The machine industry has come to recognize Nav-Yug as a leader in the fight against counterfeiting. With his total commitment to the cause, H.S. Passricha, MD, Nav-Yug Sewing Machine Co., has been relentlessly pushing all machine manufacturers and suppliers in the country to lend support. He has now taken the issue to a higher level with signature support from Hu si qiu, Vice-Mayor of Taizhou Municipal People’s Government, Zhejiang Province, China, during his visit to Nav-Yug facilities on request of ‘Jack’ one of the leading manufacturers of industrial sewing machines in the Taizhou province that markets its product range in India through Nav-Yug.
The six-member special delegation, headed by the Mayor of Taizhou was in India for the first time to explore opportunities for industrial and cultural exchange. Fascinated by the country and its vivid colours, the Mayor in an exclusive interaction with Team AO highlighted the thrust, which the Government of China is giving to India and the importance of ‘relationship’ building in creating long-term business ventures. He was quick to emphasize that Jack was a very quality-conscious company and the very fact that it was a popular brand in India also signifies the importance which Indian manufacturers are putting on quality technology.
While appreciating the good working conditions at Nav-Yug, the Mayor said, “India is a fast evolving country and the natural warmth of its people show in the happy faces of employees and employers who share a very close relation. We in China value the culture and hope to build long lasting relations in many areas of possible cooperation.”
Though his delegation had no specific agenda for the Apparel Industry, he was extremely reassuring to the request of Passricha to take the challenge of crippling the counterfeit industry, which is damaging the brand name of many quality manufacturers while also reflecting on the finished product to China. Asserted the MD of Nav-Yug, “A lot of the duplicated machines and accessories are coming from China,” he said, adding, “There has to be a collaborative effort to tackle the menace.” In response the Mayor said, “The manufacturers indulging in this trade are very small players and it is not always possible to trace them. The best solution is to educate the users of the machines and accessories to be careful and not accept anything but the original.”
Easier said then done, he admitted. “Cheaper price of such products is of course a major reason for manufactures going in for such duplicates, but many times the user is unable to make out and actually buys the product thinking it to be an original. It is this network that must be addressed first,” said the Mayor. Indeed, the task is not easy and there are no instant solutions. However, Passricha and his team are working sincerely to educate both the industry and the users.
According to an estimate by International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, the level of counterfeiting has grown more than 10,000 per cent over the past two decades. The efforts of Nav-Yug to counter piracy have started to make its mark but many pockets, which still resist the good practices, remain. The counterfeited products are of poor quality and thus do not perform to the expectation of user. It gives a bad impression to the brand name, which unknowingly falls prey to these unscrupulous elements.
The commitment of Nav-Yug to the cause is indeed commendable. Any complain which is received by the special cell created by Nav-Yug is immediately investigated, whether or not it is related to the products and brands being sold by the company. Though it is still too early to say how deep that results of the efforts have been, growing awareness of the cause and the seriousness of intent are very much evident. In fact, during the signature campaign that was initiated at the recently concluded GTE-’09 in New Delhi, many industry leaders came forward to sign the book.
“The response to our call has been tremendous and many players from the industry put their signatures as a commitment to fight against counterfeiting and piracy,” said Passricha. The companies which have enlisted themselves and assured of their complete support in this endeavour include the HCA Garment Machinery Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Mahaveer Industrial Suppliers Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore; Ketan Enterprises, Mumbai; Sunny International, Kolkata; Kumar Agencies, Chennai; S.J. International, Mumbai; Imperial Sewing Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai; B.P. Degda Impex, Mumbai; Bharat Sewing Machine, Bangalore; Gaylord Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore; Imperial Enterprises, Mumbai; Industrial Sewing Machine & Spares, Mumbai; J. Kumar & Sons, Mumbai; Jay Cee Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Magnum Resources Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Narula Sewing Machine Co., New Delhi; Paul Bros & Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Samtech Machinery Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Satnam Sales Corporation, New Delhi; Sewing Machineries & Spares, Kolkata; Sleek Corporation, Bangalore; Suraj Sales Corporation, New Delhi; Harison, Mumbai; besides several other machine spare parts manufacturers, sewing machine dealers, etc. They all have resorted and given their support in this mission.
It was indeed heartening for Nav-Yug and the machine industry to receive support from the delegation. “We are extremely grateful to the support and hope that it will add a new impetus to the movement,” said an elated Passricha.
