The Hindu Business Line : Textile expo bets big on emerging investors

Coimbatore, Dec 31 The prevailing slowdown in export and domestic markets might have robbed the textile enterprises of their enthusiasm on new investments, but it is not the case with the organisers of ‘India Expo 2008’, the international textile technology and machinery exhibition.

They feel that now is the time for the industry to dwell on newer technology/product making and market scouting to get over the bleak scenario; hence the importance of industrial fairs.

Their sense of urgency on cutting costs and making the organisation lean has also brought upon most textile producers the awareness to try responding to new product lines or replacing single-source dependency of intermediary goods and, of course, flexibility in production process through adoption of newer technology.

Companies are also exploring the scope of substituting imports in the face of better technology options available.

The current sluggish phase with cascading effect on diverse production value-chair across the textile industry should prompt the enterprises take their time off to go around industrial events such as trade fairs and technology expositions that get them closer to getting the cutting edge technology or cost competitive machinery accessories, feels Mr M A. Rayappan, Chairman of Hi-Tech International Trade Fair (India) Pvt Ltd, and organiser of the expo.

The exhibition to be held between March 7 and 10 at the Codissia Trade Fair complex in the city, is to showcase the new generation textile machinery for the spinning, weaving knitting and garmenting sectors and the exhibits would be displayed on a 10,000 sq ft of stall area in the complex.

Though the ‘India Expo 2008’ may feel the heat from the present textile industry slow-down in terms of stall participation, his company has sought to make good by attracting more entries from China-based textile machinery makers. This is because the textile entrepreneurs are also looking for cost competitive machinery purchases too.

Their quest to access newer technology machinery at relatively lower cost should match the textile machinery models produced by companies in China as most of the European manufacturers have set up their production bases in China to cater to the subcontinent markets considering this price angle.

“Unlike in the past when Tirupur-based knitwear exporting companies remained content to import knitwear machinery accessories, embellishments such as embroidery items and packing materials used in their exports, the local producers are now keen to set up their own units to produce these items using newer technology such as non-woven and industrial textiles”, said Mr Rayappan.

To meet this technology search among the textile producers, India Expo would bring in manufacturers of non-woven textile machinery manufacturers from China under the China Industrial Nonwoven and Technical Textiles Association (CINTA), according to Mr Rayappan.