IOPS launches services

International Organic Processing Standards (IOPS), a textile certification company, has launched its services here.

According to a release, IOPS is a textile testing, verification and certification company with offices in Canada and India. The company focuses on organic manufacturing processes in textiles and conducts training and awareness programmes, disseminates information and helps in networking. It assists textile units comply with environmental regulations and assesses the environmental performance of its clients.

SIMA revives textile park project in Andhra Prades

The Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) has revived its proposal to establish a textile park in Andhra Pradesh.The association that has about 95 members in Andhra Pradesh and 250 in Tamil Nadu has given new life to the project nearly after two years as the textile industry is reviving and some of the mills here have expressed willingness to expand or shift to Andhra Pradesh. The mills already having operations in Andhra Pradesh will also have the option of investing in the park.

Association chairman J. Thulasidharan told the SIMA signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government in 2007 to establish a textile park. The Government identified 5,000 acres for the project.It assured that the units that invested more than Rs.100 crore at the park would get uninterrupted power supply at Rs.1 a unit lesser than the existing tariff and the others would get power at 75 paisa a unit lesser. The Andhra Pradesh Government would also give Rs.5,000 per worker for training.

However, the project had not progressed as the mills were hit by the economic slowdown. Now, at least five units have expressed willingness to start operations in Andhra Pradesh. The labour and power shortage in Tamil Nadu was one of the factors that made the mills explore other destinations for investment.

They would purchase totally about 300 acres in Andhra Pradesh and set up the units individually, he said.The association would establish the park with common facilities when more units came forward to start operations.The association has also revived its proposal to establish a processing park at Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.

SISPA seeks ban on cotton exports

The South India Spinners Association has sought a ban on cotton exports.

Association president G. Soundararajan said in a release that cotton prices had soared during the last two months though the new season had just begun. Cotton production in the country had been affected this year because of drought in some States and heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

This had hit the quality of cotton too. By allowing export of cotton at the beginning of the season, the domestic textile industry would not get the advantage of home-grown cotton as the quality cotton would be covered for exports.Mr. Soundararajan said large-scale traders were covering large quantities of the cotton, thus pushing the prices up for the domestic textile industry.

The Government should ensure that quality cotton was available to the domestic industry at affordable prices by banning cotton exports, he said.

Handloom exhibition to be held in January

Hi-Tech International Trade Fair India Limited will organise a handloom exhibition (Grand Handloom Expo 2010) here from January 8 to 16.Chairman of Hi-Tech M.A. Rayappan told that the exhibition would have about 250 participants from the handloom societies across the country and nearly 50 retailers.

The event was organised in association with the Textiles Committee. The aim was to improve public awareness about handloom products and about the handloom mark.A model handloom village would be established at the venue displaying the loom and the process of producing a handloom product. Weavers from different parts of the country were expected to participate.

The exhibition would occupy a display area of 60,000 sq.ft at the Vijaya Fair Grounds.Various types of handloom products, including the traditional attire of all the States and sarees and made-ups made of cotton, silk, jute and kora would be some of the products exhibited.The organisers proposed to involve the State Governments and organise similar events in different centres – Madurai, Chennai, Panipet, etc.

Contest

PSG College of Technology would organise Fashion Fest, a contest for students, as part of the exhibition. Nearly 300 students were expected to take part. The participating colleges should send at least three entries of handloom products each.

A. Sakthivel, president of the Tirupur Exporters’ Association, launched the brochure for the exhibition at a function held here on Thursday. He said the initiative was needed now as handloom products were slowly losing market.He urged the organisers to conduct similar exhibitions in other States also. The fashion contest would help the weavers get new designs, he said.

SIMA to draft code of conduct for women..

The Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) is drafting a code of conduct for employing women in textile mills.Association chairman J. Thulasidharan told presspersons here on Tuesday that the code of conduct would cover a range of issues such as minimum take home wages, safety and security measures for the workers, welfare measures, and facilities provided in the hostels. The association was trying to have third-party certification for the implementation of the code.

The textile mills in the State provided employment to about five lakh workers and two-third of them were women. The mills usually employed these workers as apprentices for a three-year period. Some units gave them the option to continue as permanent workers after the apprenticeship period.With reports that some of the mills were not providing adequate facilities and wages to these workers, the SIMA chairman said the association constituted a committee recently to draft the code of conduct. The programme would be finalised in a couple of months. The mills would have the option to follow the code of conduct and get a certification, he said.

Further, Mr.Thulasidharan said the association had written to the State and Central Governments seeking ban on cotton exports.

About 50 per cent of the cotton arrivals in the market since October 1 were covered by exporters. Cotton prices had shot up during the last two weeks though the current cotton season (September–October) had just begun and the country had a carry over stock of 72 lakh bales during the end of the last season.The domestic mills were unable to get quality cotton at affordable prices.

During the last one week, the mills had sent fax and telegram messages to the State and Union Governments seeking ban on cotton exports at least till March next year.A national-level delegation would meet the Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Premier mills fory into luxary bed market

Premier Fine Linens , part of Coimbatore-based $200 million Premier mills group, plans to tap the domestic market for its luxury bedlinens. It has been catering to the global market, supplying to leading American and European brands like Calvin Klein, Westpoint Home and Sferra for the last 12 years.The company, which produces fashionable bed linens including duvet covers, pillow shams, blankets, coverlets, quilts, table linens and cushions, is planning to sell them under its own brand name Premier Fine Linens in India.

"We were predominantly exporting to the US (80%) and European markets. After seeing increasing demand for hi-end bed-linens in India, we consciously decided to launch our products here too," Premier Fine Linens MD Shanthi Srinivasan told . Premier will test the Indian waters, launching its brand in south by February 2010 and go national by June 2010.Though the size of the domestic furnishings market is not officially available, Ms Shanthi said, the initial surveys in the southern states have put the market size of branded luxury bed-linens at Rs 60 crore. Although the figure looks miniscule, nearly 65% sales of bed linens in the south are in the unbranded segment, she added.

"There are only a few branded players like Bombay Dyeing, Wellspun, Hot Wheels and Portico in India. So, we have decided to make a domestic foray under our own brand name," she said.
A vertically integrated company, Premier Fine Linens has its weaving and stitching units in Pollachi and processing house in Perundurai. At present, the stitching unit has a capacity to produce 1 lakh sheets per month. To cater to the local markets, it is looking to increase its capacity by 20%.

The company is initially planning to tap mid-segment and upper segment markets in India. "We are also looking to offer exclusive range of products (high-end bed linens) in boutique stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad," Ms Shanthi added. It has also tied up with CGH Earth Hotels and Hyatt in India and is slowly looking to increase its presence in the hospitality segment too.Premier reported a turnover of Rs 75 crore last fiscal. It is targeting the Rs 100-crore mark this year. Like other textile exporters, the company too saw a drop in exports orders from January 2009 in the wake of global slowdown.

"Though the market picked up by July and August this year, prices are still lower than last year’s. But we are running to full capacity," Ms Shanthi said. The company is also mulling a foray into Australia next month.

Textiles Committee reconstituted

The Union Textiles Ministry has reconstituted its Textiles Committee. T.Kannan, Managing Director of Thiagaraja Mills, Madurai, is the new Chairman of the panel.

The re-constituted committee includes Senthil Kumar, BKS Textiles, Palladam, M.Ramaswamy of Warsaw International, Tirupur, Sanja Jayvarthanavelu of Lakshmi Machine Works, Coimbatore, Britto Joseph of Madurai, Ajay Himatsingka, Chairman, Himatsingka Seide, S.P.Oswal, CMD, Vardhaman Textile Limited and Vijay Aggarwal, Creative Garment, Mumbai.
The other members are: Confederation of Indian Industry's Secretary General, Chairpersons of the Confederation of Indian Textiles Industry, Southern India Mills Association, Cotton Textile Promotion Council, Synthetic and Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council, Apparel Export Promotion council, Northern India Textile Mills Association, Indian Powerloom Federation, and Wool and Woolen Export Promotion Council.

The Presidents of Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association and Federation of Indian Art Silk Weaving Industry and Director of Northern India Textile Research Association are also part of the new panel, along Joint Secretary and Director (Internal Finance) in the Textiles Ministry.
Textile Commissioner, A.B.Joshi, will be the Vice Chairman of the Committee.

The main function of the Committee is to ensure standard qualities of textiles both for internal marketing and export and manufacture and use of standard type of textile machinery. It is also responsible for establishing laboratories and test houses for the industry.

SIMA explores options to meet power demand

Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), which represents a large number of textile mills in the organised sector, is exploring various options to meet the energy requirements of its members as the power shortage in the State is expected to increase with the drop in wind energy generation.

Association chairman J. Thulasidharan told that SIMA had submitted applications to the Power Exchange India from five member mills that had dedicated feeders.The association was also in talks with private companies for inter-State and intra-State third party power purchase by individual mills.Power was available at Rs. 6.50 to Rs. 7 a unit now and if the demand, the association might consider negotiating prices. Mr. Thulasidharan said the power requirements of the member mills were 550 MW and the connected load of the textile industry in the State was 1,800 MW. The mills in the State now faced 20 per cent power cut apart from peak hour restrictions and two hours load shedding a day.

Earlier, the mills had 40 per cent power cut. With the wind energy generation declining, the power cut was likely to be increased. The market was good now and power shortage would affect the mills, he said.The association appealed to the State Government to treat textiles, especially the processing units, as “continuous process” industry.The machinery and production process would be hit if the power cut was implemented in phases every day.

The power cut could be scheduled so that mills used grid power or the power purchased continuously for a specific period, he suggested. The association also appealed to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to facilitate third party purchase for small and medium-scale units by bundling the demand.

Training on Sulzer weaving machine ..

The South Indian Textile Research Association (SITRA) will organise a training on “Sulzer Projectile Weaving Machine” for one month. Candidates who have passed Standard X and are aged between 18 and 32 can apply. The annual income of the candidate should be Rs. 1 lakh or less and the applicant should be from backward, most backward or any denotified community. An interview will be held on October 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the association premises to select candidates.

New equipment to test Fibre and Yarn !

The Textiles Committee Test House here has installed two new equipment to test fibre and yarn.A release said the committee was in the process of modernising and upgrading its laboratories across the country. The total cost of the new equipment installed here was Rs. 95 lakh.

The advanced fibre information system (Uster Afis Pro 2) would help measure fibre, nep, trash particles and the fibre individualiser would measure single fibre. The Classimat (Uster Classimat Quantum) would check cleared and uncleared yarn, yarn defects and foreign fibres in yarn. It would enable the committee to give the results immediately.

S. Periasamy, Deputy Director of the committee, said the equipment would help deduct the nep in cotton quality and remove it.The equipment was inaugurated by K. Selvaraju, Secretary General of the Southern India Mills’ Association.

Textile sector needs to move up value chain

he Indian textile and clothing sector needs to move up the value chain, especially in apparels, to be competitive in the export market, T.C. Venkat Subramanian, Chairman and Managing Director of Export-Import Bank of India, said here recently.Inaugurating a CEO conference organised by the Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), he said Indian units were losing their competitive edge in low-value apparel.

Most of the textile goods manufactured in the country were commodities–yarn, fabric and unbranded products – and, these were vulnerable to cyclical trends. Probably, the units would be able to improve their competitiveness if they were able to increase production and reduce the prices. “We have to cut costs, be energy efficient and rationalise many things to regain the lost markets,” he suggested. According to studies done by the bank, globally about 12 per cent of export volume was lost with the recession.

The United States and the European Union were major engines of global trade and these two markets should revive for exports to look up.These two markets were also the world’s major consumers of textile and clothing products.Nearly 38 per cent of India’s textile exports were to the U.S. and the European Union.Mr. Subramanian also urged the textile units to look at projects available overseas.He gave away SIMA Tchno Facts awards to 10 companies for their operational efficiency.

S.V. Arumugam, vice-chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, said the industry faced problems on all fronts – raw material, labour, finance and energy.The captive power project proposed by the SIMA a couple of years ago could be revived depending on the response from the members. The State Government was expected to issue guidelines soon enabling the industries in the State to purchase power from the power exchanges in Mumbai and Delhi.

SIMA focus on Power !!

The Southern India Mills’ Association has submitted proposals to the State Government to help textile mills in the State buy power from the power exchanges.

The newly-elected chairman of the association, J. Thulasidharan, and Vice-Chairman T. Rajkumar told presspersons here on Tuesday that power cost was 13 to 14 per cent of the sales value (grid power) for the mills. Since last November, the mills in the State were hit by power shortage and were now facing 20 per cent power cut. This was expected to go up to 40 per cent in a couple of months since energy generation from wind mills would drop.

Five mills that had dedicated feeder were awaiting approval from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission to source power directly from the power exchanges on a daily-load basis as a trial project.The total power requirement of the association’s member mills in the State was 500 MW. The SIMA had requested the Tata Power Trading Company to give a proposal on supply (inter-State or intra-State) during windy and non-windy seasons.

By purchasing power from the exchanges to meet the shortage instead of operating the generator sets, the energy cost would be nearly 50 per cent less for the mills. As a long-term project, the association was also working on the proposed captive power plant.

New office-bearers

Meanwhile, J. Thulasidharan, Managing Director of Rajaratna Mills, Palani Taluk, has been elected chairman of the Southern India Mills’ Association for 2009-2010.

The other office-bearers of the association are: S. Dinakaran, Joint Managing Director of Sambandam Spinning Mills, Salem (Deputy Chairman) and T. Rajkumar, Managing Director of Sri Mahasakthi Mills, Coimbatore (Vice-Chairman).

Coimbatore textile institute to be upgraded !

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Textile Management in Coimbatore will be upgraded and renamed Indian School of Textiles, the government announced Thursday.“The school will engage itself in research and will also undertake comprehensive consultancy services for the industry,” Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran told reporters here.

He did not say when the upgrading would be complete or the institute become operational.The government also plans to build capacities for environment and social compliance with a view to capture overseas markets and meet global environmental standards.All this, Maran said, was part of the ministry’s agenda for the coming 265 days.

“After the successful completion of 100 days’ agenda, we have a huge task cut out before us to maximize productivity and welfare of stakeholders and tackle the issues affecting the holistic growth and development of textiles industry.”The ministry will also promote research and development in textiles sector including developing better handlooms to provide a “common technology platform” on commercial basis for promotion of new technologies to achieve value addition and product diversification.

Maran had said Aug 31 that an additional $1.5 billion of foreign exchange could be earned from the US market if there was a sustained effort.

Seminar at KCT on Textiles

The Textile Technology and Machinery Core of Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT) will organise a seminar on “Speciality Finishes in Textiles” on the college premises on September 9.

According to a release, it will be held in association with Indian Society for Technical Education.

Highlight

The seminar will highlight the importance of finishing textile fabrics for value addition. Middle level management executives from textile, weaving and processing industries, faculty, research scholars and students are expected to attend.

Registration

Those interested can register online at kct.tifaccore@gmail.com by paying Rs. 500.

For details, contact: The Co-ordinator, TIFAC CORE in Textile Technology and Machinery, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore – 641006, or call 0422-2669488, the release added.

Yarnex 2009 !

In the face of growing competition from around the world, more and more Indian manufacturers of apparel and home textiles are moving up the value chain,” said Mr. P. Krishnamurthy, CEO, S S Media & Marketing, Bangalore, organizers of the show. “This is a direct reflection of consumers’ demand in India and overseas for higher quality and value added products.” Weavers in this belt have already appreciated the announcement of a tailor-made show for yarn products instead of including yarn as a small sub-segment as part of a larger trade show.

A major highlight at the show will be the ‘Capacity Enhancement Workshop Series for the Textile and Clothing Enterprises’ titled ‘Building Competitiveness through Value Addition.’ To be held on the second day of the show i.e. Saturday, September 5, 2009 between 09:45am and 1:30pm, the program will be conducted in two sessions.’

The first part will be titled ‘Assistance for Apparel Value Chain Enrichment – New Government Schemes for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.The second session will discuss ‘Avenues for Moving up in the Value Chain with Traditional Textiles and Clothing Segments.’ The sessions will be addressed by well-known personalities from the government, academic and industrial segments.

Yarnex 2009 comes from the house of S S Media & Marketing, organizers of the Fabrics & Accessories Trade Show, an event that is held yearly in Bangalore. The show recently completed its sixth successful year in a row.

CCI aksed to setup sale depots !

The textile ministry has asked Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to set up sale depots at Coimbatore and Madurai in Tamil Nadu in order to control the rise in the raw material price, Speaking at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Southern India Mills Association (Sima) at SITRA auditorium here on Saturday, the Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran said CCI would set up sale depots in Tamil Nadu in the coming 2009-10 cotton season itself (October-September) .

The depots will store cotton bales from producing states like Gujarat and Maharashtra and sell them to local mills. The minister expected the measure to benefit the local mills obviating the need to import cotton. Availability of cotton at doorsteps will reduce production cost of yarn by about Rs 2 per kg. But, he wanted the mills to pass the benefit through the value chain.

Earlier, Sima chairman Dr K V Srinivasan appealed to the minister for easing the supply of raw materials and make them available at competitive prices. Later in the day, after inaugurating the four modernized mills under National Textile Corporation (NTC, Mr Maran said, the ministry has instructed NTC to look at the option of manufacturing technical textiles in its existing units in Coimbatore.

"NTC will soon submit a project feasibility report for manufacturing medical textiles or geo textiles or agri textiles in one of these mills," he added. The minister also urged the industry, particularly the conventional textiles sector, to make efforts to create more marketing and technical awareness on technical textiles products. He said , the government will set up a speciality centre of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) here to cater to the needs of local industry and provide design, technology and management inputs for individual units as well as for the industry.

"NTC will hand over its 7-acre land to NIFT to set up the campus which will also host the centre for apparel and textiles studies (CATS)," he added.

Open End Spinning Mills On Strike

As many as 225 open end spinning mills in the State that employ nearly 40,000 workers directly are on strike from Wednesday as yarn stocks have piled up at the units because of the ongoing powerloom strike. G. Arulmozhi, secretary of the association, told ‘The Hindu’ that the mills in Coimbatore, Vellakoil, Madurai, Aruppukottai, Rajapalayam, Erode and Udumalpet produced mainly coarse count yarn used in the powerlooms. About three lakh powerlooms in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts were on strike from August 5 protesting against the reduction in wages for the job workers.

Nearly 50,000 of these were expected to resume operations from August 17. The powerloom strike had resulted in yarn stocks increasing at the mills. Mr. Arulmozhi said the mills produced goods worth Rs. 5 crore a day and the yarn stocks with the mills were worth nearly Rs. 50 crore. If the mills continued production, it would only lead to further loss. Hence, it was decided to stop production.

Powerloom Owners Withdraw Strike

Powerloom owners have agreed to withdraw their strike from August 17 and adequate police protection will be provided to them by the Coimbatore and Tirupur district police to run power loom units in Karumathampatti and Somanur areas, a release from District Collector, P. Umanath here has said. A total of 55,000 looms run by 6,765 loom owners are employing nearly 1 lakh employees in Somanur, Kannampalayam in Sulur block in Coimbatore district and at Palladam, Avanashi, Mangalam, Velampalayam, Thekkalur and Perumanallur areas in Tirupur district.

From September 15, 32 per cent increase in wages is being given for Somanur variety of power loom products and 27 per cent for other varieties as wages to the workers according to the agreement reached on August 28, 2008. Under such circumstances, looms that worked for wages as job units (not manufacturing textile products) went on strike from August 5, 2009 citing payment of wages lesser (15 per cent as a fallout of recession) to what was agreed to. Even the loom owners who produced textiles (not running their looms for wages as job unit) extended support from August 10, 2009.

The District Administration made it clear that wages will have to be paid as per the proceedings issued on September 28, 2009 and there should not be any cut in wages. Loom owners who are into textile business had pointed out that they had joined the strike from August 10 only on the basis of request made by the looms that worked for wages. Considering the situation and various circumstances these textile producing loom owners have agreed to withdraw their strike and run the looms with effect from August 17.

In order to thwart trouble by the other section of the loom owners who run their unit for wages, district police in Coimbatore and Tirupur have been asked to provide police protection to the units as well as the workers therein. In the event of any trouble for power loom units that resume working, stringent legal action will be initiated against those causing trouble, Dr.Umanath said.

Open End Spinning Mills Association Called An Indefinite Strike

The Open End Spinning Mills Association has called for an indefinite strike from August 12 following huge stagnation of yarn with its members due to powerloom strike. In a release here, G. Arulmozhi, association secretary, said yarn worth several crores of rupees was stagnating with the association members. Hence, the strike was decided at a meeting held here on Sunday in which members of the association from Vellakoil, Udmalpet, Coimbatore, Rajapalayam, Salem and Erode areas took part. The association also urged the Central Government to ban export of waste cotton, the major raw material for the open end spinning mills. Besides, it had appealed to the State Government to drop the 4 per cent VAT imposed on waste cotton and also the yarn produced from this type of cotton.

2 lakh Powerlooms Idle

Nearly 2 lakh powerlooms in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts remained idle on Wednesday as job working units announced an indefinite strike demanding restoration of higher rates for fabric making. Textile units that give yarn to job working units have reduced rates for fabric making by 10%, a person representing powerloom weavers’ association in Somanur, a fabric hub, said. They had given a 22% hike last August and have slashed it by 10% recently citing demand slowdown, he said. Powerlooms in these districts produce about 1.5 crore metres of cloth a day and the strike would lead to production loss of around Rs 20 crore per day.