Texcon14

Role of Indian Textile and Apparel Industry in Changing Global SupplyDemand Scenario
15 - 16 October 2014: Hotel The Lalit, New Delhi

Conference Proceedings
Conference Background
Texcon 2014 is the 3rd textile and apparel sector conference organized by Confederation of Indian
Industries (CII) in consecutive years. Since the first conference in 2012, Texcon has come a long way.
Today it is positioned as one of the premier events in Indian textile and apparel sector which is
attended by decision makers from private as well as government sector. Deliberations held in
Texcon have always been taken forward to Government and industry fora for further action.
The current global apparel market size is estimated at approx. US$ 1.15 trillion which forms nearly
1.8% of the world GDP. It is expected that by 2025, the cumulative size of Indian and Chinese
markets will be higher than that of USA and EU. In 2013, India became 2nd largest exporter of textile
and apparel products globally and registered a higher growth rate of 9% against the global growth of
5% since 1995.
In the global textile and apparel industry, few trends have emerged with time. Firstly, the growth of
synthetic fibre based categories is higher than natural fibres. By 2030, it is expected that the gap
between the cotton and synthetic fibre consumption will get more widened. Secondly, the supply
base has been consolidated, i.e. fewer countries are having share of some significance in total trade.
Lastly, trade agreements have been playing an important role in determining the trade flow between
regions.
From an overall perspective Indian textile and apparel sector is in a strong position. The growing
Indian economy will lead to higher domestic demand, and flexibility and long term partnership with
retailers will be required to tap the opportunities appearing in various market segments.

Inaugural Session
Dignitaries:
1. Mr. Thomas Varghese, Chairman, CII National Committee on Textiles and CEO, Aditya Birla
Group
2. Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Joint Managing Director, Wazir Advisors Pvt. Ltd.
3. Mr. Jim Brett, President - West Elm, Williams Sonoma Inc, USA
4. Ms. Sunaina Tomar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India
5. Mr. Phani Bhoushan Choudhury, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles & Jute, Government of
Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
6. Mr. Saurabhbhai Patel, Honble Minister for Finance, Energy, Mines & Minerals, Petroleum
and Cottage Industry, Government of Gujarat
7. Mr. D L Sharma, Conference Chairman, CII Texcon 2014 & Director, Vardhman Textiles Ltd.

Mr. Thomas Varghese initiated the opening session with his welcome address briefing the growth
potential of Indian textile and apparel industry. He highlighted the role of man-made fibre and said
that FDI can only come in MMF category as it is technology-focused and there is substantial
requirement of investment in this category. He focused on the huge opportunities of the technical
textile and apparel industry and the need for collaboration between industry and academia. He also
stressed on creating brand India and India to become global fashion hub by 2024.
Mr. Prashant Agarwal presented the theme address in the conference through which he highlighted
the emerging trends and its impact on Indian textile and apparel industry. He gave an overview of
global and Indian market and key advantages of the Indian industry. He listed major emerging sector
trends and said that the consolidation is happening at country-level. He further added that as Indian
economy is growing, it will lead to higher domestic demand and exports which requires large
integrated set-ups and the industry should take the advantage of Make in India focus.
Mr. Jim Brett delivered the key note address of the conference presenting a need for investment in
cultural heritage. He said that India has unique opportunity and competitive edge over China in
handloom and handicraft sector. He further added that skill development and vocational training
programs will take India forefront to handloom and handicraft global market.

Ms. Sunaina Tomar presented the various initiatives taken up by the government for the textile
sector. She mentioned the three key challenges faced by the textile industry are finance cost, land &
environment clearances and labour reforms which need to addressed. For this there is a need to
focus on economies of scale, infrastructure, skill development, technology development and brand
promotion. She also mentioned the various schemes launched by the central government for
infrastructure, technology upgradation, market development, etc. She wrapped up her address by
saying that there will be an intensive program to link fashion and handloom, and by 2018 there will
be production subsidies instead of export subsidies.
Mr. Phani B. Choudhary delivered the special address to the conference presenting the growth
factors and challenges of the Bangladesh textile industry. He said that both India and Bangladesh are
sustaining the increase in demand due to competitive prices. He further said that Bangladesh textile
industry has grown at a CAGR of 15% for last 7 years and the factors leading to high growth rate are
competitive labour forces, innovativeness of entrepreneurs, MFA and duty free quota. He concluded
by saying that there is a need to focus more towards the occupational health and safety standards.
After that Mr. Saurabhbhai Patel released the report on Role of Indian Textile and Apparel Sector in
Changing Global Supply-Demand Scenario by Wazir Advisors, knowledge partners of the
conference.
He presented the inaugural address in the conference in which he shed light on thrust area of Indian
textile industry. He said that today the thrust area for textile industry is to increase production and
employment opportunities in India. He stressed that the strength of Indian textile sector lies in
ginning and spinning, however there is a need to focus on weaving and processing sectors. Also
more attention should be given to the garment industry as it is a labour intensive industry providing
more employment opportunities and on the handloom sector in which there is no competition. He
also added that buyer-seller meets and technology exhibition should be organised to give a platform
for showcasing the Indian products.
Mr. D L Sharma concluded the opening session by saying that SAARC countries are moving towards
sustainable manufacturing practices and covered some of the key points discussed in the session
and thanked all the speakers for giving valuable and diverse insights.

Plenary Session I: Government Policy Direction for Textiles Sector

Session Chairman:
1. Mr. Ajay Shankar, Member Secretary, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council
Speakers:
1. Mr. Sunil Porwal, Additional Chief Secretary Textiles, Cooperation, Marketing & Textiles
Department, Government of Maharashtra
2. Dr. Chandan Chatterjee, Advisor iNTEXTb and Director CED, Government of Gujarat
3. Mr. Naveen Mahajan, Commissioner, Bureau of Investment Promotion, Government of
Rajasthan
Mr. Ajay Shankar started the session by introducing all the speakers and discussed briefly on the
session topic Government Policy Direction for Textiles Sector mentioning that representatives
from various states of India will highlight the respective state policies available to investors in Indian
textile industry.
Mr. Sunil Porwal presented the overview of textile industry and new textile policy of Maharashtra.
He said that the thrust of the policy is to provide fiscal incentive in simple manner, i.e. by zero
window clearance. He also mentioned that there is a need of modernization and scope to set-up
units in 12 textile parks. Also Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is supporting
the textile sector and there are upcoming textile hubs and parks in various parts of Maharashtra.
Dr. Chandan Chatterjee explained the benefits of Gujarat textile policy. He highlighted the impact of
Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) Scheme and Cotton Technology Mission 1999. He also
mentioned that the technical textile sector has potential to grow and there is a need to focus on skill
development and exhibitions.
Mr. Naveen Mahajan highlighted the initiatives of Rajasthan Government to attract investments in
textile industry. He talked about the industrial infrastructure, special investment zone and
investment opportunities in Rajasthan. He said that the 6 Textile Parks are approved under the
Scheme for Integrated Textile Park, Govt. of India. He also added that an international textile and
apparel fair named VASTRA is organised annually to showcase the best and latest in textiles, from
fibre to fashion be it technology or products.

Mr. Ajay Shankar concluded the conference by delivering the summing up remarks. He highlighted
the key issues of the textile industry and the recommendations to overcome the issues. He also said
that central and state governments have different schemes for textile parks and there is a need to
look for worker housing in the textile parks.

Plenary Session - II: Changing Global Demand Supply Landscape

Session Chairman:
1. Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Joint Managing Director, Wazir Advisors Pvt. Ltd.
Speakers:
1. Ms. Beth Thompson, Senior Vice President, WS Global Operations Sourcing - Quality Sustainable Development Williams Sonoma Inc, USA
2. Mr. R D Udeshi, President - Polyester Chain, Reliance Industries Ltd.
3. Mr. Ritesh Khandelwal, Vice President Global Business Development, Birla Cellulose Ltd.
4. Mr. Y C Gupta, Business Head, Indorama Industries Ltd.
5. Mr. Jeremy Ziring, International Innovation Corps, National Skill Development Corporation
Mr. Prashant Agarwal kicked off the session by briefly explaining the emerging scenario in terms of
changing supply and demand. He listed few trends in the global industry and talked about its impact
on the Indian industry.
Mr. Beth Thompson presented his views on Changes in Sourcing Strategies of Global Brands and
Retail. He said that today the global sourcing is shifting from cost to quality and environment, and
also the sourcing pattern is shifting from China to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc. He further added
that India is a preferred sourcing destination globally.
Mr. R D Udeshi took forward the session and shared his views on Investment opportunities in
Indian Synthetic Textile Value Chain. He said that that the changing global scenario of synthetic
textiles is leading the rise in demand and investment in this sector. India being a second largest
exporter and one of the largest consumer of textiles and apparel will need to invest in synthetic
textiles triggering the investment opportunities in Indian synthetic textile value chain.
Mr. Ritesh Khandelwal addressed the conference on the topic India - The Preferred Destination of
Textiles and Apparel. He said that India has a competitive advantage over other countries in
manufacturing of textiles and apparels. India is one of the largest producers of cotton and offers
inexpensive manpower, two prerequisites for the manufacturing industry. He also highlighted other
factors which will lead to India becoming a sourcing destination for textiles and apparel.

Mr. Y C Gupta delivered his presentation on Investment in value added products for domestic
industry growth. He talked about the Spandex and its superiority over rubber in textile application.
He also gave the global and Indian market outlook of spandex and its application-wise distribution.
He highlighted the fact that the usage of spandex in life style and technical textile products is
increasing with change in supply-demand scenario.
Mr. Jeremy Ziring presented on Strengthening Labour Capabilities to Meet Global Demand. He
said that India has a strong raw material base, less labour cost and enabling political environment for
textile sector but still lack in exports and value addition. He highlighted that in India there is a
requirement of skilled workers in millions and for this he recommended few major steps, like
training programs, more seats in ITIs, stronger trainer-employer linkage and premium wages to
attract workers.
In the end, Session Chairman Mr. Prashant Agarwal concluded the session by covering some of the
key points discussed in the session and saying that we need to work on our strengths as a team.

Plenary Session III: Textile Machinery Manufacturing in India Important Paradigm for Growth
Session Chairman:
1. Mr. Prakash Bhagwati, Co-Chairman, CII Texcon 2014 and Chairman, Inspiron Engineering
Pvt. Ltd.
Speakers:
1. Mr. Edwyn Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer, Batliboi Ltd.
2. Mr. M Sankar, Vice President - Marketing, Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd.
3. Mr. S Rajendran, Vice President - TEG Processing, ETP and Utilities, ATE Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
4. Ms. Edda Walraf, Vice President and Head - Marketing, Rieter Spun Yarn System, Switzerland
5. Mr. Rajeev Gupta, Senior Vice President, ETCO Digital Pvt. Ltd.
Mr. Prakash Bhagwati started the session by giving an outlook of the current Indian textile
machinery industry. He highlighted that the dream of making India a manufacturing hub can be
realised in the textile sector. For the Made in India brand, the textile and apparel needs to be of
good quality for which investment is required from the foreign and domestic investors. He further
added that machinery industry needs to grow at a higher rate than the user industry and listed the
challenges of the machinery industry identified by the Gherzi. He concluded by saying that
investment in textile machinery manufacturing in India can be evolved.
Mr. Edwyn Rodrigues presented on Technology that respects Ecology Its happening. He said
that in order to conserve ecology, there is a need to save power and water consumption. This can be
done by use of effective technology. He shared the major technological advancements of Batliboi
Pvt. Ltd. in the textile sector and its contributions to the ecology.
Mr. M Sankar presented his views on Current and Futuristic Need of the Spinning Industry. He
mentioned the new concepts of value addition of spinning industry as productivity & investment,
technology and power saving. He further stated the USPs of spinning industry and various
technologies available and their benefits in the value chain. He added that todays spinning
machinery is equipped with the modern electrical & electronic drives which consumes minimum
power and helps in power savings.
Mr. S Rajendran delivered his presentation on Latest technology available in the Global market for
textile Processing. He said that in the textile value chain, processing is the weakest link and detailed
out its reasons. He also pointed out the benefits of technology development and the various

developments happened in the processing industry in the field of dyeing, coating/lamination, digital
printing and textile finishing.
Ms. Edda Walraf took forward the session and shared her views on Indias global no. 2 position in
spinning machine investment a catalyst a case study. In her presentation, Ms. Walraf detailed out
the four pillars of investment and growth of spinning industry, i.e. Indias competitiveness, energy
consumption, fibre yield and automation.

She also said that the main factor in spinning is

conversion cost which can be reduced by raw material saving.

Mr. Rajeev Gupta presented on Enhancement of productivity and quality through advanced IT
solutions. He discussed about the various IT solutions currently available in the textile value chain
which have proved to be successful in the industry. He focussed on the use of IT solutions in the
textile industry as it can improve the efficiency and productivity, and can also help in delivering the
quality products of international standards.
In the end, Mr. Prakash Bhagwati, Chairman, Inspiron Engineering Pvt. Ltd. and Co-Chairman of
Conference concluded the conference by highlighting the key points discussed during the various
sessions. He pointed out that the reason of Indias fragmented machinery industry is that the value
chain from weaving to garmenting is fragmented. Also there is a need for small and medium
machinery suppliers to come together and work in clusters.

Plenary Session IV: Profitable and Sustainable Growth of Handloom and Handicraft Sector
Session Chairman:
1. Mr. D L Sharma, Conference Chairman, CII Texcon 2014 & Director, Vardhman Textiles Ltd.
Speakers:
1. Mr. Dinesh Kumar, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles,
Government of India
2. Mr. Navraj Goyal, Additional Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles,
Government of India
3. Mr. Rahul Mehta, Managing director, Creative Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. and President, CMAI
Mr. D L Sharma started the session by briefly explaining the present status and growth of the
handloom and handicrafts sector. He also shed light on the potential of handloom and handicrafts
sector and various challenges associated with the sector.
Mr. Dinesh Kumar presented his views on Achieving inclusive growth by developing handlooms.
Firstly he mentioned that unique advantages of the handloom sector over the mechanised sector
and listed various challenges faced by the sector. He said that with increasing man-days, quality is
improving and finding place in the high-end market. He further said that there is a need to take steps
towards achieving growth of the handloom sector by working on technology upgradation,
associating designers with weavers, organising buyer-seller meet, involvement of retail outlets,
online marketing, associating with online retailers, improving the yarn quality by NHDC, corporate
gifting under CSR, associating with NIFT, linking handloom and handicrafts sector with tourism, etc.
He wrapped up by saying that the Government should take steps to keep handloom and handicrafts
tradition, and the burden of cultural heritage does not lie only on the weavers, but also on us.
Mr. Navraj Goyal addressed the conference on the topic Indias positioning in global handicrafts
market. Firstly he briefed on the major statistics of artisans involved, Indias share, exports and
growth. He mentioned that various clusters are there in Jodhpur, Jaipur, etc. where production line
is organised and there is a need for scaling up of production for the growth of handicrafts sector. The
handicrafts in itself is a USP, however Indian handicrafts has not been able to achieve that stature
due to the unorganised nature of the sector and long production chain. He concluded by saying that
online marketing has thrown a big opportunity for the sector and organising buyer-seller meet and
linking handicrafts with tourism and is a good option.

Mr. Rahul Mehta presented his views on Growth through connect with domestic brands and
retailers. He said that we are still using and prefer western products, and modern retail will help in
reaching out to more people. There is a need to tap the middle-class along with upper-class to use
the handloom and handicrafts products, and for this more people should be involved in the sector
for more production. He mentioned that the main issue of huge lead time from placing the order to
the delivery of the product needs to be resolved. He further said that the PPP model could help in
selling through brand outlets, and exports and e-commerce are two avenues on which handloom
and handicrafts should focus.
In the end, Mr. D L Sharma concluded the conference by delivering the summing up remarks. He
highlighted the key points discussed during the various sessions and thanked all the speakers for
giving sharing their insights.

Plenary Session V: Competitive Standing of Indian Textile and Apparel Industry

Session Chairman:
1. Mr. Anees Noorani, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Zodiac Clothing Co. Ltd.
Speakers:
1. Mr. Anup Gulati, Head BHAG Project, Innovation and Engagement, National Skill
Development Corporation
2. Mr. Venu Nair, Managing Director, Marks & Spencer Reliance India
3. Mr Paul Cowell, Apparel & Interior Marketing Manager, Archroma India Pvt. Ltd.
Mr. Anees Noorani started the session by introducing all the speakers and discussed briefly on the
session topic Competitive Standing of Indian Textile and Apparel Industry mentioning Indias
inherent advantages over other countries.
Mr. Anup Gulati delivered his presentation on Bridging the skill gap - challenge in India. In his
presentation, he highlighted that there is an urgent demand of skilled labour in the textile industry
and for this there is a need to go beyond manufacturing and come forward for skill development.
Mr. Venu Nair addressed the conference on the topic Outlook for Indian domestic apparel market.
He mentioned that adoption, adaptation and upgradation should be done in the Indian textile
industry. He focused on investments in the apparel manufacturing capacity in India and on
upgradation of factories which is required to meet the standards of international market. He
concluded by saying that opportunity is massive and the market is growing.
Mr. Paul Cowell presented on Indias role in fabric value addition through application of different
finishes. He stated about the properties and benefits of various types of fabrics with different
finishes and their applications in our daily life.
Mr. Anees Noorani concluded the session by covering some of the key points discussed in the
session and highlighted the tremendous opportunities for Indian textile industry in the domestic and
international market.
In the end, Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Joint Managing Director, Wazir Advisors, Conference Knowledge
Partner concluded the conference by delivering the summing up remarks. He highlighted the key
points discussed during the various sessions and the role of Indian textile and apparel sector in
changing global supply-demand scenario.