Logistic > 1 Sep 2010 : The recent oil spill incident off the Mumbai coast when two merchant ships collided at the mouth of the Mumbai harbour making navigation into the channel a hazard, became a major reason of worry for Indian Apparel & Textile exporters, as operations at two major ports – JNPT and Mumbai Port – had to be shut down.

Products > 1 Sep 2010 : Even the fact that the handicraft sector has been the worst hit by global recession, as it becomes the last priority in a slow economy, has not dampened the spirit of EPCH, rather they have geared up to explore newer markets for India so that in future it doesn’t face as grim a situation as 2008. Says Malhotra, “In my last 1½ year’s tenure as Chairman of EPCH, we have added more than 33% new trade fairs in our list.

Textiles > 1 Sep 2010 : In the by-lanes of Gandhi Nagar’s Shanti Mohalla, one can get fabric from every possible corner of India. In this 35-year-old market there are around 1200 small and big shops doing an annual trade turnover of approximately Rs. 1500 crore. This market which started as export surplus trade, today has 70% of fabric coming directly from mills and weavers in which 90% of the fabric is for ladieswear, both knitted and woven in 100% cotton, silk, polyester, denim… all is available here.

Textiles > 1 Sep 2010 : Italian Textile Giant Klopman, catering to the global need of image wear, workwear and protective wear since the last 40 years was acquired by MW Corp of Mumbai, a company formed out of the restructuring of S Kumars Group two years ago. Today, the company holds leadership position in Europe with an estimated 40 million Europeans wearing garments made from Klopman fabrics, the brand significantly enjoys 30% market share of Europe’s uniform segment with a turnover of Euro 125 million last fiscal.

Trade Fairs/Events > 1 Sep 2010 : The recently concluded edition of Knit Show 2010, Tirupur, marks the completion of a decade of presence in the arena. Over the years, the event has become one of the prime platforms to discover innovations in textile-garment machineries and fashion accessories for players in the region. With 360 exhibitors and more than 3000 industry visitors in this edition, the organizers of the fair have every reason to be satisfied. The product diversification on display from sublimation printers to oval screen printing machines with in-built curing mechanism, from indigenously developed (backed by foreign technology) new branded yarns to tag less printing machines and accessory manufacturers & traders, the fair had much to offer visitors.

Tech/Manufacturing > 1 Sep 2010 : Known for its culture and socialist way of thinking, Kolkata is also the birth place of the hosiery industry in India way before independence. With a textile lineage, the Kolkata industry has moved on to become a known destination for workwear and intricate hand embroidery for the international market. Apparel Online has covered in detail the workwear industry in its November 16-30, 2009 issue, highlighting some key players and the dominance that Kolkata enjoys in this product category. Earlier we had detailed the importance of Kolkata hand embroidery in Western bridal wear, a growing market for niche players.

Lighter Moments > 1 Sep 2010 : Many a times we have seen in our Bollywood movies, the hero coming to the rescue of someone in distress… Either fighting the villains single-handedly and coming out victorious… or jumping into a fire to save the heroine who is crying for help! Our heroes… or is it their duplicates, are super human beings and we are so accustomed to seeing their acts of bravery and chivalry on the silver screen that we rarely question the practicality of the act.

Logistic > 17 Aug 2010 : The supply chain management system of the Apparel Industry has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. One thing that these changes make clear is the fact that individual manufacturers, suppliers, or retailers alone will not dominate the logistics market of the future.

Products > 17 Aug 2010 : The spotlight is back on the Indian carpet industry with the segment seeing good growth and projection of a 25% increase in exports in the current Financial Year. The recent endorsement by the US Department of Labor to the intense efforts being made by the Carpet Export Promotion Council to eradicated child labour by keeping the segment out of the recently released EO listing which unfortunately includes the garment industry as an abuser of child labour, has been a major boost to the industry. Today, the carpet industry is on a high and players are looking for substantial growth in the coming years

Textiles > 17 Aug 2010 : The challenge for chemical companies today lies in bringing a stream of new and improved value-added products into the market in order to strengthen existing product lines, as the innovations in finishing will only be able to open up new markets and new horizons for the textile industry. While functional finishes like water and oil repellents, flame retardants, handle modifiers and specialty softeners are being manufactured by most of the chemical companies, there is urgency to constantly improve their performance properties for better results. Environment-friendly, biodegradable, comfort or health-oriented products in the field of auxiliaries and finishing chemicals are gaining importance.

Textiles > 17 Aug 2010 : The world produces over 17 million tonnes of knitted textiles and apparel – representing one-third of the global textile market. The output is forecast to grow by 25% over the next 10 years, reaching more than 21 million tonnes. With such a huge scope of growth, the knitting industry is striving hard for new developments in knitted fabrics.

Market > 17 Aug 2010 : For the past four years, clothes worth billions of pounds have been imported tax-free to the European Union under a trade scheme intended to help Sri Lanka’s recovery from the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Within months, however, clothes from the country could disappear from British shops, as the EU looks set to punish the Government’s alleged human rights abuses in the recent civil war by withdrawing the trade benefits known as GSP (generalized system of preferences) Plus. This move will add 10 per cent to the cost of products manufactured in Sri Lanka, forcing many retailers to seek cheaper alternatives

Strategy > 17 Aug 2010 : This is the month of August, a busy time for the USA, with all the apparel shows coming this month, I am wondering whether the expense of exhibiting, or for that matter the expense of travelling to view them is worth it?

Lighter Moments > 17 Aug 2010 : It is a dream for all of us to travel light, but with the need to squeeze in as many samples and presentations as possible, our business travel invariably means lugging those huge suitcases across the oceans, to wherever we are headed for!

Logistic > 1 Aug 2010 : An “Annual Customers Listening Forum”, hosted by the British Airways, was recently organized at Bangalore to honour top business associates from India and Sri Lanka. At this two-day affair, a special auction was carried for a noble cause to raise funds for NGOs – SAMADHAN (working for rehabilitation of mothers of mentally challenged children from lower strata of the society) and SANKALP