January 2021

VOLUME 9 | ISSUE NO. 1 | RS 100 | Pages 48 ISSN NO : 2278-8972 |RNI NO : MAHENG/2012/43707

JANUARY 2021

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2022 Home Textile Update Interview : Mr. Anjani Prasad, Archroma Dr. Ela Dedhia, Nirmala Niketan Volkswagen Sustainable Fibers : Banana and Bison

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JANUARY 2021

CONTENTS BUDGET REACTIONS

07 08 CITI Hails Union Budget 2021-22 as a strong founda09 tion for future growth of the T&C Industry 10 11 13 Union Budget 2021-22 Aims at boosting Textile & Clothing sector : NITMA

India’s textile industry gets a saviour and benefactor in budget 2021

Budget growth oriented BCD on cotton a conern : TEXPROCIL

Key highlights of Union Budget 2021-202 Union Budget 2021-22

Reactions to Budget 2021-CMAI

14

MACHINERY UPDATE Italian Textile Machinery : Orders intake still on downturn in fourth quarter 2020

COTTON REPORT

14 YARN REPORT 15 EXPORT REPORT

Cotton hits another low in last two weeks Yarn export surges in December, cotton doubles

16 16 18

3Q FY 2021 Results Bella CASA delivers an astounding 39% sales growth and 60% net profit growth

STARTUP STORY

26 SUSTAINABLE FIBRE 28 31 HR FOCUS 33 Never stop

Banana fibres : The unknown green Clothing from Bison fibre Improving your company’s performance: 3 Tips to setting up an effective performance management system which gives resullts

FASHION VALUE CHAIN

34 37 40 42 44

Future of sustainable fashion in India- Kamakhyaa The shape of Home Textiles

INTERVIEW The textile and Fashion industry from the point of view of an accomplished educationist Volkswagen India dress re-design competition in collaboration with NIFT Sustainable is the way to be

ADVERTISER INDEX

MARKET REPORT PET Wearable market size worth $ 3.9 Billion by 2027 | CAGR : 11.6%

AUTOMOBILE TEXTILES Volvo car Malaysia launch anti-microbial facemask with nanotextile as sustainability effort

Front Inside : Rimtex Page 3 : n9 resil chemical Page 4 Yarn export

BRAND UPDATE

19

CONTRIBUTORS

A.T.E. Partners with W+D BICMA, GERMANY, to bring textile Hygine manufacturing technilogies to India

NEWS

19 20 20 HOME TEXTILE UPDATE 21 23

Employment in the Textile Industry Uttar Pradesh Textile sector attracts investment of Rs. 6,320 crore

Exports rise 5.37% in january

Sustainable fibres for Home furnishings Interiors defined : Home Textiles & Categories

Back Page : Raymond Back Inside :Global fire

Mr. Sanjay Garg

Mr. Rajendra Agarwal

Mr. Rajiv Mishra

Ms. Ragini Gupta

Dr. N.N. Mahapatra

Ms. Prachi Gehlot

Mr. Anjani Prasad

Ms. Rugveda Pisat

Mr. Kuala Lumpur

Ms. Sukhmit Vaman

Mr. Harshit Bapna

Mr. Raghunandan Saraf

Mr. Munish Tyagi

Mr. Harshit Bapna

Dr. Ela Manoj Dedhia

Mr. Anuj Mundra

6

EDITORIAL

Budget with Self Reliant Industry

SUBSCRIPTION Digital + Print Copy issue 1 Year : 12 issues : Rs. 800 2 Years : 24 issues : Rs. 1500 3 years : 36 issues : Rs. 2100

After the roller coaster ride for the industry, following the pandemic in 2020, the entire country and industry in particular, eagerly waited for the Union Budget 2021-2022. To revive the economy, extra incentives have been provided

by Government of India apart from normal budget allocation. A package of appx. 20 lakh crores has been allocated for the industry and individuals.

The Government proposes to disinvest many public sector services. India Inc is transferring from Public to Private gradually. Private - Public Partnerships are better, if effectively carried out with the right intention. For the smooth running of India Inc there is a need for more income from Indian states, India Inc states will compete to get more revenue through taxes.

Self-reliant / Atmanirbhar is more of entrepreneurs’ economy, creating more SMEs that will drive innovation, No monopoly with healthy competition, and creativity that will compete in the market. More the competition, more will be the innovation. SME is the backbone of the economy.

The expenditure planned in the Union Budget in year 2021-22 is Rs. 34,83,236 crores in which Rs. 3,631.64 crores are for Textile Industry. Approximately 0.1 % is allocated to textiles. In Textiles, major budget allocated to Amended TUFS with 700 crores, Handloom Development Program 495 crores, Handicraft Development Program 357.5 crores, Development of Silk is 876 crores, Development of Wool textile is 16.5 crores, Development of Jute industry is 153 crores, Textile infrastructure development is 204 crores, R&D skilling and capacity building is 357 crores, North East Textile Promotion scheme is 75 crores and many more allocations. This issue brings forth some of the reactions from the industry on the Union Budget 2021-2022.

Wish you Productive Budgeting season !

JIGNA SHAH

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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ERRATA The article in December issue titled ‘TIES AND BOWS’ on page 40 was authored by Ms. Simran Kaur Sokhi and Mrs. Sukhmit Vaman and not

by Ms. Rugveda Pisat and Mrs.Sukhmit Vaman. The error is regretted.

JANUARY 2021

All rights reserved Worldwide; Reproduction of any of the content from this issue is prohibited without explicit written permission of the publisher. Every effort has been made to ensure and present factual and accurate information. The views expressed in the articles published in this magazine are that of the respective authors and not necessarily that of the publisher. Textile Value chain is not responsible for any unlikely errors that might occur or any steps taken based in the information provided herewith.

BUDGET REACTIONS

7

Union Budget 2021-22 aims at boosting Textile & Clothing sector : NITMA

S

-Mr. Sanjay Garg , President NITMA

hri Sanjay Garg, President NITMA , welcomed the proposal of Union Budget 2021-22 as the grant to Textile & Clothing sector is budgeted at Rs. 3,631.64 crore which is about 10% higher than previous year’s revised budget of Rs. 3,300 crores in 2020-21. Also, in the present budget, Government has emphasized on Infrastructure Development and Research & Capacity Building as the grant for these sectors has been increased by about 43.7% and 77.5% respectively as compared to the last year. Share of these sectors in total T&A budget allocation for 2021-22 stands at about 6% and 10% respectively.

Shri Garg briefly touched upon positive measures in budget 202122 for textile sector, as details are being analyzed, some of them are as follows: Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme, in addition to PLI & 7 Textile Parks to be established over 3 years. He added that the active support and cooperation of the Government the textile industry will become globally competi-

tive, attract large investments and boost employment generation & exports in the years ahead.

- Basic customs duty (BCD) rates on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fibre & yarn will be uniformly reduced to 5 % to spur textile industry, MSMEs, and exports.

- Customs duty on cotton from nil to 10 per cent and on raw silk and silk yarn from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, to benefit domestic cotton and silk growers.

- The taxation changes proposed in the Budget will help and benefit MSMEs in a big way. Measures taken to simplify GST are praiseworthy with the hope that Government will take corrective measures to smoothen the GST further by removing anomalies such as the inverted duty structure.

He further added that the custom duty policy announced has dual objectives of promoting domestic manufacturing and helping India get on to global value chain and export better. Shri Garg reiterated that the domestic textile industry will get easy access to raw mate-

rials and exports of value added products which will make textile industry globally competitive.

Summing up, he again admired several measures initiated in the budget 2021-22 at the same time he humbly appealed that there is an urgent need of raising customs duty on man made yarns from 5 to 10%, which has not been considered by the Hon’ble Finance Minister. Shri Garg elaborated, that manmade yarn sector which is one of the largest employment generating segments within the textile industry and it’s highly capital and labour intensive industry as well. The unreasonably low-priced imports of manmade yarn into India have been causing considerable amount of injury to domestic manufacturers for last 5 years or so. Industry has deep concerns over the rise in import quantities being dumped into India, which can potentially cause an permanent damage to domestic MMF sector with the cascading effect, from closure of units to NPA’s, and eventually resulting huge employment loss.

Budget Reaction | Retail/MSME - Manufacturing & Vertilce E-commerce Segment | Saraf Furniture Mr. Raghunandan Saraf, Founder & CEO, Saraf Furniture:

“Hon’ble Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman by announcing that Modi government will introduce a bill for the development of financial institution has shown a clear path for the growth on financial infrastructure in the Atmanirbhar Bharat. Further, Modi government’s announcement of a sharp increase in Capital Expenditure and thus providing Rs 5.54 lakh crores will develop momentum for financial infrastructure domain. Further, the announcement of the development of investor charter should also be welcome as it will protect the hard-earned money of a number of investors.”

JANUARY 2021

8

BUDGET REACTIONS

India’s Textile Industry gets a saviour and benefactor in Budget 2021 - Mr. Munish Tyagi , Global Textile Leader, International Textile Industry Consultant OVERVIEW: There is a good news for renewal and enhanced global competitiveness of India s textile and clothing industry which has been in doldrums since 3rd quarter of 2019 and,for further devastated

by Covid for entire of 2020.

It is thus in high time that the Govt realised the rapidly falling exports of India s textile/clothing industry with strong headwinds of competition from new challenging players like Vietnam, B.Desh, Turkey,Pakistan,others which have not allowed India to be amidst 5 top textile exporters despite its no. 1 position of strength in cotton and cotton yarn production.The Key difcult areas have been falling garment exports and,very low share in exportof MMF and synthetic textile products which have nearly 60% share in global trade.

With the agriculture sector dependent on much wanted rains, and share of industry declining in national GDP; the govt now seems to be changing focus to `manufacturing` sector to bring in self reliance and reduction of imports of non essential goods,and much desired industrial and urban employment for teeming millions of qualified educated `youth for job`.India s textile and clothing industry can play such pivotal role with the target of increasing its turnover and size to USD 300-350 Billion in next 4-5 years.

In this context India a national Budget of o1 Feb 2021, has come is as a true saviour and driver for Textile and clothing industry to drive export earnings.

`A Review of Budget snippets and Implications for India’s Textile Industry` Some of the key areas and issues addressed for India s Textile and clothing industry in the 01 Feb Budget are to be understood as per below: 1. There has been a rationalisation of import duties on Synthetic raw materials ,and esp. for reducing the BCD _Basic Customs Duty to 5% level on Nylon chips, fiber and yarns. This will create level playing field for the Nylon sector and especially help the lagging MMF industry in key hubs of Surat and south India to produce MMF textiles at internationally competitive prices.,and help increase export share. ** However,textile industry s demand for uniform GST structure ,and abolishing ADD_Anti Dumping Duty on VSF/VFY materials for manmade textile value chain Yet remains an issue for the manufacture of MMF textiles that have increasing demand esp.the sportwear and fashionwear 2. The above move Along with abolition of ADD-Anti Dumping Duty on PTA [ the basic RM for polyester value chain ] will lead to enhance the export of Manmade textiles from India,and help grow India s Textile industry size to $ 300 to 350 Billion,and also enhance its share in global exports from present day 5 % to about 7% by 2024; and to slot India amongst first 5 exporters of T & C by improving share of India s MMF exports.This will address the long pending demand of MMY sector.

JANUARY 2021

3. The reduction in BCD for Nylon raw materials ,and abolition of ADD on polyester basic RM/PTA, will help India s downstream Textile/fabric and garment sectors to be internationally competitive and gain export share in the non cotton T &C sector which commands large volumes.

4. Another 6 keys areas of Budget support for India s textile sector are summarised below for the new /additionabenfits doled in the Budget; A] Provision of funds of approx.

Rs 1450 Crore,[that is INR 14500 Million] for NTTM_National Technical Textile Mission over the years 2021 to 2024.This allocation will help Indian Tech Tex sector to replace and offset imports worth $ 16 billion ,with Indeg. Tech -tex/ non woven textiles, for high tech and advanced technical textiles & industrial en uses like industrial and infrastructure /geo- Textiles.

B] Budget allocation has been provided to create 7 no. global size Mega Textile Parks, of 1000 Acre plus,in the country over the next 3 years. This will help attract FDI from global textile investors and MNC brands.

C] The ATUF_ Amended TUF scheme budgetary allocation gets extended to Rs 700 Crores, that is INR 7000 Million vis a vis past allocation of only Rs 500 crore , D] In addition to the expanded budget for the ATUF scheme, a provision of Rs 100 Crore [INR 1000 Million ]been provided for the ISSD_Integrated scheme for Skill Development,and E] Towards enhancing the stuck

BUDGET REACTIONS up working capital needs of the industry, the Budget has cleared `digital` refund to the textile exporters of duties and levies[that is central and state level taxes], under the Ro DTEP scheme.

F] the budget 2021 has also cleared the long standing demand for working of `women workers`in the night shift ;with reduction of Compliance burden and,with easy registration/licencing via Online procedures.

The one area with mixed impact seems to be increase on import duty on Cottons to 10% ,from earlier level of 5%. Unless, the CCI in India plays the balancing act ;there is risk of cotton states increasing the price of cotton and which will upset the applecart of yarn/fabric mills.

It seems the 4-5 main Wish list of the Indian Textile industry has been duly addressed in the recent budget 2021. Also, with setting up

9

of global scale textile manufacturing complexes/Mega Textile Parks; the one missing area which will be a true blessing and game changer will be to forge dedicated FTA agreements with EU,the UK, Japan and possibly USA The one core area yet needing Govt s intervention is to open up public sector buying and create much required Domestic market consumption.

CITI hails Union Budget 2021-22 as a strong foundation for future growth of the T&C Industry

S

hri T. Rajkumar, Chairman, CITI, welcomed the first digitalcum-paperless Central Budget presented today morning by the Hon’ble Union Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Lok Sabha House of the Parliament. He stated that the budget has given major emphasis to healthcare and infra sectors and whole-heartedly appreciated the Government for taking care of the entire economy and the citizens of India during this Covid-19 pandemic. The world over India has received accolades for its effective handling of this unprecedented health crises.

Chairman CITI welcomed the announcement of setting up of seven textile parks within three years under the scheme Mega Investment Textile Parks (MITRA). The parks will be set up over 1,000 acres of land with world class infrastructure, and plug-and-play facilities.

This will create world class infrastructure with plug and play facilities to enable create global champions in textile exports. He further stated that the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for manmade fibres and technical textiles

- Shri T. Rajkumar Chairman CITI , with a total outlay of Rs.10,683 crores will also help the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments and boost employment generation. Moreover, to achieve the target of $350 billion from the current size of $167 billion our manufacturing sector has to grow in double digits on a sustained basis. Our manufacturing companies need to become an integral part of global supply chains, possess core competence and cutting-edge technology.

Shri T. Rajkumar pointed out that that the Government well recognises the fact that our textile industry significantly contributes to the Indian economy and creates huge employment opportunities to the masses especially to the poorer sections of the society majorly covering illiterate and down-trodden women. To further enhance this scope and achieve the target of making Indian economy a $ 5-trillion economy by 2025, reduction of customs duty on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fiber & yarn to 5% is step in the right direction. This will bring nylon chain on par with polyester and other man-made fibers. He

also welcomed rationalization of exemption on import of duty-free items as an incentive to exporters of garments, leather, and handicraft items. All these items are domestically produced in excellent quantity and quality by our MSMEs and help the textile industry and exports too.

At the same time, Chairman, CITI pinpointed that the levy of 10% import duty on cotton and cotton waste has come as a severe blow for the ailing cotton textiles and apparel industry. Cotton and cotton waste which is currently under nil rate of import duty is being subjected to 10% import duty through the budgetary announcement comprising of 5% Basic Customs Duty and another 5% Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on cotton and 10% BCD on cotton waste. The new import duty comes into effect from 2nd February 2021.

CITI Chairman appealed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister to kindly consider the immediate withdrawal of the levy of 10% import duty on cotton and cotton waste to sustain the global competitiveness of Indian textiles & apparel industry and prevent job losses for several JANUARY 2021

10

BUDGET REACTIONS

lakhs of people, prevent fall in the exports and also curb cheaper imports of value added products from the SAFTA countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.

Shri T. Rajkumar further stated that the levy of 10% duty will not benefit the cotton farmers as the normal import of 12 to 14 lakh bales per year accounts for only around 3% of Indian cotton production and consumption and such cotton is not produced in India. But this is essential to sustain the share of value added / niche markets of India both in global and domestic markets. He has added that after the introduction of BT cotton that accounts over 97% of the cotton produced in the country, the cotton textile industry has to import ELS cotton, organic cotton, contamination free cotton to the tune of 10 to 12 lakhs bales per year to meet the demands of

the global customers and also the value added made-ups and apparel segments of domestic market.

He has cautioned that the country is already flooded with cheaper imports of readymade garments from SAFTA countries and facing crisis.

Chairman CITI also welcomed the move of allowing women to work in all categories and also in the night-shifts with adequate protection, modified the definition of small companies: companies with a paid-up capital not exceeding 2cr & a turnover not exceeding 20cr are to be considered small companies, implementation of the 4 labour codes, minimum wages to all categories of workers, and all will be covered by the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) are welcome decisions for the upliftment of Indian economy.

Shri T. Rajkumar pointed out that in some of our major appeals we had requested to the Hon’ble Prime Minister to remove anti-dumping duty on VSF and bring uniformity in GST slab for MMF value chain to enable the MMF Sector to have a level playing field which has still remained unresolved and would keep on pitching for the same with the Government departments.

Chairman CITI concluded by saying that the outlined six pillars of proposals to strengthen the vision of Atmanirbharta, such as health and well-being, capital and infrastructure, inclusive development, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&D and minimum government and maximum governance will lay a strong foundation for the future growth of not only the Indian Textile & Clothing Industry but for the entire economy as well.

BUDGET GROWTH ORIENTED BCD ON COTTON A CONCERN : TEXPROCIL

W

elcoming the Union Budget for 2021-22 as growth-oriented, The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) has added that the imposition of basic customs duty (BCD) on cotton is a matter of deep concern.

It has urged the government to withdraw the duty immediately to avoid adverse impact on employment and investments in the textile sector.

The Union Budget has announced Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA), under which seven textile parks will be established over a period of three years. “This is a very positive step which will enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments and boost employment generation,” said TEXPROCIL chairman Manoj Patodia in a press release.

The Budget has reduced the BCD on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fibre & yarn to 5 per cent.

This will encourage the growth of the MMF sector especially the MSMEs, according to the chairman, TEXPROCIL. On the direct taxes front, the Budget has reduced the time-limit for re-opening of assessment to 3 years from the present 6 years.

"This is a welcome step and it will remove the uncertainty for the assesses," the release said.

However, the imposition of 10 per cent BCD on raw cotton was surprising, said Patodia. He added that this will make imports of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton costly, especially Giza cotton from Egypt and Supima cotton from the US. Patodia expressed his apprehension that the imposition of import duty on cotton will increase the

JANUARY 2021

domestic prices of cotton, which will now be based on the import parity price plus the BCD, which in turn will increase cost for valueadded products like fabrics, made ups and garments. He also pointed out that there has been a decline in imports of cotton by a sharp 77 per cent during January-November 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, and as such there is no case for an imposition of import duty on cotton.

He appealed to the government to withdraw the BCD on cotton in the interest of the textile & clothing sector and its orderly development, especially as India is a cotton surplus country. He further stated that if the BCD on cotton is not withdrawn immediately, it will have an adverse impact on employment and investments in the value-added textile and clothing sector.

BUDGET REACTIONS

U

11

Key HIGHLIGHTS OF UNION BUDGET 2021-2022

nion Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget 2020-21 in the Lok Sabha Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget 2020-21 in the Lok Sabhatoday. The minister insisted that the Budget will boost income and purchasing power.

Given below are some of the important points of the Budget regarding textile and apparel industry.

1) Technical Textiles: India imports a significant quantity of Technical Textiles worth US $ 16 billion every year. To reverse this trend and to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles, A National Technical Textiles Mission will be introduced, with a four-year implementation period, at an estimated outlay of Rs. 1,480 crore.

Anti-dumping duty on purified terephthalic acid (PTA) is being abolished. Notably, PTA, for example, is a critical input for textile fibres and yarns.

2) Budget for Textile Ministry: The Ministry of Textiles has been allocated Rs. 3,514.79 crore in the current Budget against the allocation of Rs. 4,831.48 crore in the 2019-20 Budget.

3) ATUFS: For ATUF Scheme, the fund allocation is only Rs. 761.90 crore.

4) Imposition of 10% Customs Duty on Cotton Imports to Support Farmers: India, the world’s biggest cotton grower, imposed a 10% import tax on the fiber to help farmers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech in parliament on Monday.

A levy on overseas purchases will potentially support local prices

- Mill Owners Association, Mumbai amid higher domestic production and prevent distress sales by the growers. There was no duty on cotton imports until now.

The government also raise the levy on raw silk and silk yarn to 15% from 10%, according to the minister.

India’s cotton output may climb to 37.12 million bales of 170 kilograms each in 2020-21, from 35.49 million bales a year earlier, according to the farm ministry. Imports are expected to fall to 1.4 million bales this year from 1.55 million bales in 2019-20, according to the Cotton Association of India.

The state-run Cotton Corp. of India will increase purchases from farmers to 12.5 million bales in 202021 from 10.5 million bales a year earlier, according to the textile ministry. The government plans to spend 350 billion rupees ($4.8 billion) to buy cotton, compared with 285 billion rupees a year ago.

5) Proposal for Mega Investment Textile Parks (MITRA): To enable Textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments and boost employment generation, a scheme Mega Investment Textile Parks (MITRA) will be launched in addition to PLI Scheme. This will create world-class infra-structure with plug in play facilities to enable create global champions in exports.

7 such textile parks will be established over 3 years.

6) Customs Duty Rationalization: The Textiles Sector generates employment and contributes significantly to the economy. There is a need to rationalize duties on raw material inputs to manmade textiles. We are now bringing nylon chain on par with polyester and other man-made fibers. We are

uniformly reducing the BCD rates on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fiber& yarn to 5%. This will help the textile industry, MSMEs, and exports, too.

Our Customs Duty Policy should have the twin objective of promoting domestic manufacturing and helping India get onto global value chain and export better. The thrust now has to be on easy access to raw materials and exports of value added products.

Towards this, last year, govt started overhauling the Customs Duty structure, eliminating 80 outdated exemptions. I also thank everyone who responded overwhelmingly to a crowd-sourcing call for suggestions on this revamp. I now propose to review more than 400 old exemptions this year. We will conduct this through extensive consultations, and from 1st October 2021, we will put in place a revised customs duty structure, free of distortions. I also propose that any new customs duty exemption henceforth will have validity up to the 31st March following two years from the date of its issue.

7) Incentive for Employers for Restoration of Jobs: Earlier govt has announced an incentive scheme for people to join back and to take their jobs back.

For employers to take back employees who were thrown out and have some money paid by the govt for their EPF? Govt has worked out a scheme and that scheme will run till next year. Govt has allowed employers to get those people who were thrown out of their jobs to be back in the job for whom govt will pay EPF for two years. This is an incentive for people to take them back.

8) MSME Products including Textiles.

1. a) Import of duty free item: JANUARY 2021

12

BUDGET REACTIONS

Govt is rationalizing exemption on import of duty-free items as an incentive to exporters of garments, leather, and handicraft items. Almost all these items are made domestically by our MSMEs. We are withdrawing exemption on imports of certain kind of leathers as they are domestically produced in good quantity and quality, mostly

by MSMEs. We are also raising customs duty on finished synthetic gem stones to encourage their domestic processing.

1. b) MSME- Finance related: The Budget proposed to raise by 5 times the turnover threshold for audit from the existing Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 5 crore. Further, in order to boost less cash economy, it is proposed that the increased limit shall apply only to those businesses which carry out less than 5 per cent of their business transactions in cash. As of now, businesses having turnover of more than Rs. 1 crore are required to get their books of accounts audited by an accountant. A scheme to provide subordinate debt for entrepreneurs of MSMEs will also be introduced. The Government has also asked RBI to extend debt restructuring window for MSME by a year to 31 March 2021. An app-based invoice financing loans product will be launched. This will obviate the problem of delayed payments and consequential cash flows mismatches for the MSMEs. 9) Applicable for all Industries: In the coming months, the Government shall review Rules of Origin requirements, particularly for

certain sensitive items, so as to ensure that FTAs are aligned with the conscious direction of Government policy. It has been observed that imports under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are on the rise.

Undue claims of FTA benefits have posed threat to domestic industry and such imports require stringent checks. This will help reduce imports from Bangladesh, etc. that is plaguing textile industry. The Government proposes amendments in Companies Act to decriminalise civil offences.

Tax payer charter will be part of statute. Around 70 of more than 100 income tax deductions and exemptions have been removed, in order to simplify tax system and lower tax rates. The Budget has also proposed ‘Vivad se Vishwas’ scheme for direct tax payers whose appeals are pending at various forums. The tax on cooperative societies has been proposed to be reduced to 22 per cent plus surcharge and cess, as against 30 per cent at present.

Besides, Rs. 3,000 crore proposed to provide for skill development.

10) For exporters: Digital refund of duties and taxes of centre, states and local bodies to exporters from this year. Nirvik (Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana) scheme to provide enhanced insurance cover and reduce premium for small exporters.

11) Start-ups: The Government proposes to provide early life funding, including a seed fund to support ideation and

development of early stage startups.

The Budget proposes deferment of tax payment by employees on ESOPs (employee stock ownership plan) from start-ups by 5 years or till they leave the company or when they sell their shares, whichever is earliest.

An eligible start-up, having turnover up to Rs. 25 crore, is allowed deduction of 100 per cent of its profits for 3 consecutive assessment years out of 7 years if the total turnover does not exceed Rs. 25 crore.In order to extend this benefit to larger start-ups, there’s a proposal to increase the turnover limit from existing Rs. 25 crore to Rs. 100 crore. Moreover, considering the fact that in the initial years, a start-up may not have adequate profit to avail this deduction, the Government proposes to extend the period of eligibility for claim of deduction from the existing 7 years to 10 years.

12) For Public Ltd. Companies: Dividend distribution tax (DDT) to be removed (currently it is 15 per cent). Dividend shall be taxed at the hands of the recipients.

13) Logistics: Rs. 1.7 lakh crore provided for transport infrastructure in 202021.

14) Sustainability: India’s commitment towards tackling climate change made in Paris conference kick starts from 1 January 2021.

Mr. Anuj Mundra, Chairman & MD, Nandani Creation:

“With focus on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, announcement of establishment of 7 textile parks by Modi government in Budget 2021 should be welcomed with open arms. It’s a big boost for the local textile industry. And, this will help India become a world leader in textile sector. Hon’ble Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget 2021 has clearly conveyed a message that this government believes in giving a big shot in the arm of textiles and local manufacturing with special focus on Vocal for Local.”

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BUDGET REACTIONS

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UNION BUDGET 2021-22 - Mr. Rajendra Agarwal Managing Director Donear industries Ltd

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n lieu of the Union Budget 2021-22 announcement, here's a quote from Mr. Rajendra Agarwal, Managing Director, Donear Industries Ltd., expressing his views"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, like many other industries, the textile industry too underwent numerous challenges, impacting demand and supply, due to the change in consumer buying behaviour and the consumption pattern.

With the vision of establishing a USD 5 trillion economy, the manufacturing sector will have to grow in double digits and become a

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part of the global supply chain, as highlighted by the Hon'ble Finance Minister. Taking the above into consideration, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme had been launched. In addition to this, the budget has certainly opened up avenues to encourage global competition, attract large investments and boost employment generation via the launch of Mega Investment Textiles Park (MITRA), wherein, seven Textile parks will be established over the course of 3 years. Emphasising the Indian government’s initiative of Atmanirbhar Bharat, and with imports being drastically cut down, there is less opportunity for new entrants,

which will in turn strengthen the position of local players (like us) who can fill these niches.

Additionally, the Union Budget 2021 also announced the bringing of nylon chain on par with polyester and other man-made fibers, reducing BCD rates on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fiber & yarn to 5%, aiding the textile industry.

Therefore, 2021-22 seems to be the year of revival for the textile industry as there are good tidings expected for the textile industry from manufacturing, consumption, employment generation and from a boosting demand standpoint."

REACTIONS TO BUDGET 2021 – CMAI

he Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) the Apex Association of the Apparel Industry of the Country has welcomed the Union Budget presented today in the Parliament by the Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman.

Mr Rajesh Masand, President, CMAI said that the announcement on the 7 Mega Textiles Parks was the highlight of the Budget directly impacting the Textile Industry. This is in line with the Government’s intention to encourage Mega Projects and increasing the scale of operations in the Textile Industry. This has to be applauded. A particular positive aspect of this scheme is the incorporation of Plug & Play Model which will enable the Members of such Parks to avoid huge Capital expenditure outlays.

Mr Masand further stated that Lack of scale has been the bane of our efforts to increase our share in the Global Trade especially in the Apparel Sector. However, the Government also has to very closely study why the Textile Parks have not really succeeded in the past.

It is very crucial to avoid errors of omission and commissions in the past. Otherwise, this will remain one more well intended scheme which fails to lift the fortunes of the Textile Industry.

Mr Masand also pointed out that the increase of Import Duty on Cotton and Cotton Fiber may not impact the Industry too adversely since the current imports are at a miniscule level. However, this does come at a time when the industry is reeling from an unprecedented increase of raw material prices especially Yarn and could send a wrong signal.

In an indirect manner though, the Budget has made several announcements which will have a positive impact on Consumer spending – such as increases in infrastructure and overall Government Expenditure – and this will help the Industry, especially the Apparel sector.

The permission to form a Oneperson Company may also indirectly benefit the smaller Apparel manufacturers, many of whom are in the Micro sector and one-man shows. They are likely to get much more support from the Banking support than before. The increase of the Tax Audit slabs should also benefit the smaller members of the Apparel Sector.

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M A C H I N E RY U P DAT E

ITALIAN TEXTILE MACHINERY : ORDERS INTAKE STILL ON DOWNTURN IN FOURTH QUARTER 2020 The index of orders intake for Italian textile machinery compiled by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, for the period from OctoberDecember 2020 was down by 5% compared to the same period in 2019. The index value remained at 90.0 points (2015 basis = 100).

The negative performing trend both abroad and in Italy has weighed on the overall result. On foreign markets, orders intake recorded a 5% decline, while the domestic market recorded a decline of 6% on the fourth quarter of 2019.

On an annual basis, the total index declined by 26% compared to 2019. This result is primarily due to a marked downsizing in orders intake for the first half of the year, which was not entirely balanced by the progressive recovery in the COTTON REPORT

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n Thursday, cotton futures dropped to a more than two-week low on speculator sales towards the end of the month and the US Department of Agriculture's mixed export sales survey (USDA).

For March, the cotton contract dropped by 0.49 percent, or 0.6 percent, to 80.35 cents per lb by 1:01 p.m. EST (1801 GMT), having previously hit its lowest since Jan. 11.

“We are approaching the end of the month and are seeing some profit taking from the speculators. Export numbers were good but not great ... Shipments are more important than sales as once cotton is shipped it never comes

last two quarters of 2020. The decrease amounted to 25% abroad and 30% on the domestic side.

ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi commented that "Severe travel restrictions along with the cancellation of most trade fairs, as evident consequences of the pandemic, have heavily influenced business operations, already compromised by a general slowdown in investments in the textile sector."

Zucchi added that "A deep sense of uncertainty also affects 2021, with no signs of a recovery in this first half of the year. The vaccination campaign has begun slowly, jeopardizing the restoring of safety conditions that would otherwise enable technicians and salesmen to travel. We do expect a partial recovery, but only as of the second half of the year."

In the meantime, ITMA 2023 - the world’s foremost textile machinery trade show, scheduled to be held in Milan - was officially launched. Following the success of 2015, Milan is once again ready to host the essential event that features a high level of innovation on show by exhibiting manufacturers. "I won’t hide how proud our Association and indeed all Italian textile machinery manufacturers are to be able to host the event in Italy,” states ACIMIT’s president, “Although still a long way off, ITMA 2023 is a goal towards which our companies are already working, allowing us to speed up the process of continuous innovation that is a hallmark of Italy’s textile machinery industry."

COTTON HITS ANOTHER LOW IN LAST TWO WEEKS back.”- said Keith Brown, principal of Keith Brown and Co cotton brokers in Georgia.

The USDA showed in its weekly export sales report that net sales of 322,700 running bales (RB) for 2020/2021 were up 10% from the previous week, while RB 275,300 exports were down 15%.

The dollar was down 0.2 percent against main rivals, restricting any decline in cotton prices.

Investors were also paying close attention to the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill from the Biden administration, which was facing opposition over the scale of the package by Republicans and some Democrats.

Next week, the US Senate and

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House of Representatives will begin moving forward on President Joe Biden's proposal to bring a fresh injection of relief, top Democrats said, to Americans and businesses suffering from the pandemic. Brown added, "Both markets have priced in to some extent that they would pass a huge stimulus bill, but markets are just beginning to understand that it might not be as high.”

Total market volume for futures grew by 14 to 33,765 lots. As of Jan. 27, certified cotton stocks available amounted to 78,197 480lb bales, up from 77,059 in the previous session.

Source : https://www.caionline. in/articles/cotton-hits-over-twoweek-low.www.fibre2fashion.com

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YARN EXPORT SURGES IN DECEMBER, COTTON DOUBLES

n December, basic textiles comprising fibres, spun and filament yarns shipment was up 43% YoY in terms of US$ worth US$919 million or INR6,706 crore, accounting for about 3.4% of total merchandise exported from India during the month. The increase was mainly a recovery of sharp decrease of 27% seen in December 2019.

On a cumulative basis, exports were just 4% up in the first nine months of 2020-21, compared same period a year ago.

Spun Yarn Spun yarns shipment totaled 162 million kg worth US$459 million (up 52% YoY) or INR3,346 crore (up 47%) in December. They were down 9% than December 2019 in terms of US$. Compared to November 2020, they were up 55% both in US$ in INR terms. China was again was the largest importer in spun yarns with value up 81%, followed by Bangladesh (11%). These two markets accounted for about 35% to total yarn shipped during the month.

Cotton yarn export was 126 million kg worth US$367 million (INR2,673 crore). These were shipped to 74 countries at an average price of US$2.91 a kg, up US cents 18 from previous month and US cents 16 from a year ago. China remained as the top cotton yarn market, followed by Bangladesh, Vietnam and Egypt.

100% man-made fibre yarns exports of 13 million kg, comprised 5.3 million kg of polyester yarn, 4.5 million kg of viscose yarn and 2.9 million kg of acrylic yarn. Polyester yarn export was worth US$11.5 million or INR84 at an average price of US$2.16 per kg in December. USA was the largest market followed by Brazil and Morocco. Viscose spun yarns export was worth US$12 million and were exported at an average unit price of US$2.67 a kg. Turkey was the largest importer of viscose yarn, followed by Brazil and Belgium.

Blended spun yarns worth US$57 million were exported in December, including 162 million kg of PC yarns and 4.9 million kg of PV yarns. Argentina was the largest importers of PC yarn from India followed by Brazil while Turkey was the largest importer of PV yarns from India followed by Brazil.

All kinds of filament yarns shipment stood at 52 million kg, valued at US$82 million or INR5977 crore. Polypropylene filament exports declined sharply in December from its level a year ago while viscose filament, which were falling sharply, were up 10% year on year. Polyester filaments export was also down 24% during the month from a year ago but up 6% compared with the previous month.

Cotton Cotton fibre shipment in December, the third crucial month of 2020-21 marketing season, almost doubled compared to last year in volume at 1.24 lakh bales worth INR2,561 crore or US$351 million. This was an ex-tension to a good start for the season. Bangladesh reemerged as the largest market for Indian cotton during the month, followed by China and Vietnam.

Export price realization for cotton averaged INR121 a kg or US cents 75.56 per pound during December. This was way below Cotlook A index, the global spot price benchmark and also just above domestic spot price for benchmark Gujarat Shankar-6.

During the month, Cotlook averaged US$83.40 per pound and Shankar-6 at US cents 73.39 per pound, making Indian cotton a bit competitive in global market.

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EXPORT REPORT

3Q FY2021 results Bella Casa delivers an astounding 39% sales growth and 69% net profit growth Bella Casa, a leading emerging markets company in the fashion industry, announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2020.

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 3QFY21 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE SUMMARY: ● 3QFY21 consolidated constant currency sales increased by 39% YOY to Rs 53.68 Cr. - a business sales growth of 39% YOY, maintaining the same level of operating profitability.

International business sales growth of 33% YOY, on a constant currency basis ● 3QFY21 consolidated constant currency EBITDA increased by 38 % YOY to Rs 6.3 Cr. ● 3QFY21 consolidated net profit

and EPS (without exceptional items) increased by 69% YOY to Rs 4.01 cr and Rs 3.5 per share, respectively. ● The board has declared an interim dividend of 6 % (INR 60 paisa per share) CEO’s COMMENTS Commenting on the financial performance of 3Q FY2021, Mr Saurav Gupta, CEO, said: “During the third quarter of the fiscal year 2021, we have delivered competitive and profitable growth, while continuing to make healthy investments in marketing and creating new capacities. This quarter was our best third quarter ever, and we believe that the worst is behind us. Our comparable sales increased by 39% while EBITDA growth was robust at 38%, in constant currency terms.

Going forward, as the market conditions improve even further, we will focus on the new product launches and enhanced distribution to build on the growth momentum. Overall, we are relentlessly focused on becoming more agile, increasing the pace of innovations, enhancing our go-to-market approach, and will continue to outperform the market and deliver industry-leading returns.”

KEY HIGHLIGHTS/FUTURE PLANS ● Historically, the best third quarter for Bella Casa since its inception. ● Volume growth in line with plans for capacity expansion and new market penetration ● Innovation led to market outperformance, and the company plans to capitalise on this momentum in the upcoming quarter.

MARKET REPORT

Pet Wearable Market Size Worth $3.9 Billion By 2027 | CAGR: 11.6% The global pet wearable market size is expected to reach USD 3.9 billion by 2027 according to a new report published by Polaris Market Research. The report “Pet Wearable Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Product (Smart Collars, Activity Trackers, Pet Emotion Sensors, Smart Vests, Smart Cameras, and Smart Harnesses), By Technology (GPS, RFID Devices, Bluetooth, and Sensors); By Application (Identification & Tracking, Medical Diagnosis & Treatment, Behavior Monitoring & Control, Safety & Security, and Facilitation), By Regions; Segment

Forecast, 2020 –2027” gives a detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis on future market growth.

Veterinary wearables are the wireless devices enabled with technology to transfer medical and wellness data of an animal or pet on a real time basis. The ecosystem of wireless technology is created via web enabled hardware devices with the owner’s smart phone, also known as “internet of things” to enable data transmission. Through this IOT system the key health metrics of the wearer

are analyzed through analytics software.

Data from these wearable devices are extremely helpful in analyzing performance of pet/animal, be it racing horse completion or dog’s sniffing capability to bomb squad team or any other racing competitions. These embedded wearables capture the daily routine activities, food habits, sleep and breathe patterns, activity levels and calories burned in different time intervals under different parameters, heart rate activity and fear and fight responses under strained environments. Above metrics are JANUARY 2021

MARKET REPORT

useful integral points to identify performance of pets/animals to categorize them into low, optimal, and high performers.

The prominent factors impacting the growth of Pet Wearable include surge in pet population & concerns regarding livestock health, increasing usage of recent technologies in pet tracking devices such as internet of things & artificial intelligence, need to contain animal poaching of endangered animals, and rising spending trends of pet owners, particularly in high income countries. As per the statistics published by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), in 2018, there were approximately, 60 and 56 per cent dogs and cats were obese or doesn’t had sound health metrics.

Market participants such as Dindog Tech S.L, SwineTech, Halter, Omnia Technologies, Eureka Technology, Whistle Labs LLC, Furbo, Vence, Allflex USA Inc., Piavita, Wagr, PetPace, Invoxia, Pawbo Inc., Avid Identification Systems, Inc., GIBI Technologies, Dog Tracker Nano, Jiobit, Garmin, Petzilla, Petcube, Datamars Inc., FitBark, Intervet Inc., Invisible Fence, Konectera Inc., Tractive GmbH, Link AKC, Motorola, Nuzzle, Num’Axes /EYENIMAL, KYON, Scollar, Doctra, Petnet, Trovan Ltd., and Felcana are some of the key players operating in the global market.

Industry stakeholders in the market are focusing on innovative technologies such as AI and IoT to become a recognizable player in the already crowded market-

place. For instance, Taiwan based Borqs Technologies, Inc., engaged in the development of software products in IoT space introduced mobile based tacking solution “BeSmartTrack” to track and trace pets/animals. With this, the company wants to establish itself to be global technology provider across the globe.

Moreover, recently, Chinese startup “Megvii”, is using AI for facial recognition, expanding beyond humans, and started using it for pets via their unique nose print.

App has an accuracy rate of 95 per cent and has re-united around 15 thousand abandoned pets with their owners in China.

View More Information About Pet Wearable Market @ https://www. polarismarketresearch.com/ industry-analysis/pet-wearablemarket/request-for-samples Polaris Market Research has segmented the pet wearable market report on the basis of product, technology, application and region Pet Wearable Product Outlook (Revenue – USD Million, 2016 – 2027) • Smart Collars • Activity Trackers • Pet Emotion Sensors • Smart Vests • Smart Cameras • Smart Harnesses Pet Wearable Technology Outlook (Revenue – USD Million, 2016 – 2027) • GPS

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• RFID Devices • Bluetooth • Sensors Pet Wearable Application Outlook (Revenue – USD Million, 2016 – 2027) • Identification & Tracking • Medical Diagnosis & Treatment • Behavior Monitoring & Control • Safety & Security • Facilitation Pet Wearable Regional Outlook (Revenue – USD Million, 2016 – 2027) • North America • U.S. • Canada • Europe • France • Germany • UK • Italy • Spain • Netherlands • Austria • Asia Pacific • China • India • Japan • Malaysia • South Korea • Indonesia • Central & South America • Mexico • Brazil • Argentina • Middle East & Africa • UAE • Saudi Arabia • Israel • South Africa JANUARY 2021

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AUTOMOBILE TEXTILES

Volvo Car Malaysia Launch Anti-Microbial Facemask with NANOTEXTILE as Sustainability Effort

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olvo Car Malaysia had collaborated with NanoTextile Sdn Bhd (NANOTEXTILE) producing the anti-microbial reusable face mask in pursuing sustainability. Mr. Nalin Jain, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia had expressed to embark the project in helping the environment as many surgical masks are being disposed every day that led to environmental pollution.

As well, this project was also initiated to help single mothers while engaging with trained vocational graduates from GIATMARA and local artisans to help them earn a sustainable living during the pandemic.

A study was conducted upon designing the face masks, showing that people had a few concerns when wearing a surgical face mask; 1. Cost 2. Waste 3. Allergic reaction 4. Sizing. Hence, this reusable facemask is made to address these problems. They are made up of 100% cotton, soft and washable, enhanced with anti-bacterial, water-repellent, and self-cleaning features on the inside and outside layer, that allows for bacterial and viral protection up to 100 gentle washes.

NANOTEXTILE's award winning technology has anti-bacterial efficacy that is laboratory tested with the achievement of more than 99.9%. It has resulted in the destruction of possible infection of the fabric by viruses and bacteria and simultaneously decreases the penetration of contaminated droplets in contact. Whilst the

- Volvo Car, Malaysia mask added five more layers of protection using PM 2.5 filter, which is tested to be 90% effective in viral particle filtration. Thus, it will keep the wearer protected and comfortable even though the mask is worn for a long time.

Undeniably, nanotechnology still faces some challenges in the textile industry. However, as Mr. Nalin strongly believes in the nanoenabled technology, “with more R&D put into it, nanotechnology will be the answer to sustainable textiles.” NANOTEXTILE aims to promote the technical textile continuously with its broad potential of nanotechnologies. The truth is that there is a wide area of nanotechnology invention that is ready for exploitation and market entry such as the demand in the sustainable effort.

Consumers able to purchase the facemask starting 1 February 2021 onwards from all Volvo’s dealerships. As a curated premium item, the face masks are available in 2 sizes, M and L. Varied in 3 colors; dark blue (Sunflower), navy blue (Stargazer), sky blue (Jasmine Flower) and exclusively incorporated with Batik Tekap pattern.

Mr. Nalin voiced out, “Batik has always been a pride of our country and we at Volvo Car Malaysia do recognize and embrace local arts and culture.” They believe that it is important to sustaining our Batik heritage.

“Sustainability will always be a journey that allows us to discover layers and interconnections between everything we do and

the rest of the world. Sharing our journey and experiences, learning from, and supporting each other, is a key foundation of our organization, and this is no different for the individuals, company, and stakeholders who help us in our businesses,” added Mr. Nalin. With sustainability programs, we should ensure the fabrics are always re-energized by using advanced technology. As the future of sustainability envisioned by Dr. Thomas Ong, the Chief Executive Officer of NANOTEXTILE highlighted, “Nanotechnology supports the movement in the processing part. It provides the technology that adds value and quality to the fabrics, working toward a single vision; a path contributing to sustainability.” Without quality, there will be no sustainability. In the meantime, it is crucial to focus on the technology that can protect our health and hygienic matter.

Volvo Cars is well-known for approaching sustainability principles. They have already taken measures on energy efficiency and pollution reduction at their plants and offices. In short, the all-around initiatives on the facemask's production; will help the environment and the living continuity of the local community amid pandemics, the sustainability of the textiles as well as our national heritage. Overall, all firms should follow suit in taking steps to ensure that sustainability is practiced.

For more information please visit https://www.volvocars.com/my/ volvo-branded-face-mask

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A.T.E. partners with W+D BICMA, Germany, to bring textile hygiene manufacturing technologies to India

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he ongoing pandemic has brought renewed focus on the medical and hygiene segment in textiles. To help the Indian textile industry meet the rising demand for medical and hygiene textiles, A.T.E. has tied-up with one of the world’s leading hygiene textile machine manufacturers – W+D BICMA Hygiene Technologie GmbH, Germany.

W+D BICMA supplies machines for manufacturing baby diapers, feminine care products, adult diapers, bladder control pads for incontinence, bed underpads, meatpads, pet pads and other specialised products such as surgical face masks and FFP2/N95 masks. Its portfolio comprises of compact high-speed multi-functional machines for high-capacity production and economical medium-speed machines for startup businesses. Besides complete machines, W+D BICMA is a specialist in upgrading existing machines with new features to enhance machine efficiency and product design. W+D BICMA has successful installations at some of the world’s most well-known brands.

During the pandemic, W+D BICMA designed a new high-speed machine in a short span of time which has the capability to produce 1 million face masks per day, called the Auxilium FM. BICMA also offers a high-speed machine that produces FFP2/N95 face masks.

A.T.E. is a trusted partner for the Indian textile industry for more than eight decades. This tie-up with W+D BICMA will help the Indian textile industry in a big way to expand its product offerings and ensure its due share in the growing medical and hygiene textile market.

Employment in the Textile Industry

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The textile industry is one of the largest sources of employment generation in the country with over 45 million people employed directly, including a large number of women and rural population. Government has taken number of measures/incentives to boost textile sector and generate employment in the country as a whole.

The government has announced 7 Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRAs) and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in the budget 2021-22, to enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments, boost employment generation and exports and contribute to achieve the goal of 5 trillion dollar economy. Besides, Government is also implementing various other schemes/programmes for overall development of Textile Sector which also provide thrust in generating employment opportunities.

Third party evaluation has been undertaken for schemes being implemented in Textile Sector from time to time. Based on the recommendations of the evaluation studies, necessary measures have been taken to amend/modify the schemes to resolve the bottlenecks in implementation.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Lok Sabha.

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NEWS

Uttar Pradesh textile sector attracts investment of Rs. 6,320 crore

he Uttar Pradesh Government has claimed that four companies have announced of having invested Rs. 6,320 crore in the state in last 3.5 years. Overall, the state has received investment of over Rs. 1,88,000 crore during this period.

Alok Tandon, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh said, “Due to these investments, Kanpur has emerged as a big textile hub. The proposal to make Gorakhpur a textile hub has also got the green signal.”

He further added that textile sector bore good results due to policy changes.

As per media reports, Noida Apparel Export Promotion Cluster will invest Rs. 5,000 crore in apparel park.

Kanpur Plastipack Limited (KPL) is investing Rs. 200 crore. The company is known as a leading manufacturer and exporter of flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC)/bulk bag/jumbo bag, PP multifilament yarn, PP woven sacks and wide variety of fabrics like sulzer fabric, ventilated fabric, circular fabric, etc.

RP Poly Packs is also investing Rs. 150 crore in the state. The company is known for the manufacturing of HDPE tarpaulin sheets known as PP fabric and HDPE fabric used in packaging material, water proofing and temporary shelters.

Another major investment is announced by a yarn manufacturing company that is planning to invest Rs. 950 crore in Balrampur.

It is pertinent to mention here that the State Government has announced schemes like One District-One Product and few other schemes to attract investment in the state across various industries.

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Exports rise 5.37% in January

mports expanded 2.05% last month while exports grew 5.37%, leaving a trade deficit of $14.75 billion, according to preliminary data released by the commerce ministry. Non-petroleum and non-jewellery imports grew 5.94%.

India’s merchandise exports as well as imports expanded for the second consecutive month in January, signaling a turnaround in domestic and external demand after the pandemic devastated value of trade in Asia’s third largest economy.

Imports expanded 2.05% last month while exports grew 5.37%, leaving a trade deficit of $14.75 billion, according to preliminary data released by the commerce ministry. Non-petroleum and non-jewellery imports grew 5.94%.

“The rise in both merchandise exports and imports in January 2021 is heartening, signifying a continued strengthening of the domestic growth recovery. With the merchandise trade deficit having risen to $14-15 billion over the last two months, we expect the current account balance to slip back into a deficit in H2 FY21,” Aditi Nayar, principal economist at ICRA Ltd said.

Major export items that helped India’s outbound shipments turn the corner include drugs and pharmaceuticals (up 16.4%), engineering goods (18.69%) and iron ore (108.66%). A sharp contraction in readymade garments (-10.73%) and petroleum products (-37.34%) kept overall growth minimal.

The rise in imports was led by gold (154.7%), electronic goods (16.98%) and pearls (50.2%) while petroleum products (-27.72%) and transport equipment (-25.26%) continued to contract. Trade Promotion Council of India Chairman Mohit Singla said the data suggests India’s trade has been on the path of quick recovery. “The global trade flow has been streamlining fast and bottlenecks owing to the pandemic are easing out gradually,” he added.

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SUSTAINABLE FIBRES FOR HOME FURNISHINGS Ragini GUPTA

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Intern at TVC P.G Student, Department of Textile Science and Apparel Design SNDT Women’s University

as compared to synthetic fabric. organic and eco-friendly materihe textile industry has been Let us start by throwing shade on als, cotton, wool, hemp, linen are an ongoing evolutionall good choice when ary industry since the selecting products. dawn of Human civiliWool is a great fabric zation. The Textile inand a good choice; dustry is well known Essentially, we should look for organic and eco-friendly materi- as it also keeps the for consuming large als, cotton, wool, hemp, linen are all good choice when selecting house warm during amount of energy, wa- products. Wool is a great fabric and a good choice; as it also keeps winter, wool curtains ter and natural resourc- the house warm during winter, wool curtains can be used in cold can be used in cold es. While the industry is climate areas. Silk is also a good choice but can be expensive how- climate areas. Silk is very important to susalso a good choice ever can provide an authentic and aesthetic charm. tain our daily life, it is but can be expensive also very important to however can provide spread some thought over the impact of the industry on our planet as well. Every industry has an impact on our environment and the textile industry is forced to take the path of sustainability due to the high impact on environment, Sustainable home textiles, are materials which can be used, which do not harm the environment.

Every input and output matters to create the final product, nothing is to be wasted and it has to be used within the industry for other products. The materials used, processes involved, quality of life led by labourers and the afterlife of the product are to be considered some home textiles. Curtains are an authentic and aesthetic charm. when we think about sustainabil- used in practically every house- Cotton is one of the most common hold yet, we do not think about and most used fabrics, but growity. it much, but they have their own ing cotton can be very problematOne way to ensure a more mindful purpose. However, the synthetic ic as conventional cotton requires approach is, to look for sustaina- materials that many curtains are a lot of chemical pesticide. bly made home products. As many made of, has a heavy impact on popular fabrics used by fast fash- our environment. Synthetic fibres Organic cotton is a better and enion brands, are hidden with way such as nylon, rayon, and poly- vironment-friendly option in place too many chemicals and use up a ester is not biodegradable, many of traditionally grown cotton. Orlarge number of natural resources. curtains are made of these materi- ganic cotton uses all the organic fertilizers, pesticides, if needed Sustainable fabrics are best for our als. are organic. This is done to aim for health as well as the planet. Sustainable fabrics are more durable Essentially, we should look for better soil health and to produce JANUARY 2021

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organic cotton.

Another alternative is recycled fabrics. Recycled fabrics are made from scraps of fabrics converted into fibres and then again converted into yarns and fabrics according to end use. Recycled fibres have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of producing textiles to a large extent, because it makes use of wasted fabrics, which helps reduce the landfill load.

Linen is also a natural fibre which has been around from very long.

It is extracted from the stalks of the flax plant. Linen requires very minimal water and pesticides, and even grows in poor-quality soil.

Plus, nothing is wasted as every part of the plant is used. Linen is naturally very strong and most resistant among other materials. Linen is a natural fibre, hence good to the planet. It produces strong fibres which can withstand high temperatures and adverse conditions.

Some examples of sustainable eco-friendly fibres are Bamboo, Chitin, Fish Skin Leather, Lotus

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Flower fabric, Byssus, Banana Fibre, Milk fabric, Nettle fabric and Pineapple silk.

In India, pineapple is a commonly used fruit. Pina is a textile material we get after processing pineapple leaves, it is known to have cooling properties and good dyeability.

Fashion is all about innovation, the industry is on its toes to create new sustainable fabrics. Its all about the choices in materials and in production processes. The production process, from manufacturing fibre to finished good poses great risk to the environment. Production and processing of sustainable textiles helps to reduce the negative impacts to the environment, New sustainable solutions need to be explored to meet the growing demand of sustainable textiles.

For Example, for leather production, using enzyme effectively removes the grease and is a sustainable alternative to chemicals used. This method can effectively remove large amount of fat, it can save a lot of energy and time, rather than using harmful solvents.

The ecological effects of the textile business, have driven all the huge organizations to change their arrangements and incorporate sustainability as their centre idea. A lot of fashion and retail brands have demonstrated that natural garments and textiles are benefi-

www.innovativedesigns.in

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cial business. These days, organizations that will not embrace sustainable methodology, are most likely off guard all things considered.

It is a proven fact that consumer awareness will play an important role in the growth of sustainable home textile industry in future. We can adapt to sustainable lifestyle, only when we change some small things that we do.

To sum it up, to maintain a good relation with our planet we need to keep in mind the following things.

• Minimize the use of materials whenever necessary.

• Use of materials and resources with minimal environmental impact.

• Producing lesser waste and keeping a check on the pollution.

• Reducing the ecological impact caused by distribution.

• To make reuse and recycle materials.

Reference https://www.fibre2fashion.com/ industry-article/8491/eco-designfocal-point-of-sustainable-textiles https://goodonyou.eco/most-sustainable-fabrics/ https://www.sustainablejungle. com/sustainable -living /eco friendly-organic-linen-curtains/

innovative.designs.prints@gmail.com

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Interiors defined : Home Textiles & categories PRACHI GEHLOT Trainee Editor at TVC

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• Underlay- Covering set underneath the carpet to make walking more relaxed and to reduce noise. ome textiles are fabrics and garments that are used primar• Pile Carpet- Piece of thick hefty ily to furnish a home. fabric appended to Functional and aesand covering the thetic uses of each dewhole floor of a room. termine the materials and design of each. Textiles are a millennia old, and maybe close to as old as the dawn • Pile- Noticeable surFloor coverings pro- of human race. This makes materials one of our most established face of a rug made of vide some of the most works of art, and one sort of home textiles may rank among the raised fibres that are traditional home tex- main types of this workmanship. Textiles have for some time been cut or looped. tiles. In this article, we utilized as floor covers, making a feeling of separation between the Beddings will see all the catego- inside of a home and the earth. Indeed, even in traveling, floor covotherwise ries of Home Textiles ers are regularly seen as a need. In numerous societies, floor covers Bedding, called bedclothes is work as wall coverings as well. in detail. the materials laid over Floor coverings the sleeping mattress of a bed for cleanliTextiles are a millenness, warmth, as a nia old, and maybe Carpets and rugs also dampen the cover to the mattress, and decoclose to as old as the dawn of hu- impact noise. (dictionary, n.d.) rating purposes. Bedding is the man race. This makes materials removable and washable part of a one of our most established works human resting space. of art, and one sort of home textiles may rank among the main types of this workmanship. Textiles have for some time been utilized as floor covers, making a feeling of separation between the inside of a home and the earth. Indeed, even Source: Macys.com in traveling, floor covers are regularly seen as a need. In numerous Types of bedcovering societies, floor covers work as wall • Sheets- A bed sheet is a rectancoverings as well. gular piece of material utilized eiFloor covering, material produced ther independently or in a couple using fibres, felts, gums, elastic, or as bedding, being set just beneath other natural or man-made subor above bed tenants stances applied or affixed to, or • Fitted Sheet- It comes with an laid upon, the level base surface •RugsPiece of thick hefty Fabric elastic hem to tightly fit on the of a floor to give comfort, strength, ordinarily having a nap and covmattress. It acts as a base cover to wellbeing, and enrichment. Such ering a segment of the floor; it is the mattress. It should fit on the materials incorporate both handremovable. mattress without slips. crafted and machine-made mats and covers and smooth-surfaced • Tackless Strip- Little portion • Bottom Sheets- This sheet goes floor covers. Albeit the words rug of wood covered with tacks and above the fitted bottom sheet and carpet are much of the time nailed or stuck to the edge of the and provides an extra cover and utilized conversely in reference to room; the carpet is secured to it. warmth to the bedding. floor covers, in present day use rugs are affixed to the floor and for the most part cover the whole floor and carpets are not secured and seldom cover the whole floor.

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• Bedspread- A bedspread is a lightweight, brightening bed covering that can be utilized alone in warm climate or as an ornamental addition to a bed in cold climate.

Bedspreads are ideal bed covers during spring and late spring months and add an additional component of style to your bed during fall and winter.

• Comforter- Comforter is a kind of sheet material made of two lengths of fabric or covering sewn together and loaded up with insulative materials for warmth, mostly cotton fibre, wool, polyester or acrylic. Like blankets, comforters are for the most part laid over a top bed sheet.

• Duvet - A duvet is a sort of sheet material comprising of a delicate bag loaded up with down, feathers, fleece, cotton, silk or a manmade fiber, and usually has a removable cover, similar to a pillow and pillow case. Pople frequently utilize a duvet without a top bed sheet, as the duvet cover can promptly be removed and washed as regularly as the bed-sheets.

• Coverlet- A lightweight cover/ blanket that is usually thinner than quilt and divet, but is usually quilted.

• Blanket- A large, usually rectangular or square piece of thick cloth which is used to cover one’s body while sleeping, for additional warmth.

• Quilt- A quilt is a 3 layered bed covering that implies it is made out of 3 layers: the top, center and back. The top layer is really a pieced fabric in which various bits of textures are sewn together in various designs. The center layer, called batting, filling or wadding, is really the thick, cushy layer of any of these materials: fleece, down, cotton, or polyester that gives the warming impact. The back or base layer is like the top layer texture.

All these 3 layers are sewed together through a cycle called sewing and this makes them one joint piece of texture. The focal cush-

ioning in the blanket is kept in its place with the lines of sewing that are made in various designs.

• Throw- Throws are small and thinner blankets which are used for décor purposes on beds or sofas.

• Pillow covers- These fabric covers are used for covering the pillows and they usually match the bedsheet.

Bath Textiles • Towels and bathrobes Towels are simply fabrics which are made absorbent by their physical structure. They may be made absorbent by using thicker and coarser yarns, with more number of fine fibers and weaving with less epi and ppi. These types of towels are generally woven with plain weave. This loose structure with coarse yarns make a towel which is highly absorbent. Another way to makethe surface of the towel as highly absorbent is weaving the towel on dobby looms with loop piles, also called as terry. The length of these loops is what determines how much will the towel absorb. Although terry can be manufactured by weaving or knitting, it is usually woven.

Source: https://www.richardhaworth.co.uk/terry-guest-towels Bathrobes are loose-fitted, coverings, like a wrap dress and dressing gowns and is made form a terry fabric or any absorbent fab-

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ric. Bathrobes are mostly found in hotels and resorts as they depict a sense of luxury. These days, bathrobes are preferred over towels because of the comfort factor attached to it.

Source: https://www.overstock. com/guides/how-to-choose-abathrobe Towels come in many sizes.

Source:https://beezzly.com/ home/organizing/bath-sheet-vsbath-towel The size is varied according to the end use but the types of fabric remain the same; which is terry or woven.

• Shower Curtains Shower curtains add an essential element to every bathroom. It is used to cover the shower areas, cover the bathtub, or simply for décor purposes in the bathroom.

The standard size of the shower curtain is 72 in x 72 in. Shower curtains are typically made of polyester, nylon, cotton, vinyl or their

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blends.

Source: https://www.bedbathandb e y o n d .co m / sto re / p ro d u ct / ugg-reg-olivia-shower-curtain-ingrey/5384776 • Bath mats A bath mat is manufactured specifically for preventing slips and wet floors in bathrooms. Bath mats are used right in front of the bathing tub or shower to soak up water when bathing. They are usually additionaly absorbent and have non-skid options for safety.

Table Linens Table linens help to create a theme of table and add protects table while creating visually appealing table-scapes.

• Table Covers- Table covers are mainly used to protect the table.

Most of these table covers are ornamental, but also protects the table from scratches and spills. Table cover size depends on the size and shape of the table, i.e. square, rectangle or circle.

• Table Skirting- Table skirtings are mostly used in banquet halls, weddings. Buffets and event venues to show elegance. The fibres used are nylon and polyester.

• Table Runners- A table runner covers only the middle section of a table, i.e. running across the length of the table and is a great way to dress up the meal tables.

Tale runners are usually selected in contrasting colors of the table cloth.

• Table Mats- A placemat or a tablemat is used in a specific area of tables, to protect the table from hot dishes and hot pots. It also protects from food stains or water marks. Table mats are made form different materials, depending on the end use- decoration, protection, advertising (in case of restaurants, they use table mats to advertise their menu) • Table napkins- Table napkins are an essential for meals and are used to wipe the hands and fingers and to protect the garments from spills, drops, etc. They are also used to wipe the mouth and lips while eating. Table napkins are mostly made from cotton and or polyester and Viscose blends.

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are quilted gloves, with or without finger divisions to help hold hot pots right from the oven. These mittens are made from cotton as cotton is an insulator, hence is an efficient use for mittens.

Apron -An apron may be a garment that is worn over; an alternative covering and covers principally the front of the body. It protects the skin and garments from spills and heat while working in the kitchen.

caravane.co.uk

Source: Pinterest.com Kitchen Linens Kitchen Towels- Kitchen towels, similar to bath towels can be plain woven or terry towels. The only difference between a kitchen towel and a bath towel is that kitchen towels need to be stronger; as it is used to wipe spills, kitchen counters, clean chopping boards, exposure to hot surfaces, etc.

Oven mitts- Oven mitts or mittens

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cindyhattersleydesign.com Reference dictionary, V. (n.d.). Textile Floor Coverings. Retrieved from Visual dictionary.

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S TA R T U P S TO RY

NEVER STOP Harshit Bapna Founder, AIO

Driven with passion, the AIO group strongly believes in its tagline, which is NEVER STOP. The founder, Harshit finds inspiration in his brand which has been built considering some risks all the while following the passions. Started with just an idea and vision, AIO group today stands strong in the market for sportswear. The brand and its founder believe that to achieve heights, the first thing one needs to do is start. Working diligently and consistently follows.

Tell us about your brand, what is it about?

AIO Sports was formed with a vision to create customized quality sportswear to take care of one’s needs and at the same time is affordable for all. We believe, that fitness is for everyone and with our special dedicated designs and best in class fabric; we aim to enable the sports persons to deliver best in their field. We say #NEVER STOP! The brand AIO stands for All In One, implying one stop destination for all the fitness enthusiasts. We are professional sports wear supplier, distributor and also import/export company; specializing in all kinds of customized sports apparels providing high quality custom sportswear.

What was the idea, design thinking behind the concept of the AIO brand?

To start with, I am very thankful to my parents for their immense support and the trust they have in me.

It gave me courage as a fresh College graduate to leave my campus

placement offer and pursue my dream of a start-up.

I am a Textile Engineer and also a sports enthusiast. The sports sector is majorly dominated by big International giants. The quality sportswear supplied by these companies are super expensive to be accessible for all brilliant budding sports person in our country.

I took it as a challenge and opportunity to create quality brand which can serve the need of our fitness lovers, across all sports and designed for all age groups.

With this vision in my mind, the first step was to find a team with complementary competencies to make this happen. Having B.Tech in Textile Engineering, I have a good knowledge of fabric and manufacturing and we started with a small team of 3-4 young, agile and passionate people.

We had national level player in our team to guide us on special requirements for different sports.

An Industry expert to help us find the best in class vendors for all the required fabrics. A designer who with his fantastic designs can add

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personality to the sportswear for you and your team. Complementing them, I took care of manufacturing. Without an MBA degree, I learned sales and marketing fundamentals by networking, and trust me, on the job training is the best degree.

I am very proud to say that we have now our own manufacturing set-up with 35+ employees and independent teams working on logistics, designing, printing and manufacturing. Within a very short time of 2 years, we have delivered our products to 100000+ customers in India as well as oversees. Our consumers are very happy with our products and services and majority of them come back with orders which is very motivating and rewarding for us. We aim to build a long-term relationship with all our customers and stand by our commitment to provide high quality products.

The strategy is to remain proactive, non-traditional and customize supply chain solutions for our customers. We treat customers’ IPs highly confidential and take an integrated approach to serve

S TA R T U P S TO RY customers’ needs from concept to distribution.

We stand out to be an iconic vendor in the sports goods industry with broad product categories, and best quality to meet the demands of our customers. As a responsible corporate citizen and supplier, we welcome every opportunity to partner with global companies and customers without limiting ourselves in the form of collaboration.

What are the product categories under the brand?

Sports Jersey’s, shorts, lower, caps, tracksuits, gym wear, socks, tights, corporate wear, wrestling wear, cotton t-shirts-with all more than 200+ patterns, and 10000+ ready customized designs.

What are the fabrics used?

Knitted fabrics, jersey fabric, ribbed knit, lycra-spandex-cotton knit, terry knit, fleece, interlock knit, etc.

What were the challenges that the brand faced during COVID-19 and how are situations improving?

2020 was indeed a challenging year for us and as in case with every other small start-up, we were hit in the beginning when physical orders were very limited. No one has previously experienced such a time and how best to handle the situation. However, we utilized the time to strategize and equip ourselves to be ready as soon as we can resume, in safe way. The logistics was hit significantly and there were challenges in getting the raw material on time. I am very fortunate to have extremely supporting team and even with delay in getting the fabric, we managed to deliver all the orders on time. We have made our premises very safe to work with all proper measures on hygiene, sanitization and distancing and have been operating very efficiently.

There has been a surge in demand for sportswear and leisurewear during COVID-19, what are your observations on the same?

Surely there has been a surge in sportswear and leisurewear. Owing to work from home setup and also with increased awareness

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around fitness, more than ever before, sports and fitness section is ought to grow. We have also been receiving more and more orders and I am very happy to see more people trying to get into fitness routine or some sports. We are proud to meet our consumer demands with our exciting product range.

As an entrepreneur, what advice would you give our readers, that has worked best for you?

I am a true believer of our tag line and this is the advice I also want to give our readers and all the entrepreneurs out there #NEVER STOP. You need to take some calculated risks and move forward. I started my journey just after College with an idea and vision, you need to start, work diligently and consistently. Always be ethical in your work and motivate your team.

My team is like an extended family to me. It is always a team effort to make anything successful. Use your network, get your dream team formulated and then you will #NEVER STOP. Wishing all our readers a great start and successful journey in their business!

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S U S TA I N A B L E F I B R E S

BANANA FIBRES : THE UNKNOWN GREEN

RUGVEDA PISAT

SUKHMIT VAMAN

Student Mentor Department of Textile and Apparel Designing Sir Vithaldas Thackersey College of Home Science, SNDT Women’s Universtiy, Mumbai

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bstract Everyone gets curious as they hear about “Banana Fibers”, many questions arise. Really?! A fabric made from banana? How does it look like? How does it feel when we wear it? Our Country is blessed with the million metric tons of banana production every year, with lot of beneficial characteristics, Banana Fiber is making its place in the fashion industry. Many Fashion designers and clothing lines are making use of Banana Fibres in their upcoming projects. This fiber is perfect as it is eco -friendly and biodegradable.

Introduction India has the largest land under banana cultivation. During the year 2020, it accounted for around 32 million metric tons of Banana Production, which is an increase of about one million metric tons from the previous year. Currently the leading state producers of banana are Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Bananas are harvested two to four times a year and the stems are usually cut and thrown away. With so many benefits, This plant has been a source of high quality textiles for ages and

is well known as MUSSA TEXTILE, as its scientific name is called MUSA ACUMINATA. According to archaeologists, the banana plant was first found in the Kuk valley of New Guinea around 8,000 BCE. The earliest evidence of banana fibres was found in the 13th century in Japan. In Japan, the fibres were used as a substitute for silk and were woven into garments. In Nepal, the outermost sheaths of the banana plant were used for making mats and sunshades. But Later its popularity faded as cotton and silk became popular. Banana fibre is not a new discovery but certainly a unique one.

Extraction In the olden days, the fibers were extracted manually. Firstly, the Sheaths were separated from the banana pseudo stems, then the sheaths were kept for retting for around 10 – 15 days. Then the retted sheaths were beaten manually to loosen the fibres, then they were washed, cleaned and kept for sun drying. This traditional practice, yields the best quality of fibre but its laborious and time consuming.

Revolution in the Banana Fiber Industry

Banana paper have a wide variety of applications. The most common banana fiber products today are rope and cordage. These fibres are mostly used in making handicrafts and home decoration.

The Banana Fiber separator is one of the innovative ventures incubated at TREC-STEP. The entrepreneur behind this venture is Mr. K. Murugan, who is a mechanical engineer. Due to the use of machine, we can see a fifty times increase in fibre production compared to manual process. It is user-friendly, cost effective and safe to operate.

It produces 30 kgs of fibre per day.

The machine processes the separated sheaths directly into the fibres. First, these sheaths from banana pseudo stem are put inside the machine one at a time. As the sheath is inserted, the Beater in the machine helps to open up the fibres. The Revolving drums inside the machine, separates the fibres from the short fleshy parts.

Thus, when the sheath is pulled out, the fleshy part gets removed due to mechanism and fibres can be extracted. After collecting the fibres, they are washed and cleaned properly as they still contain a gummy substance and sun dried. The dried fibers are fed to the hooks of the spinning wheel for the yarn formation. When the wheel is rotated, due to the spinning mechanism, the fiber gets twisted and is spun together. After spinning, it is wound over a bobbin or a spindle. But on a large scale, these fibers can be spun JANUARY 2021

S U S TA I N A B L E F I B R E S using almost any method of spinning. After yarn formation, it goes for weaving. Weaving process of banana fibers is same like all other fibers, it gets easily woven on handloom.

Banana Fibre Blends Banana fibers get easily blended with both natural and synthetic fibres. Blend of 80% banana and 20% unbleached cotton fibers gives us a fabric which is lightweight and very pleasant to wear.

This fabric can be easily used in garments and in home decoration.

Blend of 50% banana and 50% bleached cotton fibers, gives us a fabric which has thick, original look, which is shinny at the same time. This fabric will suit for heavy garments, also it is good choice for soft furnishing products. Blend of 50% Banana and 50% wool, gives a fabric which is thick and warm, will be an amazing choice for winter clothes and coats. The blend of Polyester with banana fiber, at a 50/50 ratio gives the same look as cotton blend. Structured Banana Pineapple Silk, a blend of 50% of Banana and 50% of Pineapple, gives us a fabric which is soft yet structured. This blend is perfect for adding structure to a garment, or even they can be a best choice for lampshades.

Properties It is a multicellular fiber with a chemical composition consisting mainly of cellulose, lignin, and hemi cellulose. The fiber has a scaly and cellular structure. In terms of physical properties, the banana fiber has good modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, and stiffness. The average fineness is 2400Nm. It is a strong fiber and has great moisture absorption quality. The appearance is shiny, which depends on the extraction and spinning processes.

Applications Banana paper have a wide variety of applications. The most common banana fiber products today are rope and cordage. These fibres are

mostly used in making handicrafts and home decoration. By increasing and decreasing the thickness of the paper we can get a variety of products from tissue paper to a thick card sheet. Sanitary Napkins is also one of its application; a lot of research is going on to make it is as a domestic product. Gujrat based Navsari Agriculture University conducted a Research; it was found that the paper made from this fibre has life of over 100 years, and can be folded as many as 3,000 times. Japan uses these fibres for the Yen currency. The second-generation Mercedes-Benz A class designed the spare tyre covered with polypropylene and thermoplastic embedded with banana fibres, which can withstand stone strikes and exposure to the environment. Tea bag paper is made from banana paper by decreasing its thickness to minimal. A Firm in Philippines has started producing face masks using banana paper and Another firm by using banana textile. A test by The Department of Science and Technology, tested banana fibre for filtration. The results showed that banana paper filtration rate is seven times better than cloth. It has lower water absorption than an N95 mask. The major applications are found in Textile Industry. A variety of sarees can also be made from banana fibers, or banana fibers blended with other natural fibers. But the cost of each variety depends on its extraction process, spinnability and the quality of fiber used.

Care of Banana Textiles Banana cloth is somewhat prone to shrinking and colour bleeding.

It needs to be washed with cold water. Machine wash can be done in 40°C, but mild detergent, which does not cause bleaching effect.

Hang drying is the best way. While ironing, a low iron setting with no steam is recommended.

Can Banana Fibre be The GREEN APPAREL OF FUTURE? Yes, fabric made from banana fibre can be termed as the next green

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apparel of the future. According to the researchers, the fabric can be cheaper than cotton and linen, if it is produced in large scale. In major banana-growing regions, discarded banana stalks sitting around every year are just waiting to be termed into useful textile. Fabrics made from these fibres have good shine, light weight, have quick moisture absorption quality. It can work as an environment friendly substitute to many popular fabrics.

Can Banana Fibres lessen the demand for Cotton?

Everyone is aware of environmental hazards caused from the cultivation of conventional cotton. Cotton production is the second largest agricultural use of pesticides in the world which are known for cancer-causing chemicals. However, its demand in the global textile industry has not been affected. Banana fibre textiles can definitely lessen the demand for cotton to a large extent.

But are not able to completely replace cotton, as also it works well when blended with cotton.

Extraction of Banana Fibres at home!

So first, I cut the whole stem, into a small piece, then separated the sheaths. Then I cut the sheath in vertical way. Then I removed the gummy substance, for that, I pressed knife over it and tried to remove the gum. Once the gum was completely taken out, I got very fine, shiny and strong fibers. I did this for the three parts of sheaths, like innermost, middle and outermost, and got to see three varieties of fibers. The difference between the three was the roughness, like the outermost fibers were very rough comparative to the other both, also, the fibers from innermost part were white, shinny and smooth, comparative to the other two. So, I braided the finest fibers and made a choker out of it!!

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Separation of sheath Extracted fibres

Sheath cut in half

3 Varities of dried banana fibres

Removal of gum

Braided fibres

Conclusion The recent environmental turbulence has made people realise the need to be environmentally responsible and accept eco-friendly fabrics. Banana fibre is a good alternative to all the synthetic and natural fibres. Since Banana fibre is fully plant origin natural product, it can be easily blended with other natural fibres, also can be easily dyed and printed. India will probably be the location where banana fibre textiles will make their first large public offering.

References https://textilevaluechain. in/2020/08/06/banana-fibre/ h t t p s : / / w w w. f i b r e 2 f a s h i o n . com/industry-article/7589/banana-fibre-green-apparel-of-thefuture#:~:text=Eco%2Dfriendly%20 fabric%20of%20the,fabric%20 from%20the%20banana%20fibre. https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/7654/banana-fibre-a-revolution-in-textiles#:~:text=Organic%20 banana%20 f i b r e % 2 0 i s % 2 0 used,are%20made%20from%20 banana%20fibre. https://www.onlineclothingstudy. com/2020/10/banana-fibre-forsustainable-fashion.html h t t p s : / / w w w .t e x t i l e s c h o o l . com/131/banana-fibers-naturalplant-bast-fibers/ https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/ clothing-banana-fiber/ https://www.the-sustainable-fashion-collective.com/2019/06/03/ what-is-banana-fibre-and-how-doyou-make-textiles-from-it https://thephoenixcompany.home. blog /2019/05/18/care-instructions-for-particular-fabrics-andgarments/ https://www.intechopen.com/ books/banana-nutrition-functionand-processing-kinetics/bananapseudo-stem-fiber-preparationcharacteristics-and-applications

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CLOTHING FROM BISON FIBRES Dr. N. N. MAHAPATRA Business Head (Dyes), Shree Pushkar Chemicals & Fertilisers Ltd.

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Production of Bison Fibres When fashion brands talk about diverting materials from landfill that could be made into clothing, they are often talking about us-

being wasted."

Just like merino wool is grown ntroduction by merino sheep, bison wool is grown by bison, also called AmeriAnimal fibers are natural fibres can buffalo. The coat of the bison that consist largely of certain proconsists of a coarse teins. Examples of shiny overcoat, a coarse natural animal fibres bulky midcoast, and include silk, hair/fur (including wool) and Bison fiber ready to be used in apparel. Though bison a short dense underfeathers. The ani- wool is most often used for the down, United by Blue’s in- coat. Bison wool can be mal fibres used most corporation of the guard hairs into insulation has proven broken down into two commonly, both in that the fiber is more versatile than that. Rauth says the main categories. Bison the manufacturing brand has even talked about selling the fiber directly to down, which makes up world as well as by other companies now that it is gone to the work of set- the animal's undercoat, the hand spinners are ting up the supply chain, though he is not sure whether is a soft fibre with a micron count of about wool from domestic that will end up happening or not.

15, which means the sheep and silk. Also individual fibres have very popular are Ala very small diameter paca fibre and Mohair ing deadstock fabric or turning and are incredibly soft. (For comfrom Angora goats. Unusual fibres plastic bottles into recycled polyparison's sake: cashmere has a such as Angora wool from rabbits ester.

But United by Blue, an outmicron count of 14, while extra and Chiengora from dogs also exdoor apparel brand, has focused fine merino wool has a micron ist, but are rarely used for mass its sights on something a bit less count starting at 19. The lower production. ubiquitous: bison wool. Bison the number, the softer the fibre).

Not all animal fibres have the have thick, shaggy coats that con- It is pretty much the equivalent of same properties, and even within tains fibres that are warmer than cashmere. It is really a luxury fibre. a species, the fibres are not con- sheep wool and can be as soft as It has all the benefits you would sistent. Merino is a very soft, fine cashmere, which were historically get from super fine wool like cashwool, while Cotswold is coarser, prized by the Indigenous commu- mere.These downy fibers makeup and yet both Merino and Cotswold nities, that lived in close proximity roughly 15% of the bison's coat are types of sheep. This compari- to them. But contemporary ranch- and can be used to knit items like son can be continued on the mi- ers, raising the animals for meat socks, gloves or hats. Bison down croscopic level, comparing the di- often discard or throw away those is used for this purpose by a few ameter and structure of the fibre. coats. This is where United by Blue other small brands besides United With animal fibres, and natural steps in, working with ranchers in by Blue. fibres in general, the individual an effort to salvage these valuable fibres look different, whereas all fibres and turn them into warm, The second part of the coat, called the guard hairs, make up the vast synthetic fibres look the same. high-performing garments. "Basi- majority of the bison's coat. The American bison grow a thick coat cally the hide is collected, rescue United by Blue is the only brand of fibres, which assists them to the fibre from landfills or from using them in apparel. The the withstand severe climatic condi- being burned, and then return guard hairs, which are the coarser tions. Bison fibres were tradition- the hides to the meat processing fibers, for insulation. It has a lot ally used in textiles by the natives plants, so they can pass them on of the same properties that you to tanneries. We did that primar- would get from merino wool: antiof North Americans. ily to keep the desirable fibre from JANUARY 2021

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microbial, there is no known allergy to it, it is warm when wet. It is a hollow fiber, so it has great insulatory properties. Unlike sheep or goats, which can be shorn regularly throughout their lives, bisons are not super interested in holding still to be sheared. As a result, the fiber can only be gathered as a step prior to tanning the hides for leather. While learning that the fiber can not be harvested from stillliving animals may not be great news from a vegetarian perspective, zero waste advocates would likely argue that it still makes more sense to rescue fiber that was being created anyway and is otherwise destined for landfill.

Preparing the fibers for use in apparel involves six or seven different steps: Hand sorting of bison fibers Debris and dirt are picked out and coarse hairs and felted chunks must be removed. Fibre is washed, rinsed, picked open then carded and drawn into pencil rovings, or felted into sheets . Rovings are spun into a strand, two or more strands are plied together to form yarn. Yarn can be woven into fabric, or knit into garments, crocheted into cushions, afghans, etc.

They are costly to process in small amounts – about $10.00 per ounce or about $1.50 for each step in processing. Enhanced when blended with other natural fibres of similar micron size, such as cashmere or silk.

There are the original bison ranchers who work on contract. The hides are leased from the meat industry packing plants, the scouring facility. They wash the hides and the dehairing facility, which is where they separate the fiber from the hides Then the fiber gets split

into two different batches: one for the production of textile yarn for products like hats and beanies and the other, which goes to an insulation manufacturer. "This extensive process, with very little established infrastructure in place to support it, is part of why bison wool isn not more common in apparel. The other difficulty is the inconsistency of yield. Because bison fiber is collected at the end of the animal's life, rather than regularly throughout it, it is much harder to estimate, how much fiber will be available, which makes it harder to plan, how much product you can make with it.

Bison fiber ready to be used in apparel. Though bison wool is most often used for the down, United by Blue's incorporation of the guard hairs into insulation has proven that the fiber is more versatile than that. Rauth says the brand has even talked about selling the fiber directly to other companies now that it is gone to the work of setting up the supply chain, though he is not sure whether that will end up happening or not.

We need a diverse base of fibers that we are producing textiles from, in order to not stress any part of the system too far. Bison is a good example of finding new and innovative fibers that are not currently causing stress on the system, that are just not being utilized. Dehaired fibres had a mean fibre diameter of 17.8 µm and mid-length of 28 mm, suitable for woollen spinning.

Properties of Bison Fibres The soft undercoat is composed of fine, hollow guard hairs (average diameter of 59 micrometers) and down (average 18.5 micrometers).

Downy fibres are typically chosen for textile applications. Bison fibres are grey or red-brown and about 2.5 cm long.

The Fibre had a tenacity of 8.7 cN/ tex and an extension of 39.3%.

The fibre diameter is 18.5 µm, clean washing yield 76.5%, wax content 9.8%, suint content 14.5%, clean fine fibre yield 56.4%, fine fibre length 37 mm and fibre curvature was 93°/mm. Mid-side fibre had a crimp frequency of 6.5/ cm and mean resistance to compression of 6.6 kPa. Uses of Bison Fibres Short fibre can be carded into quilt batting, which makes wonderful filling for duvets and pillows. It is soft, light, and has amazing insulating properties! Short carded fibre can also be felted into sheets of material for sewing. Poorer grades of carded fibre, which have been discarded in the carding process, can be used for stuffing pet mattresses, or felted into horse blankets or saddle pads.

In situations where it is found that the cleaned fibre is too short to draw through spinning equipment, short carded fibre may be blended with another fibre which can act as a carrier to draw the buffalo fibre through spinning machinery. The choice of this carrier will determine the quality of the finished product. A blend of buffalo with alpaca and/or llama makes a stronger, slightly coarser yarn that is excellent for children’s and men’s wear such as mittens, socks, or slippers. On a finer basis, a blend with silk makes an excellent yarn for baby wear or ladies’ fine garments that may be worn comfortably next to the skin.

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JANUARY 2021

HR FOCUS

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IMPROVING YOUR COMPANY’S PERFORMANCE: 3 TIPS TO SETTING UP AN EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WHICH GIVES RESULTS Rajiv Misra R Square Consulting

An organization which does not measure and monitor the performance of every employee cannot reach optimum level of performance. Human beings naturally love challenges and most of us need a target or a goal to aspire for. At the workplace too, in case we do not have a clear goal; most employees prefer to meander along doing what is minimum requirement to get their monthly salary. It is therefore imperative that all organizations have some method of measuring and monitoring performance.

A

number of owners/founders, whom I coach have one important question; which they ask around the middle of the second session. And that is “How do I improve the business results of my company”. As an owner/founder this is one thing which occupies the maximum mindshare and hence the question.

The question which I ask then is

“What do you think will improve your business results?” and with a few follow up questions we come to an understanding that to improve the performance of the organization, it is imperative that the performance of every team member in the organization improves.

So how do we improve the performance of every team member who is part of the organization?

An organization which does not measure and monitor the per-

formance of every employee cannot reach optimum level of performance. Human beings naturally love challenges and most of us need a target or a goal to aspire for. At the workplace too, in case we do not have a clear goal; most employees prefer to meander along doing what is minimum requirement to get their monthly salary. It is therefore imperative that all organizations have some method of measuring and monitoring performance.

JANUARY 2021

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HR FOCUS

So why is a performance measurement and monitoring system or a PMS (Performance Management System) required in an organization? There are three main reasons: 1. To drive results of the Company 2. To build capability through constantly measuring, monitoring and then improving performance.

3. To differentiate the performance of employees, so that the better performers are rewarded and the not so great performers are identified and worked upon, to either improve their performance or exit the organization.

There are a few components of a good performance management system (PMS). A good PMS system should have the following characteristics: 1. A process of identifying clear goals for each role. These could be

2 or 3 things that the role holder must do which have a direct connect with the organizational goal.

2. Clear expectations set by the manager on how the goal will be measured and periodicity of reviews.

3. A clear and formal method of providing feedback on the progress on achievement of goals and how to improve or an action plan.

4. Measurement of results and their connection to rewards, financial and others.

So how does an owner/founder set up an effective PMS system in his/her company in a simple manner?

First, identify what are the most critical performance parameters for your company. These could be revenue, cost, profitability etc.

Second, identify what are the 3

top things which any role holder should do to contribute to the Company’s goals. A production head could have the goal of ensuring on time delivery of all orders, reducing cost of manpower and rework and quality. Similarly, a sales head would have increase of revenue, increase in profitability and high customer satisfaction scores.

Third, monitor these 3 key parameters at least once a month and keep formal record of it; the feedback provided, as well the action plan decided between you and the role holder. Ensure that, your direct reports do the same with their teams.

The key to organizational growth is data based effective reviews, done diligently month on month.

It is the most important thing you can do as a founder/owner.

FA S H I O N V A L U E C H A I N

FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION IN INDIA- KAMAKHYAA Your one-stop online shopping destination for sustainable and luxury women’s wear fashion.

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n the past few years, we saw sustainability in terms of lifestyle and fashion create quite some buzz all around the world. Consumers are now becoming more and more conscious of their consumption patterns; they are mindful of the food that they are eating, making sure to eat healthy and clean, keeping toxic products away from their bodies. People are also choosing eco-friendly lifestyle changes like avoiding the use of plastic, recycling, planting more trees, reusing. The year 2020 or should we say the year of Covid-19 has changed the scenario even more, consumers are constantly

putting efforts towards achieving a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle and when it comes to fashion, they are also shifting their purchasing decisions to create a cleaner environment through the clothes they wear.

From Instagram to google shop, we can find numerous sustainable fashion brands in the country that came into being in the past couple of years and during Covid-19 Pandemic. In fact, the relatively newer brands in the market are more inclined towards being sustainable and conscious in some or the other way. It is a basic necessity in today’s time for brands to come across as responsible businesses.

Now that you are here reading this

article, we believe you must be interested in sustainable fashion or planning to make the switch towards conscious clothing! We say, look no further! In a pool of upcoming fashion brands booming in the country, it could get confusing and tiring to look through so many websites. Sometimes you might not even find what you are looking for; as brands get diluted on the internet, due to so much data being promoted by market leaders. Look no further, we bring to you Kamakhyaa: The one-stop online shopping destination for sustainable & luxury womenswear fashion. Embracing “Make In India''.

Kamakhyaa, derived from the JANUARY 2021

FA S H I O N V A L U E C H A I N name of Durga, a fierce yet prosperous Hindu Goddess, in Sanskrit kāmā translates to desire and ākhyā means renown.

The motivation to plant this sapling named Kamakhyaa, is to embrace homegrown and emerging fashion labels across the country.

By providing a common platform to connect with the customers; they aim to deliver authenticity and relevance in the endeavour of “new normal”. Fashion should have more purpose than perceiving and viewing products as trendy and disposable garments.

Their latest campaign, The Spirit of 2021, a collection unlike any other, defines the ideal future of fashion that can be achieved by shopping sustainably. The collection is a perfect mix of western/Indian wear and occasion/daily wear to cater to all kinds of fashion needs; yet keeping in mind that fashion is best when sustainably made.

We believe that a conscious buyer should always demand to know how their garments have been made! With this campaign, Kamakhyaa has introduced the "You Must Know" segment, where we mention how and/or with what your garment/accessory/footwear has been made.

Here are their top Categories in the sustainable fashion segment for you to explore.

Western wear

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Statement jewllery

Indo western

Indian outer wear

Bags

Minimalistic Jewllery JANUARY 2021

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FA S H I O N V A L U E C H A I N

Masks Kamakhyaa encourages responsible buying; hence they ensure transparency about how their products have been made for each and every product listed on their website; a trustworthy step taken towards brand building, in the sustainable fashion sector. They have also introduced the “ You Should Know Segment” on their social media, where they provide details of the material being used in the product and where it has been sourced from. You can also choose from various sustainability criterias a product has been made, according to your preference. Here is a list of some of their sustainable options; Upcycled, Repurposed, Organic, Natural, PETA-Approved Vegan, handcrafted, made to order.

Kamakhyaa is not just an online shopping platform, it is an endto-end solution for all the fashion

Footwear

needs. Listing their Luxury Services below: 1. Complimentary Personal Styling Service: For daily wear, occasion wear, weddings to birthday parties, baby showers and bachelorette are only some of the events that you can get styled for.

Get #StyledByKamakhyaa with your entire crew, friends and family. You only pay for the garments you choose to buy! They make personal styling experience accessible to all.

2. Customization: Kamakhyaa believes in celebrating your dreams and desires hence, they provide “made to measurement” service for the perfect look & fit.

They make a new product, specially customized for their customers when the order is placed. You can specify your measurements before placing the order itself to

ensure hassle free delivery experience. This also ensures sanitary safety in such times because your order is uniquely made for you.

3. Gifting Service: You can specially curate a package for your loved ones by getting the products customized, adding a personal touch (Initials embroidered on a certain products) and within your given budget! You can ask the team to help you or place the order on your own. They provide personalization to make your gift even more special.

4. Delivering an experience: From styling to customizing your products, Kamakhyaa at the end delivers a package that is as exciting as receiving a surprise gift.

Their packaging is eco-friendly, minimalistic, durable hence you can reuse it for years to come.

Kamakhyaa is a brand that truly cares for you and believes in fulfilling your wishes.

“Your limitation— It's only your imagination” JANUARY 2021

FA S H I O N V A L U E C H A I N

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THE SHAPE OF HOME TEXTILES PRACHI GEHLOT Trainee Editor at TVC

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The geometry magic

ear 2021 will be all about taking a closer look at what you choose for your home, elements that represent you, make your soul feel at home are the most calming choices. While choosing for textures and colors, visualize the element if your favorite nook and a couple more spaces before Figure 2. Reference: Anthropologie you buy.

Textile Focus A dimension of tex- As an addition to the above described Basic Bases, the tiles at one’s home, growing demand of natural fibers for fashion apparel has provides added tex- inspired the home décor curators to incorporate the ortures and levels to the ganic fibers in home décor and linens. The organic fiber home, which is pleas- textiles are biodegradable, use all the organic practices ing to the eye. Invest- from growing to packing and are less responsible for caring in textured fabrics bon footprint. This year, switch to organic fabrics for bed linens, throws and table linens. is not heavy on the pocket and instantly refreshes the look and feel of the home.

The following are the key trends that will be seen in fabrics for home textiles: Earthen Prints Prints that replicate and represent the raw textures of earth will be seen, as used by major brands and preferred by the customers for a raw and natural appeal to the home. The pandemic has majorly shifted the sensory expectations of customers towards more pleasing textures such as derived from the earth.

Source : made.com

Figure 3. Reference: Pinterest

Figure 6. Reference: Fabricwarehouse.com

Figure 4. Reference: Pinterest JANUARY 2021

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FA S H I O N V A L U E C H A I N

Figure 11. Reference: etsy.com Figure 7. Reference: aeristo.com The 3-D surface of geometrical patterns, not only add a dimension to the furniture, but is also perceived as luxury, stands out and gives a look of quality. Shapes which alternate colors in the fabric can be explored to add to the statement at home. Velvets, leathers, faux leathers and patch-sew patterns can be explored.

Basic Bases Basics has been the biggest trend from 2020 and will continue going in 2021 owing to the rising concerns on environmental factors of fashion. Choosing basics will help in reducing the load on landfills.

It limits the choice of buying with an unlimited choice of styling.

The basic fabrics for bedding and decor are soothing to the eye and helps in assuming a sense of peace and tranquility at home. The basic interiors can be used in a garden room with hanging plants and pots; which will certainly help presume a peaceful and calm ambience.

Figure 8. Reference: The design chaser.com

Figure 9. Reference: nytimes.com

Figure 12. Reference: wayfair.co.uk

Figure 10. Reference: cocolapinedesign.com Natural Fibers As an addition to the above described Basic Bases, the growing demand of natural fibers for fashion apparel has inspired the home décor curators to incorporate the organic fibers in home décor and linens. The organic fiber textiles are biodegradable, use all the organic practices from growing to packing and are less responsible for carbon footprint. This year, switch to organic fabrics for bed linens, throws and table linens.

Figure 13. Reference: Ralph Lauren Home

Figure 14. Reference: One Kings Lane JANUARY 2021

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Figure 17. Reference: decoratorsbest.com

Figure 20. Reference: waxandwanestudio.com Figure 15. Reference: vashomeinteriors.com

can-

Tropical Tease The trend of using bold tropical prints has arrived to a point where bare leaves are printed on organic linens, or on basic home linens with a lot of breathing space between the prints. This trend is inspired by two drivers- the need to shift to organics post-pandemic, as well as the desire for some breathing space whilst the world is working form home.

Figure 16. Reference: manthropologie.com

Figure 18. Reference: erikampowell.com Patch it up Another trend driven by the pandemic is patching up the waste fabrics to create cushion covers, quilts, rugs, bed linens, etc. This trend has never left the industry and has always been spotted after every few years because of the reason that it utilizes waste scrap fabric, reduces landfill waste and creates unique designs that are Figure 21. Reference: suzyquilts. hard to replicate. This year, in 2021 com the trend can be seen in garments as well as home linens. Creative patchwork is here to stay for at least a couple of years because utility and creativity is what the consumer is looking for right now.

Figure 19. Reference : Architecturaldigest.com

Figure 22. Reference: zarahome. com JANUARY 2021

INTERVIEW

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THE TEXTILE AND FASHION INDUSTRY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF AN ACCOMPLISHED EDUCATIONIST

Dr. Ela Manoj Dedhia

Dr. Ela has been contributing to the Textile and Fashion industry for 38 years.

With her immense educational background and experience as an educationist, researcher, consultant, advisor, designer and social worker, she highlights the changes the industry is going through bringing to light the conscious consumers and how designers, stylists, manufacturers, retailers, academicians and consumers are ecologically helping to make changes to contribute to a better universe.

Head of Department at Nirmala Niketan College of Home Science

C

an you share your Educational and Professional Journey with us?

I am currently the Incharge Principal, IQAC Coordinator, President of IIC- Innovation Cell and Head of Department of the Textile & Fashion Technology at College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan, affiliated to University of Mumbai, NAAC Accredited A Grade. I have committed 38 vital years in the dynamic field of Textile, Fashion and Apparel Education.

I acquired Ph.D. in Home Science, Clothing and Textiles from SNDT Women’s University in 1996; M.Sc in Home Science, Textile Chemistry & Clothing with a 2nd Rank at the University of Mumbai in 1983 along with Masters Research at UDCT (now Institute of Chemical Technology); B.Sc in Home Science, Textiles & Clothing, from the University of Mumbai in 1981; P. G. Diploma in Education Management where I topped at the SNDT Women’s University in 1997; P. G. Diploma in Higher Education from University of Mumbai in 1984; Diploma in Textile Designing from

Rachna Sansad 1985, Diploma in Computer Aided Design and various technical skill based courses accomplished between 1998 to 2002. I completed Diploma and Certificate in Jainism from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Mumbai in 1998, completed Diploma and Certificate in Sanskrit from Department of Sanskrit in 1999. I am currently studying Universal Human Values through AICTE & NCC-IP right from the start of the Pandemic period to date.

I believe in continuous education and therefore will always remain a student. I am blessed with Great Gurus in the past and present to date and hence could pursue personal and professional life simultaneously with continuous education.

After Post-graduation, I began my teaching career in 1983 in the Department of Textiles & Clothing at College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan, affiliated to University of Mumbai, NAAC Accredited A Grade.

I have grown in this Institution due to the varied exposure that I had within and outside the Institution.

I have been an advisor and consultant to educational institutions across India. I believe in working in continuity towards education and

empowerment of the youth. Connected with various organizations and Institutions, my activities also focus on training the physically and mentally challenged; the tribal, rural and urban under privileged women and youth; and the various artisan clusters in the country. I consider this as my responsibility.

I am the Recipient of the Fellow of the Textile Association of India; the Bronze Medal of Society of Dyers & Colorist, UK.; and the Kutch Shakti Award.

I have consulted technical research projects for UNDP, Ministry of Environment and Textiles on Natural Dyes; Khadi and Village Industries Commission for Yarn, Fabric, Apparel and Product development; University Grants Commission (UGC) for Craft researches and several others; Corporate Industries for strategies and design; Rural Crafts Clusters for imparting income generating skills.

I have organized many State, National and International Conferences /Seminars /Workshops. I have authored over 100 papers in reputed National, International Journals and been an invited speaker at Conferences in India and Abroad; authored two books – 1. Ajrakh- Expressions and ImpresJANUARY 2021

INTERVIEW sions; and 2. Compendium of Natural Dyes.

Two more books are in the process of publication.

I have been the Editor and Reviewer, for Journal of ARAHE- Asian Regional Association of Home Economics; Editorial Advisor, Design and Art Journal of the International University Jaipur; Editor, Research Reach Journal, College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan; Referee, Journal of Textile Association, Colourage and several others.

I am a PhD. Research Guide for University of Mumbai and SNDT Women’s University and have successfully guided almost 20 Ph.D research scholars and have two patents published.

I have been an invited Visiting Faculty for esteemed Institutions and been on the Jury for several Fashion Shows of reputed Institutions such as NIFT, SOFT, SNDT-PVP, and several others.

I have been a Representative for India Zone (9 countries), Asian Regional Association of Home Economics, (ARAHE); Office bearer of Home Science Association of India; Trustee Chairperson of Society of Dyers & Colorist, India region.

I am the Member of Professional Awards Committee, The Textile Association of India. I have been a Member of Advisory Boards/ Boards of Studies/Selection Committee of esteemed Institutions/ Universities/ Boards. Presently associated with various NGO’s and Professional reputed Bodies.

Being an educationist, how has your journey unfolded?

As an academician, every day is full of new experiences and learnings. Every expert and every student have added to my own development as an educationist.

Continuous learning and unlearning have been a part of life. Textile and the Fashion world has been moving at a very fast pace and it is important that we keep pace with it and work out strategies to adapt

to it optimally.

As a Mentor, what qualities and capabilities you admire in students?

Every student is unique and capable in something or the other.

Development of the youth brings enormous happiness and growth in ourselves and to the society.

Each and every child has some ability and talent, and it is our responsibility as a mentor/teacher to unfold and channelize their energies and skills in the right way for timely and effective outcomes.

The youth have a passion for their profession and the zeal to achieve it. With the right guidance they are able to innovate and achieve the unimaginable.

How do you think the textile and fashion industry has evolved in the last few years?

Style and fashion advances each day, change is the only constant.

The past four decades have been adaptation of technology, fast fashion and changing trends on one side and on the opposite side we have seen an extensive and conscious move towards Green, eco-conscious and sustainable production and consumption. Designers, brand owners and stylists are getting increasingly more conscious about global issues. Consumers are also getting progressively trained for a green lifestyle through Corporates and NGO’s.

There is no doubt, that the youth is more sensible and sensitive about global concerns which would help future generations for a more sustainable lifestyle.

Is sustainable fashion/ Sustainability really followed by consumer or industry? What are your thoughts about it? Is it relevant and important?

Sustainability is the need of the hour and our industry is going through this revolutionary change internally to have a responsible and transparent supply chain.

Consumers are more active and are moreover demanding fair trade and environmentally sensi-

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tivity in fashion. Sustainability is becoming a habit and a serious practice at all levels. Our khadi, hand-looms, hand embroidery, natural fibers, natural dyes, hand dyeing and printing have always been sustainable and mantras like Atmanirbharta, Made in India, Make in India, Vocal for local, Sustainability, etc. are becoming the New Normal.

What are the latest trends in the industry?

In the Pandemic period, we are all passing through major introspection. All seasonal trends and factors influencing them have become redundant overnight. The new normal lifestyle and devastating global economy is definitely affecting our purchase making decisions. Locally Made, Locally sourced products, Made in India, recycle, upcycle, minimalistic are the new trends. Technical textiles in medical sector and non-medical sector has grown by leaps and bounds bringing India in the forefront. Textiles that contributes to health and medical features have become more important compared to those that are only aesthetically driven.

How do you think the industries are responding to the green movement that has been going around the world?

Environment sensitive production and consumption, renewal and alternative sources of energy and stricter global trade standards are certainly helping us reduce the carbon footprints at national and global level. Ecological reformation is being adapted right from fibers, yarn, fabric and apparel/ product, chemicals used, right from raw material sourcing to production to the end of the supply chain. Each and every aspect from Production to Promotion has gone through reformation to make textile and fashion, environmentally responsible.

How have you personally adopted sustainability in your life?

I have been in the process of selfJANUARY 2021

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INTERVIEW

reflection and self-exploration since more than two and a half decades; during which I have adapted/moved to a life style which focuses on ‘giving up’, ‘letting go’, recycle, reuse, reduce, upcycle, etc. to an extent that does not affect basic lifestyle but helps to conserve nature and contributes towards a sustainable society.

I have been directing students to researches that contribute to environmental, economic and social sustainability. Also, being involved in designing curriculum at various levels such as local, national

and University/Institutional, has brought about a long-term positive change in the skills and mindset of the youth through its implementation. I am involved with vocational guidance and training of women and youth with an inclusive approach thus including along with the able, privileged and exposed; individuals who are differently abled and their teachers/ caretakers; the urban, rural and tribal underprivileged and lesser exposed. I also believe in technological innovations and transfer of knowledge from lab to field, to

solve the challenges faced by society at the national and global level for a sustainable world and thus as the President of IIC (Institution Innovation Cell), of MHRD, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India systematically foster the culture of Innovation within the Institution, direct students in their formative years to think, ideate, design, innovate, create, make prototypes, launch social enterprises, train the needy and disadvantaged thus contribute to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Volkswagen India Dress re-design competition in collaboration with NIFT

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he registrations started from 22nd September, where the participants submitted their designs in a digital format. The finalists were selected by NIFT and VW panels in the first week of October, later the winners were announced on the basis of prototypes of the designs.

The competition encouraged the young talent to reinvent, re-design and create a forward-looking design theme and also include monetary gratification for the winners.

Find out more about the competition through the following Interview with the Company spokesperson, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India.

What is the selection procedure and criteria for design selection? Is this competition across

Volkswagen launched a dress redesign competition which was conducted for students of 2020 Fashion Design Batch of NIFT Institute across the country. The initiative provided a collaborative platform for young talents to showcase and implement their design skill in creating a refreshed and visually appealing dress code for VW sales professionals.

all NIFT or only for one centre?

The ‘Dress up VW challenge’ was eligible for the students of 2020 Fashion Design Batch of NIFT across the country. The competition comprised of four categories where students were asked to submit dress designs for both male and female staff of Volkswagen (Hostess, Sales Consultant/ Service Advisors, Sales/Service Manager and Specialist).One of the most important criteria for selection was the resemblance of attire designs with Volkswagen’s new brand philosophy that expresses the new attitude of Volkswagen of being more modern, human, flexible, colourful and authentic.

Along with this the designs were

required to suit the professional setting, to be visually appealing, comfortable and convenient for employees to wear and carry.

Post receiving over 45 registrations for the competition, the semi-final round had 10 contestants who were selected through a jury panel, basis the entries submitted in the form of hand illustrated designs and digital copies of design. The selection process continued with the shortlisting of top-6 finalists who were then chosen to create and present a prototype of their design for male and female version of Sales Consultant and Service Advisor, including only wear-on for Sales/Service Manager. Lastly, the winner, runJANUARY 2021

INTERVIEW ner-up and third runner-up were announced basis the final submissions and awarded a prize money of INR 50,000, INR 30,000 and INR 10,000 (respectively) from the brand. The entire competition was judged by a 7-member jury which included NIFT faculty and experts from Volkswagen India.

What was the need for this competition?

Early this year, Volkswagen announced its new brand language for the Indian market. With the philosophy of being more accessible, human, modern, agile and vibrant for its customer. The idea is to build strong customer connections and be flexible in our approach with customers. Our network staff is the first interface between the brand and customer, their personality defines brand Volkswagen, which must communicate aspirations and premiumness.

The rationale for choosing NIFT and the batch of 2020 for designing our network staff uniforms is to view the brand Volkswagen from the millennials and younger talent perspectives. As they are the future prospective customers

of Volkswagen.

Are Niftians skilled for corporate wear designs?

Yes, Niftians are skilled for corporate wear designs and are prepared for the real competitive world. NIFT is one of the best institutes in India for fashion education, that is pioneering thought leadership in design. The institutes offer the highest standard of learning experience in fashion pertaining to design, technology and management and encourages the creative student body, to draw inspiration from India’s textiles and crafts, while focusing on emerging global trends.The participants showcased in-depth understanding of the fabric, design language and fabric comfort while designing the outfits.

Please share the winners details.

The winner is Shivani Priya from NIFT Mumbai.

Number of entries the competition has received?

The competition received an overwhelming response from the students, marking over 45 registrations.

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What are the corporate wear trends and opportunities for upcoming designers?

Over the past decade, corporate wear has become a vivacious sector, representing an enormous market globally. Organizations are paying more attention towards corporate wear as it’s the first connection point between the brand and the customer. It’s also a reflection of the brands’ identity and personality they’d like to carry.

Today, corporate wear is a lot about appearing professional by wearing breathable fabrics. That enable movement, look stylish, reduced creases and are comfortable for employees. It’s about feeling confident in a business attire whether it’s a dress, shirt & trousers, shirts & chinos, jackets or skirts.

There is a tremendous opportunity in India for all the upcoming designers, as the fashion industry continues to grow at an exponential rate. With rapid advancements in technology& fabric creation, upcoming designers can create a niche for themselves, especially with sustainable fashion options.

Dress Up Volkswagen – Winner Group from NIFT Mumbai

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INTERVIEW

SUSTAINABLE IS THE WAY TO BE

Our purpose at Archroma is to help make the industry more sustainable. Therefore, whilst clearly the regulations are challenging on the short term for the industry, we believe that there is no other way, moving forward. That is why, we introduced a whole new way to look at colors and performance for textiles; with an approach based on solution systems.

mr. Anjani Prasad Managing Director, Archroma India, Nepal and Sri Lanka Textile Value Chain gets in conversation with Mr. Anjani Prasad, MD, Archroma India, Nepal and Sri Lanka; a company which is taking extraordinary steps and walking the walk of sustainability in its true meaning. Even though there is a long way to go, small steps and initiatives taken by Archroma could help the industry push the sustainability goals.

Tell us something about Archroma's dedication and commitment to sustainability.

Our purpose at Archroma is to help make the industry more sustainable. Therefore, whilst clearly the regulations are challenging on the short term for the industry, we believe that there is no other way, moving forward. That is why, we introduced a whole new way to look at colors and performance for textiles; with an approach based on solution systems. We work with our customers looking at the whole production process; including their needs, challenges and market goals, which allows us to come up with holistic, optimized and competitive solutions.

Reference - Archroma.com Our objective is clearly to push the sustainability agenda even further. We joined the ZDHC Foundation as a contributor to help drive industry-wide change in a responsible chemical management. We have uploaded more than 1020 products on the online search tool - Chemical Module of the ZDHC Gateway. Archroma is also one of the seven chemical leaders who recently founded the SCTI (Sustainable Chemistry for the Textile Industry), aiming to drive collaboration, innovation and transformational change in textiles and leather, towards a more sustainable industry. Such initiatives, associated with our commitment to develop innovations and systems aimed to help textile manufacturers with optimized productivity and/or value creation in their markets, help make the textile industry more sustainable and protect our planet for the generations to come.

What is 'The Archroma way to a

JANUARY 2021

sustainable world' and what are the solutions offered?

We touch and color people’s lives every day, everywhere. That is why, at Archroma, we continuously challenge the status quo in the deep belief that we can make our industry sustainable. We call it ‘The Archroma way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced. It’s our nature’. We look at how we can operate in a holistic way, in order to protect the health and safety of our people, our communities, our customers, the consumers, as well as the environment in order to preserve our Earth for us all and future generations.

What is SCTI (Sustainable Chemistry for the Textile Industry)?

SCTI is a new initiative launched by seven of the world’s leading textile chemical companies, including Archroma, to advance sustainable chemistry. All of the founding members of SCTI have

INTERVIEW made substantial investments in sustainable solutions in recent years. We are now committing to investing and working together to further advance the knowledge of chemistry, its safe and sustainable application in the textile and leather industries. SCTI will support brands, retailers and manufacturers of all sizes at every stage in their sustainability journey to achieve the highest levels of sustainability, by sharing members’ knowledge of chemistry and its application, and by providing training and tools to ensure stakeholders can adopt technologies and optimize processes.

Specifically, SCTI is developing a global harmonized sustainability standard for chemical products used in the industry, along with a supporting assessment tool that covers all aspects of the products, from hazards through to environmental, ecological and social impacts.

The ultimate aim for SCTI is to help the industry produce more sustainable textile and leather end products for consumers through cleaner and more transparent supply chains that use less water and energy and produce less emissions and pollution.

Archroma is one of the signatories of WWF global coalition call for sustainability to be central to post-COVID recovery in fashion, apparel and textile sector. What will be the steps and actions undertaken for the same?

We are still right in the eye of the COVID storm and our immediate focus in the past year has been to support our customers in going through the crisis. Archroma has actively supported manufacturers of face masks and medical protective equipment. Our barrier and antimicrobial products in particular continue to be in high demand, and we have been assisting our customers in this sector by providing technical know-how and support. We have also been supporting packaging and paper producers who were facing a steep increase in demand for food packaging as many restaurants switched to delivery or take-away, as well as for parcels and boxes supporting online shopping.

Of course, as the global economy is showing the first signs of recovery, we are intensifying our efforts in promoting those Archroma systems that best support the advance of sustainable textiles and fashion, including via savings allowed in the production. Thanks to reductions in resource consumption and gains in productivity. We

Reference - scti.org

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are about to launch a program of free online live events that will allow brands, retailers and manufacturers to explore innovations and systems in their specific applications. The program will include three areas: Home textiles, Fashion, and technical textiles, with series of webinars each. The first series, Home textiles kick started on the 27th of January 2021 with a focus on solutions for bed linen and bedroom articles. This is how we contribute to creating both ecological sustainability for people and the planet, and economical sustainability for our customers to develop sustainable collections despite the current challenges.

What are the categories of products Archroma has available?

Archroma has innovations and solutions systems for creating colors and effects on denim, casual wear, fashion & formal wear, sportswear, outdoor and active wear, lingerie, workwear and uniforms, home textiles, automotive and transportation textiles, and exterior textiles.

Can you tell us about the Indigo colours by Archroma.

Archroma is following a clear agenda: Convert denim dyers to using liquid pre-reduced indigo instead of powder indigo in the dyeing process. This would lead to massive reductions in the use of indigo dyestuff itself, as well as in sodium hydrosulphite and caustic soda. Archroma estimates that 65% the denim industry is still using powder indigo, and our denim experts are focusing on converting them to using liquid pre-reduced indigo, because that is where the biggest impact on the environment can be obtained.

Taking the sustainability agenda one step further, Archroma also developed and launched, 2 years ago, Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liq, a new liquid pre-reduced indigo dye that is free of indigo, to reduce risk when producing the traditional iconic indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans.

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INTERVIEW

During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. The toxic chemical is therefore starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers.

This innovation is at the core of Archroma systems like PURE INDIGO FLOW or PURE UNDERTONES. In 2019, we also introduced Diresul® Smartdenim Blue, a liquid sulfur blue dye designed to mimic indigo in elegant neutral-green blue tone and in the most common wash-down processes. The innovation is used in INDIGO RE-

FLECTION, a coloration system that behaves like indigo but with a more sustainable and efficient process.

What is Smartrepel Hydro by Archroma?

Smartrepel® Hydro is Archroma’s nature-friendlier protection that keeps cotton, polyester and polyamide textiles dry. The unique technology offers exceptional, durable water repellency and it is not based on fluorine. Smartrepel® Hydro produces a soft hand feel and outstanding breathability – the perfect long-lasting highperformance finish for any weatherproof garment.

What are the changes you are expecting in the market demand for Archroma products postCOVID? The outbreak of the pandemic has

forced large parts of the population to stay at home - or at least work from home and drastically reduce their social life and interactions. We see a number of projects in the area of home textiles, casual wear and athleisure wear. The need for barrier and antimicrobial solutions in the area of hygiene and protection, has been obvious.

In terms of coloration, our experts in color management have seen a high demand for earth and warm tones in the recent months.

We also see a growing interest for our nature-based dyes with a number of projects with brands and retailers based on our EarthColors®, a range of high-performance dyes that are synthesized from non-edible agricultural or herbal industries waste such as leaves or nutshells.

Reference - Archroma.com

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