SGS Softlines has extended its testing facilities in the East India by opening a new state-of-the-art laboratory in Kolkata, West Bengal.

As per reports, the laboratory is equipped with the latest technology and equipment and specializes in a comprehensive range of quality tests for fabrics, garments, jute bags, HDPE bags, knitted fabrics and PP Bags.

It provides an easy access to textile and jute manufacturers from the east region of India who can now access a range of world-class quality testing services at close proximity.

The laboratory has received NABL and BIS accreditation and is in line with SGS commitment of quality and excellence in service delivery. It is expected to meet the increased demand for inspection and testing services for textiles, jute and jute products.

This laboratory boosts SGS Softlines’ continued support of the textile and jute industry with various quality tests including Physical, Chemical & Performance tests as per applicable standards for different markets - Indian market (IS standards) and International market (ISO standards).

With a global network of testing facilities, SGS delivers a full spectrum of services to the textile and footwear industry, at every stage of the value chain, from raw materials to the manufacture of finished products and their packaging, with services to help them meet the requirements of regulators, distributors, retailers and consumers around the world. SGS experts devise unique service plans tailored to the customer needs and delivered in the local language.

Amidst all the disruption it has caused, COVID-19 has provided Indian textile industry with an opportunity to rid itself off its dependency on offline operations involving the wholesaler, semi wholesaler, retailers, middle persons etc. As per YourStory, the online textile industry has witnessed a massive surge in the past one year with many retailers’ revenues inching towards the $1 billion mark. In future too, this trend of increased sales in the online textile industry is likely to persist, giving rise to many online retailer unicorns.

Textile e-tailers to benefit from government schemes

Post-COVID-19, domestic consumption in the Indian textile industry is likely to increase with the government introducing many new policies to facilitate growth. In Budget 2021-22, it introduced a scheme to set up mega textile parks in the country to attract large investments and boost employment generation.

The scheme, called MITRA, entails the government setting up seven mega textile parks over the next three years. Equipped with all integrated facilities, these parks will help minimize transportation losses through quick turnaround time. Online textile retailers will emerge as the biggest beneficiaries of these developments.

Rise of new technology trends

Technology plays an important role in the Indian textile industry by facilitating all its right from sourcing raw materials to giving final shape to the products. In future, the industry is expected to witness the rise of new technology trends such as an increased demand for natural fibers, shifting focus towards non-woven fabrics, etc.

Need for more policies

Endowed with an immense potential to contribute to India’s economic development, textile industry needs more support from the government in terms of new policies and a crackdown on red tape. Additionally, the government needs to introduce more export promotion policies for the sector. It needs to launch new initiatives to take the sector on a growth path.

Zodiac Clothing brand Z3 has launched a new range of light, airy, summer shirts in 100 per cent cotton woven in a manner that gives the fabric a puckered appearance in places. These shirts are easy to maintain as they do not need to be ironed. They are available in summer shades across solids and stripes and can be paired with chinos or jeans.

Zodiac Clothing Co (ZCCL) is a vertically integrated, trans-national firm that controls the entire clothing chain from design, manufacturing, distribution to retail sales. Its manufacturing facilities are based in India with sales offices across India, UK, Germany and USA. The company operates Italian inspired design studio at its Mumbai Corporate office which is a LEED Gold certified building.

ZCCL has three premium, menswear brands, each clearly positioned to address a specific target consumer. Its brand Zodiac offers classic yet contemporary male's corporate wardrobe, The brand ZOD!offers club wear for the trendy, fashionable male while z3 offers trendy and fashionable workwear for men. The brand is retailed across India at premium prices through over 100 company-managed stores and 1200 multi – brand retailers.

The boost provided by the US-China trade war to India’s cotton exports in marketing year (MY) 2019-20 was offset by the spread of pandemic. However, the country was able to control the pandemic’s impact through lockdowns and vaccination, reports SRTEPC. This also boosted area under cotton cultivation by 5.56 per cent to 13.30 hectare and production by 14.34 per cent to 29.50 million 480-lb bales in MY 2019-20.

Increase in cotton production to boost prices

India’s area under cotton cultivation is expected to reach 13.40 hectare while production is expected to increase to 29.50 million 480-lb bales in the year. Cotton exports are expected to increase 42.86 per cent in the MY 2020-21 to 500 million 480-lb bales while imports are expected to decline by 56.14 per cent to 1.00 million 480-lb bales.

Prices of Indian cotton fibers have been growing considerably since January 2021. For example, price of DCH-32 from Karnataka and V-797 from Gujarat increased 20.14 per cent and 22.87 per cent to Rs 71.23/candy and Rs 33.89 candy in March 2021 up from Rs 59.29/candy and Rs 27.58 /candy in January 2021, respectively. Price of other cotton varieties such as J-34-RG from Bhatinda, MCU-5 from Andhra Pradesh, MECH from Maharashtra, Mech-I/H-4 from Madhya Pradesh and Shankar-6 from Gujarat have also increased by 4to 7 per cent.

Growing demand for value added cotton textiles

There is increased demand for value added cotton textiles since the beginning of MY 2020-21. Most demand is being generated from countries like China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. In the first half of MY2020-21 India’s monthly average yarn exports surged 15.67 per cent to 89.64 thousand metric ton and is further expected to increase 6.64 per cent from January to July 2021.

Meanwhile, fabric exports are expected to remain stable at a slightly lower value from January to July 2021. In the first half MY 2020-21, fabric exports surged 36.61 per cent to 169.52 thousand metric tonne from the monthly average exports of 124.10 thousand metric tonne in the MY 2019-20.

Up-and-coming brand The Saree Sneakers, launched under the aegis of design label Origgo, is continuing to expand its fusion-style product offering, pioneering sneakers paired with occasion wear.

The Saree Sneakers, recently launched by Kolkata- based designer Shruti Kasat, is making a name for itself by offering sneakers embellished with traditional Indian embroidery techniques. The sneakers are designed to be worn with occasion wear such as lehengas and sarees, according to the brand’s Facebook page.

The brand has also launched a custom service which enables brides to have sneakers created to match their wedding look, made using the same textiles. The brand also offers the addition of wedding hashtags, initials, and wedding dates etc. as embellishments on the trainers.

Leading menswear brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, Peter England has launched its new Spring/Summer collection titled, ‘The Antiviral Linen Project’. The collection was launched through a campaign with the tagline ‘Easy On You’. The collection offers a wide array of premium linen shirts in varied designs and colors. These 100 per cent linen shirts are breathable, feather-soft and infused with antiviral technology powered by Viroban, a Swiss fabric technology firm.

Infused with antiviral and antibacterial technology, ‘The Antiviral Linen Project’ collection is available in over 70 styles across the country through exclusive brand outlets, departmental stores, e-commerce partners, the brand’s website and multi-brand outlets.

The brand has launched a digital campaign across multiple new age digital channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other high impact properties, to reach out to the target consumers.

The commercial features two free spirited young men on the go, sporting the company’s linen shirts and enjoying landscapes, while dodging the hustle of city life and office. The campaign aims to assert the theme of ‘Going Easy’ this summer, with the comfort of impeccably crafted linen shirts from the brand.

The pandemic has transformed work patterns across all industries in India. No industry has remained unaffected by the crisis; more so the retail industry. Overnight, Indian retailers were forced to redefine their supply chains as a contactless process. They had to move inventory from centralized warehouses to local stores, says a Economic Times report. Fashion retailers, in particular, had to pivot their entire operations to online platforms and transform their stores into micro-fulfillment centres.

This led to the rise of a new retail in India as the industry began to embrace new technologies. Retailers no longer rely on outdated data to predict future trends. They are adopting new tools like AI and machines to improve their relationships with suppliers. ServiceNow’s Now Platform helps these retailers maximize visibility across supply chain through intelligent workflows.

Ensures clarity of expectations

Retailers are benefiting from digitization as it helps them onboard new suppliers besides ensuring clarity of expectations in terms of product deliveries. Digitization also helps suppliers connect with vendors and monitor their performance regularly. This further helps control costs, alleviate risks, drive continuous improvement and boost customer satisfaction. Retailers can also measure the impact of vendors on their operations with information on service management information assessments and reports.

Rising consumer expectations has made it crucial for retailers to identify and mitigate pain points across supply chain. They need to be equipped to identify flaws immediately in supplies for downstream stakeholders to respond and front-end agents to access accurate information.

Reduction in production and supply costs

The pandemic has also reemphasized the importance of maintaining a healthy retail supply chain. Digitization can help retailers manage operational risks through only a clik of a button. Digitization has helped ServiceNow customers reduce production and supply chains costs by around 10-20 per cent. Retailers have been able to reduce their working capital costs by around 15 per cent while increasing revenues by 6 per cent. They are reporting more inclusive growth by enrolling kiranas and MSMEs into their supply chain. ServiceNow’s industry-wide digital transformation helps these retailers smoothen their workflows across India.

Textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to be affected by the spread of COVID-19 in Maharashtra as nearly 40 per cent of the yarn produced here is sold to the weaving units in Maharashtra.

As per The Hindu, Maharashtra Government has not restricted movement of vehicles and has not asked the powerloom units to stop production. However, fearing the spread of the pandemic, several migrant workers at the weaving clusters in Maharashtra are returning to their home State. This is likely to affect production in the weaving units. Tamil Nadu, which is the largest yarn producer in the country, sells 40 % of the yarn to weaving clusters, such as Bhiwandi and Ichalkaranji, in that state.

Maharashtra has 12 lakh powerlooms as against 6.5 lakhs in Tamil Nadu. Hence, its demand for yarn is huge. With the spread of COVID-19 and worker shortage in Maharashtra, the textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to see 10 per cent to 20 per cent impact for a couple of months. Any restriction to control the spread of the pandemic should be introduced in a phased manner so that the workers and businesses are not affected.

Covid-19 has slowdown India’s apparel retail market once more. With malls and stores under lockdown in metros business is at its lowest this year. In fact, the scenario was different just a few weeks ago. Footfalls in stores had increased and ecommerce players too were doing good business after few bad months in 2020. Walmart owned Myntra and Ambani owned Ajio two of India’s largest fashion e-commerce firms saw a recovery in 202o after taking a hit during lockdown.

Sales recovery augurs well

Myntra and Ajio had both seen a fall in nationwide sales due to the lockdown in 2020. With no outing and socialisation, people did not feel the need to buy new clothes. Then there were supply constraints and deliveries slowed down. The festive season however, brought some cheer and both fashion etailers surpassed pre-Covid reach by the end of the year, as indicated by market intelligence firm Kalagato’s study.

The study revealed, while athleisure category was the only one that continued to grow during the lockdown period, other categories lagged behind. However, the festive season gave them a sales boost as well. The Kalagato study indicated tech-savvy youngsters make up the bigger share of buyers, however older customers too have shopped online during the pandemic. For example, Myntra shoppers in the 45-plus age group went up almost 12 per cent in 2020. And Ajio, recorded a huge 98 per cent increase in 45 plus category shoppers. What’s more it’s the Tier II, III markets that clocked in more orders for both firms.

Kalagato’s data on monthly active users highlighted, similar patterns for both players. By December, nearly 60 per cent Ajio and Myntra app users were opening the apps at least once each month. Incidentally, the percentage of customers who transacted on Myntra was nearly four times that of Ajio in January 2020. However, by December 2020, both players had similar range. “The even-ing out of order patterns and loss of momentum is a direct result of the lockdown,” Kalagato’s report said.

Bug bears on the way

However, the study also showed despite the recovery, there have been several bug bears on the way. While the recovery looks good on paper, there have been struggles. As in the months following the lockdown, both had to offer huge discounts to boost sales. They even began levying additional fees on low-value orders to stay afloat. And then their were logistical issues like of return deliveries had to be quarantined for 48 hours.

Now with the second the wave, curfews and lockdowns, how both etailers manage their business and sales will be watched as it will be a reflection of the online fashion segment as a whole.

One of largest manufacturer of l manmade cellulosic fibre (MMCF)in India, Birla Cellulose has been awarded with the National Innovative and Sustainable Supply Chain Award, initiated by the UN Global Compact Network India (GCNI)—the Indian local network of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).

The case study of Liva Reviva & Fully Traceable Circular Global Fashion Supply Chains – was awarded for innovation in recycled and circular fibre made with pre-consumer fabric waste and end-to-end ‘live’ supply chain transparency and traceability through its unique blockchain-based platform GreenTrack.

This case study solves two unique challenges: mounting textile waste which is either incinerated or landfilled due to lack of recycling technologies, and lack of transparency / traceability in the scattered, complex and long fashion supply chains.

Birla Cellulose has achieved a path breaking innovation in manufacturing viscose fibre “Liva Reviva” using 20 per cent pre-consumer fabric waste following the principles of circular economy. This innovation has the distinction of Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and portrays Birla Cellulose's commitment to developing NextGen solutions.

Through its pioneering platform GreenTrack based on blockchain technology, Birla Cellulose along with its value chain partners tracks material flow real time in the supply chain of fibre, from certified forests to the end consumers. Through simple scan of QR code end-to-end sustainability journey is visible to consumers and helps them make an informed purchase decision.

Spykar and Swag Fashions have joined hands to create the 83 fashion line.The brand signifies India’s World Cup glory and its cricketing passion. The brand reflects the values of team spirit, triumph, euphoria, self-relief and determination. The Brand 83 offers two ranges; a range that reflects Indian heritage another contemporary and sports-lifestyle range.

As per Vishal Sinha, CEO, Swag Fashions Hub, Brand 83 truly depicts the cricketing spirit of India and intersects the influence of fashion and culture, thereby offering the cricket frenzy people of India their own homegrown cricketing Brand 83. Spykar, with an edge & experience in creating fashion products, would bring-in trendy 83 fashion wear which are currently available on Myntra.

Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar says, his brand is keen to explore the synergies with limited edition merchandise. It will showcase a fashionable and sporty range of trendy T-shirts , smart shirts , polo T-shirts and other exciting products.