis Vuitton partnered with Riot Games and created original skins for League of Legends and also released a fashion collection from the game, which would run you anywhere from $170 for a bandeau to over $5k for a leather jacket. This year, Balenciaga released their Autumn collection as a video game. They also partnered with Fortnite to create items that will appear in the game as well as in stores. This has already proven to be wildly successful, so much so that digital versions of items are already outperforming their physical counterparts. Gucci did a collaboration with Roblox to create a “Gucci Garden” and their popular Queen Bee Dionysus bag sold digitally for 350,000 Robux (or a little over $4k), which is more than the bag is worth in real life.

In addition to the digital presence of brands selling clothing in the real world, companies selling clothes that can only be worn in the digital world are taking fashion to a different dimension.

MARCH 2022

COVER STORY Although digital fashion may seem environmentally friendly at first glance due to the transition from design to direct sales and eliminating the physical production processes in between, the technological process that will bring people to the metaverse, which seems insufficient to reduce the environmental footprint for a sustainable world. However, the metaverse bringing together the new concepts of the era such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, cryptocurrency and NFT (nonfungible token), is expected to become more widespread in the coming years. While this platform carries the digital world to a different stage and brings along new production and consumption processes, it is anticipated that the changing perception of reality and needs will also accelerate the transformation of the textile industry in parallel with it. Digital fashion is currently in the spotlight of the blockchain community, because they see the value in digital assets that comes from the success stories in the digital art and NFT space. As traceability and provenance are key for high fashion, the implementation of NFTs and blockchain will definitely drive additional value to it. There is a massive demand for virtual outfitting rooms at Vue.ai. Consumers are now demanding the ability to create, even in the context of existing apps and websites. AI is already playing a huge role in perceiving how each and every shopper likes to put things together, their personal style, their fashion DNA, making every brand their own. This is only going to skyrocket in the coming years with the metaverse. Once you break down the idea of the app as a linear page where you scroll and shop, you are suddenly creating opportunities for elaborately designed experiential worlds that people “live” in. No two people will experience the metaverse the same way and AI will play as big a role there.” n

WILL IT BE ONLY DIGITAL FASHION IN THE FUTURE?

There is a massive demand for virtual outfitting rooms at Vue.ai. Consumers are now demanding the ability to create, even in the context of existing apps and websites. AI is already playing a huge role in perceiving how each and every shopper likes to put things together, their personal style, their fashion DNA, making every brand their own.

lthough this impressive technology is met with great enthusiasm, a world with only digital fashion does not seem possible for now, at least in the near future. One of the biggest challenges about it is making technology accessible to everyone. On the other hand, the legal and ethical aspects of the problems that may be experienced in this new world, as well as the effects it will cause on human psychology, continue to be the topic of discussion.

MARCH 2022

COVER STORY

METAVERSE SET TO CHANGE THE RULES OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY…

MARCH 2022

Metaverse is the latest innovation which is taking over the industry at present. Though in its initial stages, the potential that it carries is huge and that’s evident with the kind of buzz it has generated.

cKinsey and Company for instance has identified metaverse as one of the biggest areas for tech investment in 2022, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said the metaverse market will be worth $US1.3 trillion by 2030, while Constellation Research said Web3 will unlock $21 trillion in economic value by 2030. In a short time, the digital fashion market grew into a huge empire, incomprehensible to most users. But how is it going to change the fashion and apparel industry? Will it be a boon or bane? Will garment manufacturers and buyers all over the world really use metaverse or is it just a market gimmick that will fade soon. To get all the answers, Team Perfect Sourcing caught up with Sunil Arora, Co-Founder, Trace Network Labs which has already entered the realm and is now all set to make its presence felt around this zone. On being asked why he thinks that the metaverse holds a strong future for the fashion and apparel industry, Sunil replies, “It is already a big thing, almost all leading fashion retailers like Zara, H&M, Nike, United Colors of Benetton and many more have entered the league. The growth prospects are huge and soon Meta fashion would give competition to the physical world.” But how and why is what Team Perfect Sourcing enquired? 2021 saw gaming as the second most prominent area of development for NFTs. With blockchain-based play-to-earn games that reward players with in-game assets, NFTs have ushered in a new era in gaming,

COVER STORY as they represent the first time that gamers are actually the owners of their assets, which they may sell on NFT marketplaces for a profit. He asserts, “We need clothes to express and present ourselves. Ever since the pandemic came in a lot of us were confined to online meetings and work from home became a norm. This is where the metaverse can play a dominant role.” He expressed that in the future meetings will be done by our ‘digital avatars’ and we need to have digital clothes, accessories, hairstyle or even make-up to express ourselves in this world.” “The digital avatars will use all these offerings, will be able to collect NFT’s or they can later sell them to someone. So their money is not wasted and the environment is also protected,” he said. Sunil informed that the company is in talks with many fashion companies to make their marketplace and will make only digital clothes. Lokesh Rao and Sunil Arora both started Trace Network Lab with a clear purpose to create real looking meta twins or digital avatars and change them in Metaverse powered by NFTs and Digital Fashion. While Lokesh has more than 12 years of experience in enterprise tech space having helped fashion companies acquire and implement technologies in more than 20 countries, building solutions for enterprises using DLT and Blockchain; Sunil Arora, who has been in the fashion industry with experience of more than 35 years spanning across 50 countries, working with more than 1000 apparel and fashion companies. “Trace Network Lab’s vision is to be a de-facto gateway for lifestyle brands to launch a new set of Limited Edition lifestyle and fashion products made for

Sales of NFTs, according to a study by BoF Insights, were $10.7 billion in Q3 2021, more than 8 times the sales of the previous quarter, showing that the appetite for purchasing and owning digital assets is rapidly growing.

the real looking digital avatars to move across multiple chains and Metaverse,” explained Sunil. The group’s first product BUDDY helps in creation of an exclusive and personal digital identity as a realistic-looking avatar for the users of Metaverse. But what is the theory? How can a garment manufacturer or buyer use metaverse to save itself from the harsh impact of a pandemic or lockdown? To this Sunil says, “Metaverse can solve everything, be it creating garments in virtual world and testing their success of failure before actually spending resources and time on creating it; or by inviting buyers to visit the factories digitally and have them see production; sampling, digital showrooms, digital fitting rooms, digital fashion shows and many more. He further added, “The world is changing fast, metaverse is for the alpha generation who is ideally online for at least 16 hours a day and rather than spending money on buying physical garment, this

conscious generation will rather opt for a garment that they can wear digitally while they are in online meetings, presentations, conference or even events like weddings.” So how does Trace Network Labs use the Metaverse? The company is offering its users to create a metaverse agnostic avatar minted on blockchain that will have the unique ability to move from one metaverse to the other – akin to a passport for virtual worlds. “Our company mainly is creating bridges with different metaverses to let the community interact with their counterparts from other metaverses like gaming etc.” The group is already having a valuation of USD 70mn and many big wigs from apparel sourcing segment are showing interest to develop NFT’s through the company. “We are already expanding and collaborating with well-known brands and we are confident that growth will surpass all expectations.”n

MARCH 2022

BURNINGISSUE

UKRAINERUSSIA

IN WAR

MARCH 2022

How will it Impact India and its Apparel and Textile Trade? A report by Team PERFECT SOURCING…

BURNINGISSUE

he Russia-Ukraine crisis is expected to have a notable impact on the Indian economy. Russia and Ukraine account for 90% of India’s sunflower oil imports. While Ukraine produces about 17 million tonnes of sunflower seeds a year, Russia produces around 15.5 million tonnes of seeds. Crude oil, pharmaceutical sector and LNG industry is expected to be impacted.India fulfills over half of its gas needs with imports of liquified natural gas (LNG) from Ukraine. A small part of India’s LNG consumption is also met through imports from Russia. The brunt of the Russia-Ukraine crisis as the prices has surged to nearly $100 per barrel in the international markets, a over 4% increase. This has pushed Brent crude oil price to $96.7 per barrel, the highest it has been since September 2014. Since Russia is one of the biggest producers of crude oil. The current crisis can lead to prices shooting up to more than $100 per barrel in the days to come. An increase in crude

oil price will have a spillover impact on global GDP. Analysis by JP Morgan notes that a spike in oil prices to $150 a barrel would reduce global GDP growth to just 0.9 per cent. India, which imports about 80 percent of its energy needs through oil imports could be one of the worst affected nations in this crisis. Rising energy import

To Russia, Ukraine and other eastern European countries, goods move from the Suez Canal and the Black Sea and the quantity of impact on trade will depend on the duration of the war.

prices will also lead widen the country’s current account deficit. Crude-oil related products have a share of over nine percent in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) basket, according to a report in India Today. The rising oil prices may raise the country’s WPI inflation by around 0.9 percent. The rising crude oil prices may lead to an increase in the price of LPG cylinders and kerosene as well. The rise in energy prices will also lead to a surge in prices of electricity production, which in turn will lead to higher electricity bills for consumers. Another essential commodity that is set to be impacted adversely by the war is wheat. Both Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s largest wheat producers and account for about a quarter of the crop’s global production. Any disruption in the global supply of the crop due to war can lead to a steep surge in food prices.

MARCH 2022

BURNINGISSUE

TIT-FOR-TAT RETALIATION

Supply Chain Crisis Might Worsen; Raw Material Prices to Soar

Russia in Soup As West Unites Against the Attacker

variety of measures like closing airspace to Russian aircraft, shutting out some Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial network and restricting Moscow’s ability to deploy its $630 billion foreign reserves have been taken against Russia recent attack on Ukraine. The Russia’s economy is also going through a rough patch as its currency rouble plunged as much as 30% to an alltime low, while the central bank doubled its key interest rate to 20%, kept stock markets and derivative markets closed and temporarily banned brokers from selling securities held by foreigners. BP, Russia’s biggest foreign investor, abruptly announced at the weekend that it was abandoning its 20% stake in state-controlled Rosneft at a cost of up to $25 billion, cutting the British firm’s oil and gas reserves in half and reducing BP’s production by a third. From disinvestments, shutting down of air space to expelling Russian team from world cup all countries are trying to invade in their own way to express their anguish over the war and invasion initiated by Russia. British bank HSBC said it was starting to wind down relations with a host of Russian banks including the secondlargest, VTB, one of those targeted by sanctions, a memo seen by Reuters showed.Amid the broadening squeeze on Russia, even neutral Switzerland said it was adopting European Union sanctions and freezing assets of some Russian individuals and companies. Shipping group Maersk said it was considering suspending all container bookings in and out of Russia. U.S. officials said Washington was consider a similar move. Leasing firms said they would terminate hundreds of ircraft leases with Russian airlines because of sanctions. U.S.based United Parcel Service Inc and FedEx Corp, two of the world’s largest logistics companies, said they were halting deliveries to Russia and Ukraine. Google has barred RT and other Russian channels from receiving money for ads on websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook.

MARCH 2022

The Russia-Ukraine military conflict will have an implication on the country’s trade as it would affect the movement of consignments, payments and oil prices, according to exporters. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said they have asked exporters to hold their consignments to the region or goods that take the Black Sea route. To Russia, Ukraine and other eastern European countries, goods move from the Suez Canal and the Black Sea and the quantity of impact on trade will depend on the duration of the war. The war will affect both movements of goods, payments and oil prices. India’s main imports from Russia include fuels, mineral oils, pearls, precious or semiprecious stones, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical machinery and equipment and fertilisers. India’s bilateral trade with Ukraine stood at USD 2.3 billion so far this fiscal, as against USD 2.5 billion in the last fiscal. The main items of Indian import from Ukraine are agriculture products, metallurgical products, plastics and polymers, etc., while pharmaceuticals, machinery, chemicals and food products, etc., are the major Indian exports to Ukraine. n

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Russia Ukraine War Affects Orders and Payments in T&A Sector

ar has never been easy for any industry and with tension surging between Russia and Ukraine it is expected to make a huge impact on apparel and textile industry of India as well. The exporters in India who were already reeling under pressure due to supply chain crisis and hike in raw material prices see this war as a catastrophic condition for the apparel and textile industry. A lot of apparel exports from India are to the European countries which will sooner or later impacted by the war. Also, India directly exports to Russia, Ukraine, Poland and many other countries. Russia is India’s 25th largest trading partner, with exports of $2.5 billion and imports of $6.9 billion in the first nine months of FY2022. While the bilateral trade with Ukraine stands at $2.3 billion so far this fiscal. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Narendra Goenka said that while apparels have limited exposure to Ukraine and Russia, orders from Europe were also getting affected. Exporters are observing a slowdown in orders and delay in payments since last week.

“While apparels have limited exposure to Ukraine and Russia, orders from Europe were also getting affected. Exporters are observing a slowdown in orders and delay in payments.”

Narendra Goenka, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman

The ripples of the war are already being felt in India. For example, an apparel shipment bound to France has been asked by the buyer to put on hold as there is uncertainty in the air. “In the morning, we were intimated by our buyers to put the shipment on hold amid uncertainty. In a day or two it will be clear that how many consignments were either put on hold or cancelled,” said Harish Dua, MD of KG Exports. India’s apparel export cluster Noida that has about 3,000 factories exports 10 per cent of their merchandise to Russia and Ukraine. Lalit Thukral, President of Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) said, “The Russia-Ukraine war has hit us hard as we were just coming out of the pandemic.” He said that traders are unlikely to get paid in time for their exports under the dollar-rouble conversion as the Russian currency has hit historic lows owing to heavy sanctions from the west. “Due to this payments (in dollars) for readymade garments already exported to Russia and other European countries are

stuck,” he added As a result of the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia, Indian exporters in the apparel and engineering sectors have started to see a decline in the number of export orders from Europe. With Europe being the largest national export market for India, reduction in the number of orders would have an impact on the overall demand in the next few months. While the impact may not be visible yet, for any exporter, the last two months of the financial year are crucial as it is considered the peak season for exports.. Impact on Europe can adversely affect an industry that is just recovering from the pandemicinduced slowdown. Europe and 11 other countries including United Kingdom, Turkey and Switzerland form the largest marker for India with a share of a fifth of total exports from India. India exported goods worth $60.33 billion to Europe during the first three quarters of the current fiscal. Of this, over 40% of the product value can be attributed to engineering goods. The share of textile exports to Europe is 12%. n

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FASHION BRANDS

SUSPENDS SALES IN RUSSIA Spanish retail giant, Inditex, has 527 stores in Russia. These include Zara (86 stores), Pull & Bear (87), Massimo Dutti (53), Bershka (106) and Stradivarius (76) among others.

or every action there is a reaction and this hold truth for Russia which has gone against many countries wish and has attacked Ukraine. In an attempt to express outrage towards recent invasions on Ukraine the fashion industry and global retail chains have halted their sales in Russia as of now. Deeply concerned about the tragic developments in Ukraine and to stand with all the people who are suffering H&M Group has paused sales in Russia. The move comes despite Russia being H&M’s sixth-biggest market, accounting for about 4% of group sales in the last quarter of 2021. H&M had 155 stores in Russia as of 2020. H&M online launched in Russia in 2015. Danish fashion retailer BESTSELLER also announced a halt to all clothing sales in Russia amid the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Bestseller’s move comes on the back of an exodus of companies from Russia, which reverses three decades of investment by Western businesses there since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Other apparel retailers with a significant Russian presence include Nike (116 stores), Asos, Hungarianbased clothing brand Nanushka.

MARCH 2022

Against the backdrop of the continuing war, Asos has decided that it is neither practical nor right to continue to trade in Russia and has, therefore, today suspended our sales there. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and all those affected in the region.” Fast fashion giant Boohoo has suspended its sales in Russia and closed its websites in the country following the military invasion of Ukraine. Swedish furniture giant Ikea is also temporarily suspending its business in Russia due to the o-going war in Ukraine. The company confirmed that it will pause all retail operations in the country and will also stop all exports and imports in and out of both Russia and Belarus. Luxury fashion retailer Burberry has halted shipments to Russia until further notice due to “operational challenges,” according to a spokesman. The business has two stores and one concession in Russia, which have remained open for now. Spanish retail giant, Inditex, has 527 stores in Russia. These include Zara (86 stores), Pull & Bear (87), Massimo Dutti (53), Bershka (106) and Stradivarius (76) among others. n

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INDIA EXPORTS TO UKRAINE IN 2020

Russia is India’s 25th largest trading partner, with exports of $2.5 billion and imports of $6.9 billion in the first nine months of FY2022. While the bilateral trade with Ukraine stands at $2.3 billion so far this fiscal

Other made textile articles, sets, worn clothing-

$740.40K

Articles of apparel, not knit or crocheted-

$537.94K

Articles of apparel, knit or crocheted-

$491.50K

STATASTICS India Exports to Russia in 2020 Articles of apparel, not knit or crocheted:

$30.35M

Articles of apparel, knit or crocheted:

$27.18M

4% 36%

Payment

Raw Material

54%

Supply Chain

Which areas of Apparel and fashion Industry Will Suffer because of UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR? A poll done by TEAM PERFECT SOURCING

Orders MARCH 2022

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RISE IN RAW MATERIAL PRICE TO DENT BUSINESS ….

needs Urgent Action The Indian economy is observing growth and so is India’s textile and apparel exports which has recovered quickly this fiscal from the lows of the pandemichit FY22. While on one hand industry is enjoying fresh lease of orders on the other the speed to convert orders into reality is becoming a huge challenge due to constant fluctuation in cotton prices. Experts feel that the growth lucrative orders may elude them in FY23 due to an inexorable rise in the prices of cotton and its yawning shortage in the domestic market.

MARCH 2022

he Indian economy is observing growth and so is India’s textile and apparel exports which has recovered quickly this fiscal from the lows of the pandemic-hit FY22. While on one hand industry is enjoying fresh lease of orders on the other the speed to convert orders into reality is becoming a huge challenge due to constant fluctuation in cotton prices. Experts feel that the growth lucrative orders may elude them in FY23 due to an inexorable rise in the prices of cotton and its yawning shortage in the domestic market. In fact, an up to 80% spurt in cotton prices in the past one year has pressured margins of textile and garment firms. While shipments continue to be strong due to orders won earlier, the spectre of a slump in exports is staring at textile and garment firms as new orders are hard to come by. During the January-February period, mandi arrivals of cotton peak and remain in the range of Rs 2.5-3 lakh bales (one bale is 170 kg), but this year has been quite an exception. According to trade sources, cotton arrivals in markets across key producing states – Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan – have barely crossed Rs 1.5 lakh bales in last the two months. Moreover, prices are skyrocketing in many key markets more than three times the minimum support price. There are also unconfirmed reports of farmers resorting to hoarding stocks, in anticipation of a further rise in price. Most firms are struggling to pass on the rise in raw material costs to consumers. Yet, India’s exports of textiles, garments and allied products jumped 52% until December this fiscal from a year before to $31 billion, albeit on a sharply-contracted base. This has forced the manufacturers across the textile value chain to seek the abolition of

BURNINGISSUE an import duty on cotton (effectively to the tune of 11%, including cesses) and the creation of a strategic reserve of about 10-15% of market supplies by the government to help stabilise prices. Also, the duty imposed on imported cotton is making India non-competitive in the global markets, which will surely be counter-intuitive in the long run. Narendra Goenka, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), apprehended that it would be difficult to maintain a high export growth rate in the next fiscal. “Overseas buyers have started scouting for alternate destinations to broaden their supply base for fear that elevated input costs in India would push up prices of garments,” he said. Apparel companies, in such a scenario, may be forced to absorb much of the rise in costs themselves. Raja M Shanmugham, President of the Tirupur Exporters’ Association, said, “The relentless rise in cotton prices over the past 15 months has made it difficult for companies to honour orders, typically booked 3-6 months before, without taking a massive hit on their balance sheets. “We are also finding it difficult to change the price tags of products so frequently. Our cash flow has been hit very badly. Moreover, the garment industry is dominated by MSMEs, whose capacity to absorb inputs cost pressure is even more limited. So, we are requesting finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to raise the individual loan limit under the Rs 4.5-lakh-crore guaranteed loan scheme by up to 20% to help the MSMEs cope with their liquidity issue,” Shanmugham said. According to second advance estimates of cotton production by the ministry of agriculture, the country’s cotton output is estimated to decline by more than 3% to 34 million bales in the 2021-22 crop year from 35 million bales in the previous year. Most garment exporting units are MSMEs which are labour-intensive and vulnerable to several external factors. India’s cotton prices are also impacted by global supply situations. International cotton prices have risen to 120 cents per pound in the 2021-22 cotton season (October-September) as against 85 cents per pound in the previous season since the crop size in USA and other markets has reduced. Pradeep Kumar Agrawal, chairman and managing director of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), the agency which procured 95 lakh bales in 2019-20 and 105 lakh bales in 2020-21 at MSP, says that the agency has not had to intervene in the market this year as prices remained above the MSP levels. Spot prices of cotton were in the range of Rs 15,000–Rs 15,400 a quintal as against the minimum support prices of Rs 5,726/quintal (medium variety) and Rs 6,025/quintal (long staple). The price of ICS-

“The relentless rise in cotton prices over the past 15 months has made it difficult for companies to honour orders, typically booked 3-6 months before, without taking a massive hit on their balance sheets. “We are also finding it difficult to change the price tags of products so frequently. Our cash flow has been hit very badly. Moreover, the garment industry is dominated by MSMEs, whose capacity to absorb inputs cost pressure is even more limited. So, we are requesting finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to raise the individual loan limit under the Rs 4.5-lakh-crore guaranteed loan scheme by up to 20% to help the MSMEs cope with their liquidity issue,”

Raja M Shanmugham, President of the Tirupur Exporters’ Association,

105 variety of cotton in largest producing state of Gujarat were ruling at Rs 77,000 per candy of 356 kg each, up as much as 70% from a year earlier, according to the Cotton Association of India data. In case of some other varieties, the rise is about 80% over the past year. Cotton ginners are also bearing the brunt of rise in prices of the fibre. Maharashtra has around 800-1000 ginning units that are currently running at 50-60% capacity and many of these may have to shut down soon,.n

MARCH 2022

TRENDS

Fashion Weeks Concluded:

INSIGHTS FOR TRENDS IN 2022 Every year the crème de la crème of the fashion industry gathers to celebrate the possibilities that fashion beholds. Designers, merchandisers, buyers, models, and fashion influencers of all sorts decide upon the fashion trends of the upcoming year. The fashion weeks concluded this year revealing the trends that will highly affect the buyers’ demands and hence manufacturing units all across the world as well. If you are looking to get the right direction in the fashion industry in 2022, here’s what you need to know about the trends.

From Movies to Streets Street fashion has become a huge part of the industry for years now. The trend continues with the romance and extravaganza of Hollywood. Across the shows, we could see the influence of old Hollywood and colorful satins while continuing with fringe, sheer fabrics galore, and cutouts. Gucci’s Alessandro Michele curated the fab spring 2022 show using the Walk of Fame as a catwalk for models who streamed past famed L.A. institutions like the El Capitan Theatre. The neon lights and bright shiny fabrics like velvet, satin, silk lit up the show featuring adventurous colors, feathers, facial jewelry, and plenty of celebrity faces. There, in the front row, was Gwyneth Paltrow, wearing an updated version of the Tom Ford-designed red velvet Gucci tux she sported circa 1996. Among other celebrities, Jared Leto, Macaulay Culkin, Serena Williams, Salma Hayek, Lizzo, Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Vonn, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, James Corden, Dapper Dan, Awkwafina, Billie Elisish attended the show, to name a few.

MARCH 2022

Power Suites Made a Dramatic Entrance Pantsuits are not only the symbol of feminism but also elegance. We could see well-tailored suites all across the fashion week—from the attendees, street, to the ramp— featuring bold fabrics, prints, and colors. Silk glossy pantsuits on steroids with contrasting ties and bold sunglasses seemed to be a recurring number in many shows

Call the Hatter Hats and caps have always been a part of fashion but 2022 fashion week has taken the simple headwear to the next level. Beanie, bucket hats, cowboy hats, wide-brim hats, baseball caps—everything is game. You can choose from a wide range of headwear featuring prints, solid colors, patterned knits, crochet to go with both street and formal ensembles.

TRENDS Layers Of Madness

Hyper-POP On Steroids Some print designers seem to have become particularly inclined towards glitchcore for spring 2022. Modish pixelated and technopsychedelic patterns mimicking the visuals of computing mistakes were a recurring sight at the fashion week, representing the digital age we live in.

The fashion week harbored the idea of layers of shades, fabrics, and prints coexisting harmoniously in an ensemble. We observed the sartorial-sporty mix of wide-lapeled jackets worn with brightly colored knit leggings and running sneakers. The looks by Gucci at the 2022 fashion week were lifted from real life with the combination of post-pandemic California ease.

Snake Skin Animal Print The fashion week has concluded on a high note with lots of snakeskin prints. While the snake print covered the accessories, the garments seem to steer clear of the animal prints.

Glitzy Glamorous Ready-To-Wear

Balenciaga, spring 2022 ready-to-wear

Coperni, spring 2022 readyto-wear

Sporty & Sexy Cut-Outs in Comfort Cut-outs have been a big part of the fashion week. The designers have showcased the ’90s and ’00s cut-out trend, cargo pants, paired with bright colors, collage of abstract botanicals, that feels fresh and new. We saw looks featuring bikini tops and/or bra tops, inspired by Jennifer Aniston during her Brad Pitt days. The style and trend also glorified the athleisure collection including logoed leggings, long-sleeve crop tops, etc. Monse showcased cutout tops with some formals like long shorts adorned with copper sequins, or a wedding guest-ready dress in the same print as the cargo pants. The looks throughout the fashion week can be described as sexy and comfortable. There is the ease of volume, flowy silhouettes, wild prints and oversized shirts cohabiting with glamor, sexiness and sparkle.

Louis Vuitton spring 2022 readyto-wear showcased a collection inspired by antique chandeliers. The creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière’s fairly bounced lacy ensembles featuring open-toe satin wrestling boots. The pieces referenced thete 19thcentury romanticism, mixed with futuristic elements. LV showcased sharply tailored dinner jackets with exaggerated lapels, intricate slip-style dresses paired with straight-leg jeans, monogrammed LV pockets, and chunky sandals. Finely beaded headpieces and art nouveau sunglasses were also a big part of the show. It’s clear to assume that even for streetwear, we can see the touch of couture in the upcoming year, made from feathery frayed chiffon, silk, MARCH 2022

MARKETUPDATE There is no doubt that nearly after two years of slowdown due to the pandemic the business is coming back to pre Covid levels in fact, the current situation signals that India is seeing a lot of business diverting from China. A big change, however, is that the buyers all over the world no longer want to gamble upon keeping themselves stuck in outsourcing from only one or two destinations like China or Bangladesh and this opens an array of opportunities for Indian apparel exporters.

Orders Shifting to India…

CAN INDIA TAP THE OPPORTUNITY?

eam Perfect Sourcing spoke to the industry about the current situation of orders from India and opportunities. “Of course it is true that a lot of orders are coming towards India and one of the reasons is that buyers want to reduce dependence on China, however, with ongoing challenges of labour shortage and raw material getting expensive it is difficult to tap the opportunity,” said Rajeev Bansal, MD, Celestial Knits. Bangalore based company Indian Design also reported an increase in demand for products and enhanced orders. “Yes certainly there is an increase in demand at present,” confirmed the MD of company

MARCH 2022

Naseer Humayun. A lot of changes are being noticed in the sourcing pattern as well. “2021 was overall a fantastic year in terms of bookings, however, it is a fact that the pressure to move faster than ever is prevalent. We have witnessed that most buyers are booking at the last minute due to the market uncertainty, which gives us only 50-75 days for production even for fully embellished products,” said Linda Augusstson, Founder, Continuum Buying Agency Buying Agency. “The concept of streamlining business for optimized effectiveness is also happening as buyers

MARKETUPDATE

It is observed that in general there is a positive outlook in the market and the trend is towards variety and newness. Buyers are now trying new colour combinations with bestselling products and making them innovative is also working out well in the market.

who were buying only ladies wear from India, are now also adding other product categories to the same supply chain,” averred Linda. Another emerging trend is reduction in customers’ response time to repeat orders has shortened drastically due to improved technology and artificial intelligence. India is always good in acting fast and getting started. “We have benefitted from the fact that buyers have tried to move certain orders from China, due to price points but also lead-time, rather than Covid related sentiments,” said Linda. A big question is whether Indian exporters are prepared to handle sudden surge in orders. “On this Lalit Thukral, President, Noida Apparel Export

Cluster replied, “We are definitely witnessing surge in orders due to diversion from China and in the future even if 3% of orders move to India it will be challenging for exporters as we are facing shortage of skilled labour in our cluster ever since the pandemic came in. Also, the regular increase in raw material prices is an area of concern which is hampering smooth business operations.” It is observed that in general there is a positive outlook in the market and the trend is towards variety and newness. Buyers are now trying new colour combinations with bestselling products and making them innovative is also working out well in the market. “The future is bright for India for as long as we honour our commitments and continue to invest in design and R&D ,” said Linda. n

MARCH 2022

MARKETUPDATE “2021 was overall a fantastic year in terms of bookings, however, it is a fact that the pressure to move faster than ever is prevalent. We have witnessed that most buyers are booking at the last minute due to the market uncertainty, which gives us only 50-75 days for production even for fully embellished products,”

Linda Augusstson, Founder, Continuum Buying Agency.

“We are definitely witnessing surge in orders due to diversion from China and in the future even if 3% of orders move to India it will be challenging for exporters as we are facing shortage of skilled labour in our cluster ever since the pandemic came in. Also, the regular increase in raw material prices is an area of concern which is hampering smooth business operations.”

Lalit Thukral President, Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC)

“Of course it is true that a lot of orders are coming towards India and one of the reasons is that buyers want to reduce dependence on China, however, with ongoing challenges of labour shortage and raw material getting expensive it is difficult to tap the opportunity,”

Rajeev Bansal, MD, Celestial Knits.

Yes certainly there is an increase in demand at present and number of orders are going up. We expect the trend to continue in the coming days also.

Naseer Humayun, MD, Indian Designs

MARCH 2022

MARKETUPDATE The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is expected to boost apparel trade between both the countries.

CEPA Between India and UAE to boost India’s Apparel Exports

ith India supplying $1,515 million of apparel to the UAE as against its total imports of $3,517 million, Indian apparel exports contribute a decent share of 43%. The trade pact would result in a drop of 5% import duty for Indian readymade garments (RMG). This will further strengthen the dominant position of Indian apparels in the UAE. “The government has been taking several initiatives to boost exports from the country and generate employment. This trade pact will benefit the Indian apparels particularly the knitted garments and increase significant

employment opportunities in clusters pan India,” said Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Narendra Goenka The Chairman thanked the government for signing the biggest trade agreement in the past seven years and expressed hope that other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with important countries and regions are also concluded at the earliest. “Tracing the export chain, we find that our apparel exports to the UAE also cater to the apparel needs of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UK. The UAE is a large retail market with

players across the value chain including big western fashion chains, wholesale buyers from North Africa and the Middle East,” Goenka said. The CEPA is likely to generate additional demand for several apparel items from India. In the knitted garment segment, there will be a hike in exports of t-shirts, shirts, babies’ garments, trousers and briefs. In the woven garment segment, women’s dresses, tracksuits, babies’ garments, trousers, shorts, shawls, scarves and veils will get the maximum benefit. However, in order to analyse the n # Share of India versus competing countries in UAE garment imports

Imports of RMG into UAE (Global versus India) India’s exports to United Arab Emirates 2018 2019 2020 1900.3 1859.4 1515.3 1099.4 1126.1 889.9

Apparel ‘61 Knitted garments ‘62 Woven 800.9 garments

733.4

625.4

Apparel suppliers (USD in mn) China India Bangladesh Italy Turkey Viet Nam Cambodia

2018

2019

2020

31.57 41.27 9.38 6.27 5.45 4.52 3.46

30.42 41.89 9.39 6.47 5.55 4.77 3.23

30.90 43.08 9.59 6.75 5.44 4.90 3.59

United Arab Emirates’s imports from world 2018 2019 2020 4604.3 4438.9 3517.4 2431.3 2344.3 1868.6

% Share of India 2018 41.3 45.2

2019 41.9 48.0

2020 43.1 47.6

2173.0

36.9

35.0

37.9

2094.6

1648.8

MARCH 2022

MARKETUPDATE

Rising Supply Chain Issues Prompts Closer Sourcing Labour shortages due to Covid outbreaks, higher freight costs and the uncertainty related to the reports of forced labour in China’s Xinjiang region is prompting the US to reduce dependency on imports and focus on closer sourcing.

n a McKinsey & Co. survey of 38 chief procurement officers at clothing companies, 71 percent said they plan to increase their nearshoring share, including 13 percent who expect to do so by more than 10 percentage points. Twenty-four percent plan to increase reshoring in their sourcing strategy. For U.S. companies, Central America ranks highest on the list for future nearshoring activities. Roughly eight of 10 North American apparel players—nearly one-quarter of the respondents in McKinsey’s survey are based in the region—plan on increasing their company’s sourcing value share in Central America. According to OTEXA, overall U.S. blue denim apparel imports increased 28% year over year in October, while those from Western Hemisphere countries grew 40%. Mexico registered a 43% percent gain compared to 2020.Imports from the countries of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) rose 29%. In December when President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, legislation that bans imports from Xinjiang, into

law. The act creates a “rebuttable presumption” that all products from Xinjiang have been made under coercion by persecuted Muslim minorities—thereby barring them from entering the United States under the 1930 Tariff Act—unless “clear and convincing” evidence proves otherwise. This led to brands and retailers starting to ask more questions about their supply chain, like ‘Where did this cotton come from? How about this yarn? Now the U.S. government is becoming even more vigilant related to this issue. The U.S. government’s actions on Xinjiang provide an opportunity for companies “to shift sourcing closer to home, where they can understand the transparency in their supply chain. Vice President Kamala Harris in December announced new commitments to invest in the region from seven companies, including Parkdale Mills. A North Carolina-based manufacturer of spun yarn and cotton consumer products, Parkdale plans to invest $150 million in building a new yarn spinning facility in Honduras and supporting an existing facility in Virginia, the White House said. The investment is intended to

MARCH 2022

support roughly 500 employees at each location. According to NCTO, the move will shift 1 million pounds of yarn per week away from supply chains in Asia. In 2021, exports from Central American countries to the United States soared compared to the prior year. Going into the final weeks of the year, the latest data showed textile exports up 33 percent from the Dominican Republic on the low end and up 56 percent from Honduras on the higher end, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala all landed somewhere in the middle. According to data from the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries’ (Abicalçados), the South American country exported 110.77 million pairs of shoes from January to November, generating $805.7 million. These totals represented increases of 31 percent and 34.6 percent in volume and revenue, respectively, against the same period in 2020. Compared to 2019, volume grew 5.6 percent and revenue decreased 9.6 percent. With environmental concerns weighing more in companies’ strategies, firms in the Western Hemisphere are turning to green practices to differentiate themselves from the competition. n

INTERNATIONALNEWS American Eagle Latest Entrant into the World of Metaverse

Asos Asks for 2% Discount from Suppliers

First Women CEO at Ikea India

Banana Republic is the latest to get into the baby wear and athletics line.

EO is the latest brand to enter the world of metaverse, after it clocked a deal with Roblox aimed at making gains with Gen Z. The clothing brand’s new spring campaign, called “Members Always,” will allow consumers to hang out in the “AE Members Always Club,” hosted on the online gaming platform that surged in popularity during the pandemic. Consumers will be able to create avatars in the gaming platform’s digital world Livetopia, collect game items and dress their avatars in the brand’s spring collection. Other clothing brands have partnered with virtual platforms. Under Armor launched a Steph Curry NFT shoe that can be worn across different metaverse platforms, and Forever 21 and Ralph Lauren also released virtual clothing lines on Roblox.

KEA, the Swedish home furnishings retailer, has appointed Susanne Pulverer as its new and first woman chief executive officer (CEO) and chief sustainability officer (CSO), for its India business. Pulverer took over from the outgoing India CEO Peter Betzel, who moved on to the next assignment within the IKEA Group. Pulverer began her association with IKEA as an environmental manager. She worked as the company’s MD of communications from May 2011 to August 2016 in Sweden, according to her LinkedIn profile. From August 2017 to March 2019, she was in Bengaluru as the local community leader for IKEA India. Pulverer then moved to Netherlands to take up the role of business risk and compliance manager for the Ingka Group, which owns most of the IKEA stores across the world.

sos has written to suppliers to ask for a 2% trade discount to offset the impact of inflation that has affected a lot of retail chains and retailers. The supply chain crisis and hike in raw material prices is seen as one of the major reasons for hike in cost in almost all segments. The online retailer will apply the discount on orders with invoices dated from 1 February A. s per the company Chief commercial officer so far the group has tried to absorb the effects of inflation and worked to offset it and will continue to absorb most of the effects of inflation, however, it now wants suppliers to share the burden and put in place measures essential to maintaining competitive prices. Asos’ sales and profits were dented over the key Christmas trading period, with revenue up just 2% to £1.4 billion and gross margin down by 400 basis

R Baby is a 40-piece collection that “evokes a whimsical and adventurous spirit” and is “committed to being more genderinclusive,” according to the company. S Sizes range from 0 to 24 months, and prices are from $20 to $250. BR Athletics is a gender-inclusive capsule collection “inspired by retro athletic style, re-interpreted with an irreverent attitude,” according to the company. Sizes range from XXS to XXL, and prices are from $20 to $500. It will be available online and in stores on March 16. The Gap Inc. brand has been struggling in recent years, and in November reported a third quarter net sales decline of 18% versus 2019 and a two-year comparable sales decline of 10%.

MARCH 2022

INTERNATIONALNEWS United Colors of Benetton Steps Into the Metaverse

enetton will open a store in the metaverse and adapt the physical store on Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan. Visitors will not be able to buy clothes, but there will be various gaming experiences that will allow them to collect QR codes. These QR codes can be used when making purchases in Benetton’s physical stores. This way, the brand creates an additional connection point with the consumer, strengthening the omnichannel strategy. Benetton’s online ‘store’ will have the same look and feel as the store on Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan in the coming weeks. The store has been given a new look that is completely pink.

JCP Adds Menswear in Product Profile

.C. Penney launched a private label men’s apparel brand, Mutual Weave. The workwear-inspired brand includes denim, tees, button-downs, knits, jackets and shoes, and is available in sizes XS to 5XLT and in adaptive styles. Mutual Weave can be found on the retailer’s website and at 600 of J.C. Penney’s more than 650 stores. Like other retailers, J.C. Penney is investing in its private label brands. It has been observed that many private label brands have grown and attracted good margins also in fact the brands are pushing company’s financial performance. Target has seen success with the strategy. It has produced 10 billion-dollar private labels thus far, most recently with its All in Motion athletic apparel line, which generated $1 billion in its first year. Last year JCP reintroduced its private activewear brand Xersion, along with womenswear brand Ryegrass and home brand Loom + Forge.

MARCH 2022

A New Apparel Segment Is Growing Exponentially …

ue to increased female participation of developing countries in badminton the sales of women’s badminton clothing, is expected to exceed US$ 11.72 billion. Through 2032, the industry is expected to grow at a stunning 11% CAGR, attaining a worth of US$ 33 billion. The market grew 10.98% year over year in 2022 compared to 2021. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), over 6 million people played badminton in 2019, with women accounting for 2.1% of the total. As a result, key badminton apparel such as sports bras, female socks, female jerseys, shoes, and shorts are seeing a strong increase in sales. Growth is concentrated in key growing countries such as China, India, Africa, Brazil, and others, as these countries account for the majority of increased female participation in sporting events. China has risen to the top of the badminton world in recent years, with about 250 million players. According to statistics from 2018, badminton has become one of China’s most popular sports.

Ted Baker Launches New Marketplace

ed Baker is launching a new site in collaboration with BigCommerce to increase its sale on online platform. The new marketplace will help Ted in managing its global presence from a single store and also streamline day to day back end employee operations. All of Ted Baker’s 12 regional storefronts will be localised, with shoppers able to browse in their preferred language such as English, French, German and Spanish and make purchases using their preferred currency including pounds, dollars and euros.

INTERNATIONALNEWS John Lewis to Invest £90mn for Store Expansion

Boohoo Group partners with Fashion Enter

he online sales of John Lewis has seen a very good growth, however, the company will still continue to operate offline and not close its stores. The retailer unveiled plans to invest £90 million in stores this year, which would fund 23 shop refurbishments. Online sales have soared across the partnership. At John Lewis’ sister company Waitrose, ecommerce sales grew 14% year on year and now stand at 17% of total sales. The department store achieved record annual sales in a year where it had 16 fewer stores and lockdown forced all shops to close for 10 weeks. John Lewis Partnership has revealed that it will not close any more stores despite online accounting for two thirds of its sales over the past year.

Boohoo Group has teamed up with notfor-profit Londonbased manufacturer Fashion Enter to provide the opportunity for people to apply for levelthree and level-four apprenticeships. The online group, which includes Boohoo, BoohooMan, PrettyLittleThing, MissPap, Nasty Gal, Karen Millen, Coast, Oasis and Warehouse, has funded £85,000 of its Apprenticeship Levy to Fashion Enter’s new academy. Fashion Enter will offer training and arrange placements for the students on behalf of the Boohoo Group, with a focus on candidates from underrepresented communities within the Leicestershire area.

M&S Invests Acquires Active wear Brand

Uniqlo Suspends Operations in Russia

n i q l o temporarily susp ende d i t s operations in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Uniqlo has now backtracked on its decision to keep its Russian stores open and temporarily suspended its operations in the country following its invasion of Ukraine. It said: “Our company mission is centered around offering the general public basic, affordable clothes that are made for everyone. We believe it is our responsibility to provide such essential items to all, including those affected by conflict, natural disasters and other devastations.” “However, we have recently faced a number of difficulties, including operational challenges and the worsening of the conflict situation. For this reason, we will temporarily suspend our operations.”

&S has made a “strategic investment” in online activewear business. The company known as The Sports Edit was a “complementary ecommerce platform well positioned in the growing activewear market…due to its highly engaged customer base”. Activewear, has been one of retail’s highest growth categories since the onset of the pandemic. The market is now worth almost £900m after seeing 35% growth over the last two years. M&S, has recently started selling third-party brands online and in selected stores. Last year it bought the Jaeger label out of administration and took a minority stake in Nobody’s Child.

MARCH 2022

INDIANEWS ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT Products Now on Amazon

Backward integration the way forward for Apparel Industry says Textiles Secretary

U W

hether it is the beautiful Chikankari from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh or the Sambalpuri Ikat from Sambalpur, Odisha, or the tasty coffee from Chikamagaluru, Karnataka, or Muga Silk from Kokrajhar, Assam, India has a host of distinctive cultural traditions as well as unique and varied products that are extremely local to a certain town or city. The Government of India launched the ‘One District One Product (ODOP) initiative with an aim to foster balanced regional development across all districts of the country. To further this vision, Amazon India has launched the India ODOP (one district one product) Bazaar on Amazon.in in collaboration with Invest India and Indian Industries Association (IIA). The India ODOP Bazaar will feature hundreds of ODOP and Geographical Indication (GI) products from local businesses across all Indian states. The storefront will drive a special focus on handlooms & handicrafts created by local Indian artisans as well as locally produced agricultural specialties from across India. Not only will the India ODOP Bazaar will provide customers an interactive and engaging experience, but they will be able to visit the regional pages and read more about the ODOP products from various districts across India and make a more informed purchasing decision. Customers will have the opportunity to support local businesses and contribute to their growth by shopping online.Manish Tiwary added, “We are excited to join hands with Invest India and IIA to support the ODOP initiative of Govt of India that promotes handlooms and handicrafts created by local Indian artisans and helps accelerate economic growth, generate employment and promote rural entrepreneurship. We remain committed to our pledge of digitizing 10 million MSMEs by 2025 and contribute to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

MARCH 2022

pendra Prasad Singh suggested that the Indian apparel industry must focus on vertical integration to increase its scale and size and to benefit from the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Speaking at the 44th Foundation Day of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Singh said, “I understand apparel and garmenting is not very investment centric but it is very important from an employment point of view. Perhaps, there is a need for backward integration and more of you can get into integrated value-chain like spinning and weaving.” Virtually addressing the Foundation Day, the Textiles Secretary said that along with the PLI scheme, the government is committed to make the Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme a success. Idea is not to just have a world class infrastructure but also a thriving industry there, he said. Stating that textile has always been among the top priorities of the government, he said, “There are a lot of big opportunities. The demand continues to be robust and the China plus one sourcing strategy by the west is certainly a great opportunity for us.” “We should be in a position to breach $20 billion apparel exports by next fiscal or the year after that,” Singh said, adding that the country’s textile exports can increase from the current $40 billion to $100 billion in the next five years. Ms Shubhra, Trade Adviser in the Ministry of Textiles, also attended the Foundation Day. AEPC Chairman Narendra Goenka shared the journey of the AEPC since its establishment in 1978 from a quota monitoring and export promotion body to the Council that today offers services ranging from skilling, assessment, market intelligence, advocacy, capacity building programs on financial risks, compliance management, IPR issues, AI and technology driven production innovations, lean and six sigma, circularity, sustainability, among others.

INDIANEWS Allotment of Plots in Apparel Park in Noida in Full Swing Yeida issues 29 plots for Jewar Apparel park

he Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) has issued lease plans of 29 plots at the upcoming Apparel park in Jewar to start possession process for the same.. At the apparel park, a total of 91 plots will be allotted to entrepreneurs who are part of the Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC). Of these, 82 plots have already been allotted, said the Yeida officials. Arun Vir Singh, CEO, Yeida, said, “While eight lease plans were issued last week, 21 more issued on Wednesday. The allottees are required to get the lease plans signed by different departments of the authority in order to start the possession process. The plots at the Apparel Park are ready for possession as sewer lines have been laid as well as streetlights and other facilities are almost complete.” The remaining lease plans will also be issued by the end of March, said the officials. “The units which are engaged in manufacturing and making garments and apparel have been allotted plots at the park. Once the possession process is complete, industries will start construction and the hub will be

Embassy of India, Paris and AEPC organise Webinar on Opportunities In ‘India-France

ready by 2023,” said Thukral, who is also the convener of readymade garments, UP Export Promotion Council. The apparel park was conceived in 2018 and in February 2020, the scheme of plots was opened for allotment. The park is expected to draw an investment of around ₹2,500 crore and earn ₹5,000 crore foreign exchange annually, said Thukral. “Prominent garment and apparel houses have been allotted plots at the apparel park which will further strengthen the district’s presence in the industry and generate employment for 500,000 people. The NAEC industries will make sure to employ a majority of people from nearby villages and towns and 70% of the workforce will be women,” he said. AEPC Chairman, Narendra Goenka said, “Indian apparel industry is very well aware of the alarming

he Embassy of India, Paris in collaboration with Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) organized a webinar on ‘India-France: Market Opportunities and Areas of Cooperation for a Sustainable Textile and Fashion’. Dr Praphullachandra Sharma, DCM, Embassy of India, Paris, gave the opening remarks. Shubhra, Trade Advisor, Ministry of Textiles talked on policy and sustainability targets and ambitions related to Indian textile industry and sustainability. Trade Advisor emphasized on the fact that the Indian Government is employing different policies to improve productivity and reduce environmental pollution. “Initiatives like PM-MITRA which is establishing seven mega textile parks across the country would enable embedding sustainability in the value chain and would make the industry future ready giving it a competitive edge globally” the advisor said.

fact that without sustainable supply chains, the fashion industry will become less and less viable. Sustainability is now counted as one of the major pillars of apparel export business and a growth tool.” The webinar dwelled on various subjects from environment sustainability like water usage, energy consumption, chemical loads, air emission, carbon emission, solid waste, and landfill, to circularity and social sustainability such as inclusivity, skilling, labour reforms and women empowerment.

MARCH 2022

INDIANEWS Welspun Launches Collection in Collaboration With Dupont

Increase in production, supply chain boost in customer orders helped the company to Improve Results

I W

elspun India in collaboration with DuPont Biomaterials has launched a new home textile collection, including bath towels and bed sheets, made with bio-based materials to meet a growing demand for sustainable home textile products. The collaboration brings together cotton and DuPont Sorona fibres to create home textile fabrics. The fabrics used in the new range provide comfort, moisture management and soft hand feel. DuPont’s Sorona brand made from 37% renewable plant-based ingredients offer a high-performing, responsibly sourced material option. Fibres made with Sorona polymer are currently used in various apparel applications, including athleisure and athletic wear, insulation, swimwear, outerwear, suiting, faux fur and more. Sorona polymer offers technical and performance benefits, including softness, stretch and recovery, and inherent stain 2 resistance without the need for topical treatments. It is a USDA Certified Biobased Product and is certified as an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 product. “Welspun India challenged us to deliver a fibre innovation that will enable them to offer a perceptible value addition to their end customers and yet provide a sustainable solution. We were able to deliver to the Welspun team the Sorona fibre in a format that allows its incorporation into a range of applications, including towels and bedsheets” said Dr Gowri Nagarajan, regional sales and marketing manager, DuPont Biomaterials. “Our collaboration with the DuPont Biomaterials team is a significant step towards our commitment to bringing value-added products to address tomorrow’s challenges through a sustainable approach without compromising on performance and value,” said Dipali Goenka, CEO & joint managing director, Welspun India.

MARCH 2022

ncrease in production, supply chain, and boost in customer orders Improves Results Kitex Garments reported a 44% rise in its net profit to Rs 26 crore ($3.6 million) for the second quarter ended September 26, as against Rs 18 crore in posted in the year-ago period. The company’s revenue for the quarter rose by 34 percent to Rs 178 crore, as against Rs 133 crore it posted in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Kitex Garments attributed the strong growth during the quarter to an increase in production, supply chain, and boost in customer orders post the easing of restrictions that were imposed last year to curb the spread of Covid-19. The company expects strong growth in the coming quarters on the back of festive season sales.The company said that the new expansion plan at Telangana is progressing as per the schedule. It plans to set up two mega projects with a total investment of Rs 2,400 crore in Telangana.

India Can Attain $10 bn in leather exports by 2025: says Textile Minister

ecently at a meeting Te x t i l e Minister raised his voice regarding the potential in leather exports. He expressed that the sector can grow to $10 billion by 2025—though that still gives it a growth rate of only 15-17 per cent. Kolhapuri chappals alone can achieve $1-billion exports target, he told the National Export Excellence Awards presentation ceremony of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) in New Delhi. Goyal appealed the leather industry to be selfsufficient and not wait for the government to roll out schemes, give land at subsidised rates or come out with a performance-linked incentive scheme.

INDIANEWS Extension of Deadline to Claim Dues

he last date for e x p or t e r s to submit online applications to claim their pending dues under different export promotion schemes has been extended again, according to a notification of the commerce ministry. Exporters can claim pending refunds under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), RoSCTL (Rebate of State and Central Levies and Taxes) scheme and Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) scheme. The date for MEIS and 2 per cent additional ad hoc incentive has been extended till April 30 this year and for RoSCTL and ROSL, the deadline has been extended till March 15 this year.

Time to Tap Potential of MMF Sector

he Centre is giving a push to the textile and clothing industry to leverage the traditional strengths in the man-made fibre (MMF) sector, Minister of State for Textiles and Railways Darshana Vikram Jardosh said. The focus would be on manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, innovation, and skills, she added. Inaugurating a virtual conference on ‘$450 billion Global MMF Textiles Trade: Growth Beacon for the Indian Textile Industry’, organised by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), the Minister said India had a long way to go to emerge as a leading manufacturer of MMF textile products globally. While the industry would face stiff competition from established players in the sector - China, Taiwan, South Korea, etc., increasing labour and manufacturing costs in these countries would give ample opportunities for Indian players. Industry captains should give thrust to the MMF sector by investing in it and taking maximum advantage of schemes such as Production Linked Incentive, PM MITRA, etc.

MARCH 2022

PLI SCHEME Attracts Big Textile Players, 67 Applications Received by MOT

he textile ministry has received applications from as many as 67 companies to avail benefits of the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for man-made fibres and technical textile sectors. The PLI scheme for textiles covers 40 man-made fibre (MMF) garment items, 14 MMF fabric goods and 10 technical textile products. RIL, Arvind, Bombay Dyeing, Welspun, IndoRama Synthetics, Bombay Dyeing, Vardhman Group, Trident and Shahi Exports are some of the companies that have applied for the scheme. The government had approved the PLI scheme worth Rs 10,683 crore for the sector with an aim to boost domestic manufacturing, create jobs and promote exports. As against Govt’s expectations of over Rs 19,000 crore investments, these companies have shown that they would be investing like Rs 22,00023,000 crore in the MMF and technical textiles.

Birla Cellulose Targets Zero Carbon emissions by 2040

irla Cellulose, the pulp and fibre business of Grasim Industries Ltd. a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, announced its goal to bring down its net carbon emissions to zero across all its operations by 2040, with a possibility to reach it earlier by 2035. The company also targets to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity to half by 2030 from the baseline of 2019. Sharing his thoughts on the announcement, H K Agarwal, Managing Director Grasim Industries Ltd and Business Director, Birla Cellulose said, “This is a natural progression in Birla Cellulose’s global leadership in the area of sustainability. Birla Cellulose’s climate target is at the core of its business strategy that aims to address climate change-related risks and adapt to changing consumer preferences for more sustainable, nature-based, and low emission products.”

INDIANEWS Textile Industry of Panipat in Crisis

he textile industry in Panipat is facing a dilemma to move out of the cluster after the recent decision by Air Quality Management Commission to run industry only on Piped Natural Gas (PNG) instead of coal in National Capital Region (NCR). It was declared industry based on use of coal will not be permitted to function in the area and directed to shift working of their units from use of coal to PNG by September 30, 2022. Many textile manufacturing units and dyeing house in Panipat have decided to shift their industrial units to adjoining states U.P and Punjab where there are no restrictions over use of coal. They fear that running industry on PNG will increase the cost of production which will reduce their competitiveness vis a vis other clusters like Gujarat and Punjab. They expressed that already a fierce price war exists between Gujarat and Ludhiana in export as well as domestic markets compelling them to work on nominal margin. Further rise in production cost will hit business badly. According to Maneesh Garg of Young Entrepreneurs Society Panipat, it is not possible to shift industry from use of coal to PNG in such a short notice since timely deliveries is a challenge and exporters have already

secured orders from foreign buyers on annual supply basis and they may suffer heavy financial loss as a result of such a short notice, moreover their payments will held up. The manufacturers accused government for making sudden decisions like ban on use of coal in industry, use of diesel generating sets and declaring lock down all of sudden which harm industry due to non-availability of raw material. Panipat textile industry suffered severe economic crisis due to non-availability of yarn last year and has failed to fulfill supply commitments in domestic and export orders. Many entrepreneurs are looking at shifting their units to Kairana and Shamli in Western U.P which are quite near to Panipat from where hundreds of workers are employed at Panipat textile and dyeing industry.

MARCH 2022

INDIANEWS Right Time for Investments in Textile Sector

he increasing requirement for technical textiles due to rapid changes in environment along with increase employment and rise in disposal would lead to enhanced investments in textile sector as per the Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Vikram Jardosh. The minister also said that technical textiles is the

way for boosting the economy of the country and its potential to contribute to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission through various flagship missions and schemes of the Centre. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India highlighted the vital role of innovative solutions and research and development (R&D) in driving the technical textiles market in India under its flagship programme National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) during his special address. He was of the view that in coming years various environmental issues will lead to rising in temperatures up to 50 degrees, scarcity of drinking water, and other environmental hazards, and therefore, a proactive roadmap may be thought up for bringing up new high-end low-cost technological interventions in the application areas of technical textiles addressing the issue.

India Creates History as Export Crosses 400BN

or the first time ever exports from India’s merchandise exports increased by 37 per cent to USD 400 billion during April-March 22, 2021-22 against USD 292 billion in 2020-21. Hailing India’s success in achieving its goods export target of USD 400 billion this fiscal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted today that this is a key milestone in India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ journey. The highest ever goods export target was achieved nine days ahead of the March 31 deadline. “India set an ambitious target of USD 400 billion of goods exports and achieves this target for the first time ever. I congratulate our farmers, weavers, MSMEs, manufacturers, exporters for this success. This is a key milestone in our Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey. #LocalGoesGlobal,” PM Modi tweeted. On average, every hour USD 46 million goods are exported, USD 1 billion goods are exported everyday and USD 33 billion every month. On March 7, the Commerce and Industry Minister also said that India’s merchandise exports have reached USD 390 billion till March 14 of the current financial year and would certainly cross USD 400 billion during the year ending March 31, 2022. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman

MARCH 2022

Narendra Goenka said that it was all possible due to the various government incentives to boost manufacturing across sectors and the policy of Made in India for the World. “Indian apparel exports, too, is set to witness exponential growth. The government has prepared the ground for fast growth in apparel sector with schemes like RoSCTL, PLI and PM-MITRA. These will further increase the production, employment and export capacity of one of the largest employing sectors with maximum women workforce.“

Fair&Events

Weaving Success in India;

PICANOL INAUGURATES NEW OFFICE After nearly two years of pause the business finally seems to be back on track. The sunny morning of 10th March saw an interesting start for Picanol India as it inaugurated its new office as an expansion to its existing operations in New Delhi.

he weaving czar has successfully crafted its Indian story as within 30 years the company has sold almost 30,000 weaving machines in India. Giving tough competition to its rivals the company is gathering strength by expanding its network, team, clients and installations. The plush new office at DLF Moti Nagar was inaugurated by Belgian Ambassador H.E. François Delhaye in the presence of Karel Datienne, Sales Team Manager who had specially arrived from Belgium to be part of the event; P. Kasiviswanathan, Director, Picanol India, the man who is the backbone for Picanol in India along with Picanol’s clients who came from various parts of India. The event that started off with a cheerful band welcoming the Ambassador was followed

MARCH 2022

by a ribbon cutting ceremony and complete tour of the office. “This office is extension of our existing space and is an effort to offer enhanced after sales support to our customers via latest means of communication IoT(internet of Things), service support so that they does not face any hassle in running the machine and almost every error can be rectified from here only,”

Fair&Events explained Kasiviswanathan. He also mentioned that there is an increasing demand for Picanol’s machinery in India and textile players are getting inclined towards Picanol’s machines, its quality, speed and innovation. Despite the slowdown in the market we continued adding new customers in our profile and got repeat orders from our existing clients; this itself is a big achievement for the Team of Picanol India. After taking a tour of the office, a formal presentation on the company’s growth and achievement was shared in the presence of Johan Verstraete, Vice President Weaving Solutions – Marketing, Sales & Service at Picanol, who joined the ceremony virtually. “India has always been an important market for Picanol that has grown and developed over the years. “Picanol as a group will continue to serve its customers with the latest technology that matches the expectations in terms of speed, service and innovation.” Johan commented that the market dynamics are changing as buyers sourcing strategy has changed as they want to divert sourcing away from China to other countries like India and Pakistan so there is definitely a good prospect for growth in the coming times. “Picanol as a group is quite diverse in areas of expertise and it is good to be part of this ceremony and we are proud to be part of this occasion. I did not know that Picanol was such a diverse group and I don’t think that there are many competitors who can offer the same kind of technology and expertise,” said Belgian Ambassador H.E. François Delhaye while sharing his views on Picanol. “Our slogan is let’s grow

together. Belgium and China are where Picanol manufactures its machinery, however, machines coming to India are 99% from Belgium as players always look for new and innovative technology here, they do not look at price but performance unlike Chinese players. The latest machines are built on industry 4.0, the speed, performance, usage, errors all can

has into textile manufacturing since 1980 and is producing 40 lakh metres a month shared, “We have decided to install Picanol machines though we have been using the Japanese technology for many years and this has been possible after getting good reviews from customers’, the knowledge and expertise the Picanol India team has and the fact that they

be analysed via mobile. Smart performance and sustainability is the USP of our product,” asserted Kasi. One of the customers who visited the inauguration ceremony and came specially from Ahmadabad Piyush Mittal from Vinod Denims, a company that

offer good customer support gives us the confidence to invest in the technologies offered by them.” Picanol has been active in India since 1956, and following many years of successfully serving the local market, Picanol India Private Ltd. was established in 2008. Just a few years later, the inauguration of

MARCH 2022

Fair&Events

Picanol as a group will continue to serve its customers with the latest technology that matches the expectations in terms of speed, service and innovation.

Johan Verstraete, Vice President Weaving Solutions – Marketing, Sales & Service at Picanol.

new offices for Picanol India in New Delhi took place in 2012. “Ten years on from that event, our offices in New Delhi have now been both extended and renovated. This decision clearly shows our commitment to grow together with our Indian customers. The new offices will create several advantages for Picanol India. Specifically, grouping the Sales, Service, and CSR teams under one roof will make operations more efficient and the print repair facilities have been modernized,” explained Kasi. “Starting with a team of 27 people we have 42 people onboard today and we have 30,000 machines running in India. We have further increased our office space by 30% in 15 years of operations,” said a proud Kasi. Picanol develops, produces and markets hightech weaving machines, based on air (airjet) or rapier technology. It supplies weaving machines to weaving mills worldwide, and also offer such services as installation, commissioning and trouble shooting, aftermarket sales (spare parts, accessories) and training. Denims, technical textiles, terry towels, parachutes, home textiles, apparels are some of the areas of application. The entire team at Picanol India is confident that the new offices will mark the newest chapter in the success story of Picanol’s longstanding presence in India.

MARCH 2022

Ten years on from that event, our offices in New Delhi have now been both extended and renovated. This decision clearly shows our commitment to grow together with our Indian customers. The new offices will create several advantages for Picanol India. Specifically, grouping the Sales, Service, and CSR teams under one roof will make operations more efficient and the print repair facilities have been modernised.

P. Kasiviswanathan, Director, Picanol India.

“Picanol as a group is quite diverse in areas of expertise and it is good to be part of this ceremony and we are proud to be part of this occasion. I did not know that Picanol was such a diverse group and I don’t think that there are many competitors who can offer the same kind of technology and expertise.

H.E. François Delhaye, Belgian Ambassador

We have decided to install Picanol machines though we have been using the Japanese technology for many years and this has been possible after getting good reviews from customers. The knowledge and expertise the Picanol India team has and the fact that they offer good customer support gives us the confidence to invest in the technologies offered by them.

Piyush Mittal, Vinod Denims, Ahmadabad.

Fair calendar 2021-22 Events in India

India International Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Show IIFJAS New Delhi

15-17 April 2022

Venue : Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Screen Print India Expo - Mumbai 2022

21-23 April 2022

Venue : Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai, India

Fabrics & Accessories Show

05-07 May 2022

Venue : Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai, India

Fabrics & Trims Show 2022

12-14 May 2022

Venue : Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai

India International Garment Fair

20-22 June 2022

Venue : India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Garment Show of India

11-13 July 2022

Venue : Expo Centre,Noida, UP, India

Fabrics & Accessories Show

21 – 23 July 2022

Venue : Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Technology Fair

GMMSA EXPO INDIA 2022

25-28 March 2022

Venue : Dana Mandi, Bhanohad, India, Ludhiana

Gartex Texprocess India

2022

12-14 May 2022

Venue : Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai

Techtextil North America

17-19 May 2022

Venue : Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Texprocess Americas

17-19 May 2022

Venue : Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Garment Technology Expo 2022

27 – 30 May 2022

Venue : NSIC Exhibition Complex - NSIC

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2022

20-24 November 2022

Overseas Events

Fashion World Tokyo 2022

06 -08 April 2022 Venue : Tokyo, Japan

Vietnam Saigon Fabric & Garment Accessories Expo

06 -09 April 2022

Venue : Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Spinexpo Shanghai

11 -13 April 2022

Venue : Shanghai, China

Intertextil

14 -16 April 2022 Venue : NECC, Shanghai, China

KINGPINS DIGITAL SHOW

20-21 April 2022

Venue : Amsterdam, Netherlands HKTDC Hong Kong International Home

Textiles & Furnishing Fair

27-30 April 2022

Venue : NECC, Shanghai, China

Venue : Wanchai, Hong Kong

India ITME

Denim Premiere Vision 2022

08-13 December 2022

Venue : India Exposition Mart Limited (IEML), Greater Noida , Uttar Prades

Techtextil and Texprocess 2022

21 to 24 June 2022

Venue : Frankfurt am Main

17-18 May 2022

Venue : Italy, France

White Label 2022

25-26 May 2022

Venue : Las Vegas, United States Of America

Intex South Asia BngladesBh

16-18 June 2022

Hall 4, ICCB, Dhaka, Bangladesh

4th Dhaka International Denim

22-25 June 2022 Dhaka, Bangladesh

Welcome to the era of intuitive weaving Watch the video in our app. SCAN THIS FOR APP

www.picanol.be/ intuitiveweaving

Let’s grow together

Perfect Sourcing Latest Issue

Articles inside

CEPA Between India and UAE to boost India’s Apparel Exports

Fashion Brands Suspends Sales In Russia

Fashion Weeks Concluded: Insights for Trends in 2022

Rising Supply Chain Issues Prompts Closer Sourcing

Weaving Success in India; Picanol Inaugurates New Office

Orders Shifting to India… Can India Tap The Opportunity?

Rise in Raw Material Price needs Urgent Action