2 StitchWorld 3 StitchWorld 4 StitchWorld Editor-in-Chief DEEPAK MOHINDRA VOL. XIV • ISSUE 5 World www.apparelresources.com Technical Editors Stitch PAUL COLLYER (UK) Technology and Management in Sewn Product Industry CLAUDIA OLLENHAUER-RIES (GERMANY) Copy Editor VEERESHWAR SOBTI Asst. Copy Editor TechByte SAHIL SEHGAL 8 WHY HAS SUSTAINABLE WASHING AND Sr. Technical Correspondent FINISHING OF GARMENTS REMAINED OUT ANCHAL RAI OF REACH FOR SMALL- AND MEDIUM- LEVEL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES? Design & Production RAJ KUMAR CHAHAL 18 PEEUSH JAUHARI NewsTrack (L-R) Ruchika Dawar, Assistant Professor, SATYAPAL BISHT NIFT Jodhpur; Prof. (Dr.) Raghuram 10 BANGLADESH: DBL GROUP MULLS Jayaraman, Director – NIFT Jodhpur; Dinesh Subscription Enquiry GARMENT FACTORY IN ETHIOPIA Kumar Sharma, AGM – Operation, Shahi RANI MAHENDRU - 011-47390000 Exports, Faridabad; and Ankur Saxena, 12 INDIA: ATDC CERTIFIES MASTER Assistant Professor, NIFT Jodhpur at the TRAINERS IN COLLABORATION NIFT Jodhpur Convocation-cum-Graduation Programme Publisher & Managing Director WITH AMHSSC RENU MOHINDRA - 09810058986 14 HONG KONG: AMF REECE LAUNCHES BUTTONHOLING MACHINE WITH ANGLE INDEXER Head Office Apparel Resources Pvt. Ltd. 16 INDIA: APPAREL EXPORTERS WILL SOON GET RELIEF ON IMPORTED B-32, South Extension, Part-I, FABRICS: TEXTILES MINISTRY New Delhi-110 049 Phone: 011-47390000 18 INDIA: KITEX TO LAUNCH NEW E-mail: [email protected], INFANT WEAR BRAND IN US 30 [email protected] Rahman Hasibur, MD, Solstice Web associate: www.apparelresources.com Editorial Enquiry HubReview E-mail: [email protected], 20 ETHIOPIA & MYANMAR: THE NEXT [email protected] ‘POWERHOUSE(S)’ OF SOURCING Phone: 011-47390000 Printing Ask Advertising Aids Pvt. Ltd. TechTalk 88, DSIDC, Okhla Indl. Area, Phase-I, 30 SCIENCE OF APPAREL 38 New Delhi-110 020 Phone : 26816824 MANUFACTURING: DESIGN THINKING Md. Ifthikar, Production Director, Sai-Tex All Rights Reserved © 2014 CompanyReview TechReads by Apparel Resources Pvt. Ltd. 34 SAI-TEX: PIONEERING THE VIETNAMESE 40 TECH READS – II No part of this magazine may be reproduced DENIM WAVE or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of To read StitchWorld content online, visit our website the publisher. www.apparelresources.com or call 91-11-47390000 www.apparelresources.com JULY 2016 StitchWorld 5 6 StitchWorld EDITORIAL The month of June has been like a roller coaster ride with some good news punctuated in-between the events that are disturbing and reason for concern. But the best news first... Apparel Resources launched its flagship brand Apparel Online in Vietnam this month. It was a proud moment for the team and the warm response that the magazine received from the local industry, the textile and garment association and the Indian expat community in the country was an icing on the cake. There are many Indian expatriates working in Vietnam garment industry, leading both buying offices and factories. The feedback I got from them only makes my resolve firmer to explore Vietnam and present it to the world as the next big sourcing hub of Asia. The other news that makes me very happy is the appointment of Smriti Irani as the Union Textiles Minister of India. Coming very close on the heels of the ‘Special Package’ announced by the Union Cabinet for the apparel industry, I sincerely hope that the industry will finally get its due recognition through a combination of firebrand leadership and timely policy interventions including some relaxations in labour laws that have been a long standing demand from the industry... However, I do hope that she is not diverted to look after UP politics. The announcement indicates that finally two things have been clearly understood by the Government – the enormous capability of this sector to generate employment, and the other is that the apparel export sector is not to be clubbed together with handloom. But among these reasons to rejoice, the exit of Britain from the EU is a matter of deep concern for many exporters as the Pound fell 15 per cent in just a few days riding on negative business sentiments. Exporters whose payments are yet to come will be hit hard, unless they had anticipated and hedged the risk in advance or negotiated payments in Euro…, which I doubt many have done! ‘Brexit’ also means that the negotiations with the EU for FTA will have to start afresh... Many also believe that with the UK out of the EU, the FTA would not be as impactful. Of the US $ 16-17 billion apparel exports from India, Europe accounts for 45 per cent, within which the UK holds the largest share of 40 per cent. For made-ups, the share of Europe is 20-25 per cent, of which the UK forms 15-20 per cent. The most worrying development however has been the eruption of terrorist activities in neighbouring Bangladesh. After the terror attack on a cafe in the elite locality of Gulshan in Dhaka that left 20 hostages dead, most of whom were foreigners working in the country, put us all under shock... But the firing and blast at Eid prayers have left the country as well as its well-wishers numb. This will certainly put fear into everyone and buyers may start working with factories closer home or at safer destinations. Is Bangladesh going the Pakistan way...? Will an industry that is roaring to grow be ‘killed’ by anti-human forces...? I hope not. I have always propagated that the Indian sub-continent is a thriving hub for garment sourcing with each country having its own strength making for one comprehensive region..., but if the terror attacks in Bangladesh are not nipped out soon, we could be getting into an era of business boycotts that would impact the whole region. Deepak Mohindra Editor-in-Chief Read and comment on my blog at http://stitchworldmagazine.blogspot.com www.apparelresources.com JULY 2016 StitchWorld 7 Tech Byte TECH BYTES There is a lot of technological development happening in sustainable washing and finishing of garments. However, the technology has remained out of reach for small- and medium-level manufacturing companies. Why is that so? Is it the cost of the technology or the scale of the business? Are these technologies susceptible to breakdowns and are the breakdowns easily repairable? Does the performance of these technologies depend on quality of water (water hardness) being used? For the technology providers: Are you planning to make these technologies in countries like India or Vietnam? Why do you think the adoption rate of these technologies is so low? With the machinery used for sustainable washing and and easily manageable. The only factor that affects the finishing of garment being sold at very high prices by the performance of these technologies is the human handling. machine manufacturers, it is extremely difficult for small- and If not done properly, the machine might face a breakdown. medium-level companies to adopt these technologies. Big Currently, these technologies are used extensively in Europe manufacturing firms might be able to buy the machinery for and might grow popular in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, sustainable washing and finishing if the margins received are depending upon the demands of the buyer. good, but with the current low and the tough competition in KHALED OBAID ULLAH the market, even the high-level companies are not ready to Managing Director, Eco Sourcing Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh invest in these technologies. Currently most of the companies get their washing and finishing done by the contractors and contractors are unable to recover the cost of machinery. Alongside the obvious factor of high investments needed, the most important reason of non-acceptance of the technology This spectrum of machineries does not use water or steam. is the absence of knowledge and skill about the machinery Instead it makes use of laser and ozone, which do not hamper and technology amongst the workers. With machinery the machinery and its components. Breakdowns, if any, can be being expensive and imported, if handled without proper easily managed. knowledge, the technology and machinery will face regular SRIHARI BALAKRISHNAN breakdowns. And since the machinery is not developed President, K G Fabriks Ltd., Coimbatore, India locally, it is difficult to obtain the damaged part repaired or replaced. Coming to the effect of water over the technology, it is not a great deal to be pondered upon. With the water To be very honest, the cost of machinery used in sustainable treatment plants, PH controllers, etc., the quality of water washing and finishing is very high. With technologies that required for the certain kind of wash can be easily altered. need a lot of capital investment, a manufacturer would need great orders and demands from buyers which is currently RAJESH SACHDEVA unavailable in the market. The small- and medium-level Managing Director, Upper Class Fashions, NCR, India companies are having a hard time with the usual orders that they are receiving right now. Moreover, currently the The main reason for the sustainable washing and finishing of market is dull and these manufacturers can’t really invest in garments technologies not being taken up is the high cost of the new technologies. The tough competition in market does machinery involved. Besides, currently, the products manufactured not allow even high-level companies to invest in these using sustainable washing and finishing technologies do not yet machineries and technologies. earn plush margins. With fierce competition in the market today, There is no harm in offering sustainable washing to buyers small- and medium-level companies do not have enough capital but looking at the cost of production of garments, investing to invest in the technologies as the work. These technologies in the technology for a few good orders does not make sense.