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Time of India
21 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Industry calls for innovation to revive textile sector
Ludhiana: The textile industry of Ludhiana, a city long hailed as the powerhouse of India's hosiery and knitwear sector, is facing an urgent need for reinvention amid rising global competition, bureaucratic red tape, and lack of govt support. These concerns, alongside future opportunities, were the focus of an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) along with ITMA. Titled "Challenges and opportunities in the Ludhiana textile industry," the event saw key industry leaders, experts, and association heads, including representatives from the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA), and the Knitwear Club. Jagbir Singh Sokhi, president of the Ludhiana Sewing Machine Technology Park Association, said, "We are no longer those self-reliant Indians. We've become copycats, proud to own iPhones and imported brands, but where is the pride in our own innovations? Where is the spirit of 'vocal for local'?" A recurring theme throughout the conference was the alarming lack of innovation. Sokhi pointed out how Punjab once led the world in sewing machine production, but in just two decades, Chinese brands like Zach have taken over 75% of the Indian market share. "They've even handed over machines to local tailors, collecting only a share of their earnings. We are now OE (original equipment) manufacturers for foreign brands, but where is our own brand identity?" he asked. Vinod Thapar, chairman of the Knitwear Club, emphasised challenges in attracting women to the workforce. A survey conducted jointly by UNIDO and the Knitwear Club years ago found that women excelled in the hosiery sector across countries like China, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Yet, Ludhiana has only 10% female participation in the sector, leaving a 40% vacuum in workforce potential. Thapar also raised concerns about a lack of workplace infrastructure and facilities for women. Avtar Singh Bhogal, senior vice-president of UCPMA, was blunt in his comparison of Indian and Chinese industrial environments. "While we are stuck in red tape just to buy land or get clearances, Chinese companies are already producing and exporting finished goods at the price it costs us to manufacture just the components." He added that Indian bikes weigh 15 kg, while the demand in Europe is for 1.5 kg carbon fibre bikes, which India is ill-equipped to produce due to lack of infrastructure and technology. Rajesh Bansal, another industry figure, focused on the environmental compliance costs that have hamstrung local manufacturers. "We face serious pollution concerns, but where are the subsidies for effluent treatment equipment? Processing of fibre and fabric manufacturing is lagging due to poor support," he said. Chandrika Chatterjee, secretary general of CITI, provided some optimism by speaking about the PM MITRA scheme and the Free Trade Agreement with the UK. She emphasised the untapped potential for increasing Indo-UK textile trade, which currently stands at $10 billion but could expand by an additional $4–5 billion. "The world is looking beyond China and Bangladesh. India has a real opportunity here, if we can address the bottlenecks," she said. Highlighting the urgency to foster innovation and startups in the sector, Suraj Dhawan of ITMA suggested organising hackathons to crowdsource fresh ideas and solutions for industry pain points. Sidharth Khanna, chairman of NITMA, and other senior members pointed out the need for deeper collaboration between govt bodies and the private sector to overcome export barriers and technology gaps.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Ludhiana hosiery industry protests against imports from Turkey, Bangladesh
Hosiery and textile industrialists in Punjab's Ludhiana staged a symbolic protest Tuesday morning, urging a boycott of garments imported from Turkey and Bangladesh to highlight their frustration over what they called a growing threat to the domestic industry and a lack of national solidarity from these countries during the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. The protest, held outside the office of the Knitwear Club on Cemetery Road, involved the burning of imported garments. Vinod Thapar, chairman of the Knitwear Club, said the protest was a symbolic act to awaken the public and the government. 'We burnt a few garments to register our anger, not just at the economic threat these imports pose, but also to question the stance of Turkey and Bangladesh, which failed to support India in the recent conflict with Pakistan. Ironically, India had extended humanitarian aid to Turkey during its devastating earthquake in February 2023, but it sided with Pakistan. It's time for Indian citizens to choose local over foreign,' said Thapar. Industrialists pointed out that while the import of garments from Bangladesh is duty-free under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), making them cheaper due to lower labour costs, many Turkish brands have also set up units in Bangladesh and are routing their products from there to avoid duties. 'This misuse of trade agreements is damaging Ludhiana's textile ecosystem, where many units are struggling to survive,' said Sarjeevan Jain of the Knitwear and Apparel Manufacturers Association of Ludhiana (KAMAL). Jain added that big Indian retail chains are continuing to stock garments from these countries, ignoring their geopolitical stance, and the damage caused to Indian businesses. Darshan Dawar, president of Knitwear Club, said, 'In India, Turkish and Bangladeshi garments are being proudly sold under their country labels. It's time we make our choice clear — the nation always first. If we continue to promote brands from countries that don't support India, we're compromising on both economic and national interests.' With rising imports from Bangladesh and Turkey, industrialists fear a further decline in demand for local products. After the India-Pakistan conflict, Ludhiana's industry leaders are not just calling for a boycott of products from these two nations, but also urging citizens to refrain from leisure travel to Turkey and to prioritise Indian-made brands in both personal and professional purchases. Ludhiana, often referred to as the 'Manchester of India' for winter wear, has around 12,000 small, medium, and large textile and hosiery units, employing over 5 lakh people directly and indirectly. The city contributes an estimated ₹40,000 crore annually to the domestic market and exports worth around ₹5,000 crore to global markets.
