A major move has been taken to boost bilateral trade in the wool industry by the Government of Victoria, Australia, in collaboration with Austrade, led by Dr. Monica Kennedy, Minister-Commercial and Head of Austrade, South Asia. Gopi Shanker, Director of Global Trade, Victoria, previously oversaw the effort under the direction of Michelle Wade, Commissioner of South Asia.
A group of 40 Australian wool growers, led by Alister Carr of Fox & Lillie Australia (which purchased Karee Wool in September 2024), toured Monte Carlo Fashions Limited and Sharman Shawls, two of Ludhiana’s top wool production facilities. The goal of the visit, which was organised by the Knitwear and Textile Club of India and technical partners Technisch Kaizen Services Private Limited, was to investigate potential new markets for Australian wool in India.
The Knitwear and Textile Club’s Director of Trade and Promotion, Annil Suri, outlined the main issues facing the sector, including the exorbitant annual cost of the Woolmark franchise (Rs 7.5 lakh). In order to encourage more Indian SMEs in Ludhiana and Jammu & Kashmir to stick with pure wool rather than switching to other fibres, he encouraged Austrade to solve this issue.
In order to improve quality recognition, Dr. Navneet Kaur, Director of Public Relations and Exhibitions, emphasised the need of customer awareness regarding the Australian Woolmark. In order to promote sustainable products, she suggested joint events, exhibitions, and conclaves between the Australian and Indian sectors.
In order to improve output, Gurneet Singh, Director of Projects and Consulting, further underlined the value of technological cooperation in wool processing. In order to increase wool imports and increase India’s export potential, he promoted the use of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to integrate Australian inventions into the wool clusters in Ludhiana and Jammu & Kashmir.
As the talks came to an end, Michelle Wade reaffirmed Austrade’s dedication to collaborating closely with the Knitwear and Textile Club and its technical partners. To encourage sustainability and inclusivity in trade, Austrade and Indian representatives shared mementos of gratitude.
