INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
The Tamilnadu Federation of Powerloom Associations (TFPA) has appealed the central government to either extend the Viscose Staple Fibres (VSF) Qulaity Control Order (QCO) 2023 deadline date or issue an advisory to Bureau of Indian standards BIS to process the applications filed by all foreign manufacturers on a fast track and issue the certificates at the earliest and give extension to the VSF QCO till all the foreign suppliers are issued BIS certificate Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme(FMCS), to obtain the BIS license. TPFA in a communication to the government said that the powerloom industry have been unable to understand the reasons why no extension on VSF QCO2023 were considered and perused by the ministry of textiles inspite of several appeals made for the extension by all concerned in the industry to the government including the appeal made by the Hon’ble Chief minister of Tamilnadu. The Federation noted that Cotton bales quality control amendment order 2023 through continuous extensions shall come into force on 27thNovember 2023 vide notification dated 07.08.23 by the Ministry of Textiles. Similarly, 100 percent polyester Spun grey and white yarn quality control order 2023 through continuous extensions shall come into force on 5th October 2023 vide notification dated 17th July 2023 by the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers. When the ministry of textiles rightly considered the extension for cotton bales quality order and why not in the case of VSFQCO 2023 extensions. Is this not a highly biased partial attitude approach by the ministry of textiles towards the VSF QCO 2023 inspite of various appeals and representation from the end users and association, TPFA stressed. The existing VSF QCO, the Powerloom Federation feels, is plagued with lot of pitfalls and disrupting the VSF value chain in whole. The QCO will become a death knell for the powerloom and garment sectors as the duty free imports of garments from Bangladesh, China and Srilanka etc. are looming large. Domestic industry is already facing an unprecedented crisis from various external factors including global economic slowdown. India could not grab any opportunity due to disparity of GST rates exist between cotton and Manmades compared to other competing nations including china. The domestic VSF prices are 15-20% expensive compared to overseas since VSF imports are restricted due to pending status of the registered applications filed by the manufacturers to obtain BIS license for more than 9 months in specific to suppliers from Indonesia and Thailand, TPFA pointed out. In view of the above situation, Powerloom Federation has noted that powerloom industry could recover and make any significant progress only when there is a smooth supply of raw materials at globally competitive prices in this current crisis period. Hence, TPFA has called upon the government to save the labour intensive powerloom sector from this current crisis either by extension of VSF QCO 2023 or allow imports of VSF till the time of issuance of BIS certificate for all the pending registered manufacturers for BIS license for VSF.
Source: Tecoya Trend
The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to double silk production to more than 700 tonnes in the near future in a bid to boost manufacturing and export of premium textile apparels in the state. The government’s plan also includes setting up silk clusters and research institutes to promote silk production to boost rural income, especially among the young sericulturists.Based on recent study by a Karnataka-based institute, the state decided to allocate silk production districts for mulberry, eri, and tussar varieties depending upon the future potential. UP produces all three major silk varieties -- mulberry, eri, and tussar. Mulberry silk is produced across 44 districts.According to UP Silk Department Director Sunil Kumar Verma, although silk is produced in 57 districts, almost 90 per cent of the state’s silk production comes from 30 districts. Despite the good quality of cocoons, UP’s share in domestic silk production is about 10 per cent of the national tally of 35,000 tonnes. The government provides 75 per cent and 90 per cent subsidy to general category and SC/ST category silk producers, respectively. It will now focus on these 30 districts. The centres under the remaining 27 districts would be run under the public private partnership model.While UP is a prominent silk production and marketing hub with an estimated annual trade of ~5,000 crore, the state currently produces roughly 10 per cent of its annual requirement of 3,500 tonnes. The rest of the raw and finished silk is imported from states, such as Karnataka and Jharkhand. India is the world’s largest silk producing country after China. Among the three major varieties of silk produced in 2020-21, mulberry accounted for 70 per cent, eri 20 per cent and tussar 8 per cent.India exports raw silk, natural silk yarn, fabrics, readymade garments, silk waste and handloom products of silk fabric. During 2021-22, the country's silk and silk products shipments were valued at $250 million. The main export destinations of raw silk from India are Vietnam, China, Nepal, the United Kingdom, and Bhutan.
Source: Business Standard
The new regulations pertaining to ESG (environment, social and governance) disclosures issued by market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) are stringent, said India’s top sustainability executives at Mint Sustainability Summit 2023. They also felt that the rules are in the right direction and necessary to keep up with global standards. But India Inc. was probably not prepared for them, said Pradeep Panigrahi, head — corporate sustainability, L&T. “A lot of handholding and knowledge sharing are required for the companies," he said.Sebi’s new rules have become mandatory for top listed companies from this year. Big corporations like ITC that adopted sustainability standards voluntarily in the past decade or so can cope better with the new rules. ITC had set 100 key performance indicators in terms of sustainability nearly 20 years ago, said Madhulika Sharma, vice president and chief sustainability officer at the company. She added that this allowed ITC to meet Sebi’s standards easily. Pointing out that it would take other companies time to adapt to the new rules, she said: “It’s a good start, there is intent. It is not that the organizations don’t want to be transparent, but I think it is a process." The new standards are also expected to provide uniformity in ESG disclosures. Sanjay Khajuria, director, corporate affairs and sustainability at Nestlé India, looks at the stringent new regulations positively. “This is going to improve transparency. Most companies are already doing the right things, but the new disclosure standards will [allow] a comparison." Sanjeev Panchal, country president and managing director, AstraZeneca Pharma India, says the pharma major uses science-based targets for ESG reporting. “We must have science-based targets so that it becomes very natural for us to report." Agreed Hetal Gandhi, director- research, CRISIL: “If you have set science-based targets and the data so collected is duly verified, it speaks a lot about your organization being transparent. Your disclosures are going to meet the expectations of the international investors."
Source: live mint
The Network Planning Group of the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan has approved 100 projects worth Rs 5.89 trillion, a senior official told FE. Of this, 40 road projects account for a total investment of Rs 3.65 trillion. In addition, 40 railway projects worth Rs 95,704 crore and eight urban development projects entailing an investment of Rs 79,016 crore have also been given the go-ahead. The inter-ministerial Network Planning Group meets every fortnight and appraises infrastructure projects to ensure multimodality, synchronisation of efforts, and comprehensive development in and around the project location.All infrastructure projects of over Rs 500 crore require approval from the NPG. The group comprises representatives of all infrastructure ministries to ensure that their planning conforms to the objectives of the Gati Shakti Master Plan. The approval of the NPG is required before the project is cleared by the Public Investment Board (PIB) or department of expenditure.The maximum number of projects recommended by the NPG are from roads, railways and urban development spaces. Till date, the ministry of road transport and highways has planned more than 1,400 km of roads and the ministry of Railways has planned over 13,000 km of track length using the National Master Plan (NMP), special secretary (logistics), department for promotion of industry and internal trade, Sumita Dawra said. The NMP, which has multiple layers of geospatial data showing all physical and social infrastructure of an area and land records at one place, has been designed for faster planning and better design so that the impact of an investment is maximised. Since all data on existing infrastructure are available, planning a new project around it becomes easier and enables taking into account the hurdles that may arise at the construction stage. It also enables the design of the project in a way that it has the maximum impact in an area. The ministry of Railways has reported greater speed in final location surveys. In FY22 it completed 427 surveys as against 57 in the previous year. “In case of detailed route survey done by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, it used to take six to nine months to prepare 46 reports manually. But now using NMP through electronic DRS, with the click of a button the reports get created, which has made the process simpler and faster,” Dawra said. Inputs of different ministries ensure that a project is aligned with other available or planned infrastructure in the area, which it will address to get the maximum out of the proposed investment. The Gati Shakti Master Plan was launched in 2021 for coordinated planning and execution of infrastructure projects so that each project works seamlessly with and enhances the impact of other planning for an area be it in industrial corridors, roads, railways, ports, telecom, urban development projects, petroleum pipelines, renewable energy and social sector.
Source: Financial express
India’s long-term target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 would need appropriate technology, financial resources at a reasonable cost, and increased participation by various stakeholders, a panel of experts said at the recent Mint Sustainability Summit. In the next 10-15 years, many new technology-led solutions would be available, said Sumant Sinha, founder, chairman and chief executive, ReNew, who believes India can reach its target perhaps even before 2060. “What India will discover is that either we stay outside some of these technologies and business models that evolve, or decide actively to get into those earlier and become leaders in those solutions. As we do that, and the cost comes down and usage increases, moving towards net zero becomes much faster." While 2070 may seem like a moonshot target, think tank CEEW’s CEO Arunabha Ghosh thinks the individual steps and milestones taken towards that are critical. “The issue is not about setting the target, but more about the money and how to bring down the cost of financing. We have to also think about the materials challenge, and the design of our power and energy markets have to change. That will give the real push," he said. Some companies have set themselves an accelerated target. FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), for instance, wants to achieve net zero emissions from all its products by 2039. The company is nearly 100% renewable energy based for its electricity needs, with a 40% reduction in energy consumption, said its South Asia sustainability director, Kanika Pal. “Water will be critical in sustainability. We have enabled a 48% reduction in our water requirements to a 2008 baseline, and we have also enabled improved utilization and conservation. As a result, we have enabled more than 100 billion litres of water saved," she said. R.P. Gupta, chairman and managing director, Solar Energy Corporation of India said while the cost of renewable energy is still higher compared to thermal, the (pricing) gap has narrowed due to policy push, tech innovations and entrepreneurs in India. He added: “The challenges which discoms were facing have been addressed with policy regulations, ensuring the payments are made on time." With India chasing the target of 500 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030, financing and the cost of capital will be critical. Sinha said to set up 50GW of renewable energy capacity every year would need roughly $50 billion of investment annually. While both equity and debt are available, the cost of financing remains higher than other parts of the world, which “translates into higher tariffs that ultimately our consumers have to pay".
Source: live mint
The Fashion & Lifestyle business of Reliance Retail has post a record-breaking sales of 50 crore garments in FY23, revealed Mr. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman & MD, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), here today. Addressing the 47th annual general meeting (AGM) of the company, Mr. Ambani said that Reliance Retail has democratised fashion in India, catering to customers across segments. Reliance Trends and Trends extension formats have consolidated their position as India’s largest fashion destination. AJIO - a fashion and lifestyle brand of Reliance Retail's digital commerce initiative - had yet another strong year, with its catalogue size crossing 13 lakh options, making it a one-stop shop for all fashion needs. RIL Retail business continued to be the partner of choice for international brands straddling premium, bridge-to-luxury, luxury, as well as Indian designer wear, Mr. Ambani said. Reliance Retail, Mr. Ambani said, is the only Indian retailer in the global Top 100, and one of the fastest growing retailers in the world. Over the past few years, it has attracted investments from large and reputable global investment firms and sovereign wealth funds owing to its rock-solid fundamentals and compelling value proposition, he added.
Source: Tecoya Trend
INTERNATIONAL
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said she and her Chinese counterpart agreed Monday to exchange information on US export controls that frustrate Beijing and set up a group to discuss other commercial issues, but neither side appeared ready to make concessions on disputes that have plunged relations to their lowest level in decades. Raimondo joined American officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in July who have visited China in hopes of reviving chilly relations. They expressed optimism about improving communication but no progress on conflicts over technology, security, human rights and a lingering tariff war. For its part, Chinese leader Xi Jinping's government wants to revive foreign investor interest in China as it tries to reverse a deepening economic slump. Raimondo said she and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao agreed during a fourhour meeting to launch an "information exchange" on export controls. She said they also will set up a "working group" of officials and private sector representatives to "seek solutions on trade and investment issues". A key Chinese complaint is limits on access to processor chips and other US technology on security grounds that threaten to hamper the ruling Communist Party's ambition to develop artificial intelligence and other industries. The curbs crippled the smartphone business of Huawei Technologies Ltd., China's first global tech brand. Raimondo said the information exchange will hold its first meeting Tuesday. "The United States is committed to being transparent about our export control enforcement strategy," Raimondo told reporters at Ambassador Nicholas Burns's official residence. "We are not compromising or negotiating in matters of national security," she said. "But this is meant to be a dialogue where we increase transparency." Earlier, Wang told Raimondo that Beijing is ready to work together to "foster a more favourable policy environment for stronger cooperation" and "bolster bilateral trade and investment." Wang gave no details of possible initiatives. Beijing broke off dialogues with Washington on military, climate and other issues in August 2022 in retaliation for a visit to Taiwan by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives. The Communist Party claims the selfruled island democracy as part of its territory and objects to foreign governments having contact with it.
Source: Tecoya Trend
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Faruque Hassan on Monday highlighted the prospect of direct or joint venture investments from Korea to Bangladesh in noncotton textiles, man-made fibre-based yarns and fabrics. The potential for joint-venture investments also covers the areas of functional fabrics like polyester, viscose, spandex, melange. The BGMEA president expressed such interest when Park Young Sik, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh, met him on Monday. BGMEA Director Neela Hosna Ara, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Trade Fair Mohammed Kamal Uddin and Consul at the Korean Embassy Kim Jeongki were also present at the meeting, said a press release. During the meeting, they discussed ways to add pace to the burgeoning bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Korea through deepening cooperation in various promising fields. They also had discussions about possible areas where Bangladesh and Korea could collaborate and engage in a meaningful way to boost bilateral trade and investment, particularly in the apparel and textile industries of the two countries. As innovation, diversification and technological up-gradation are the key strategic priorities of Bangladesh's apparel industry, collaboration between Bangladesh and Korea could yield mutual benefits, Faruque added. He opined that Bangladesh is a promising destination for Korea to export its mmf, textile machinery, chemical dyes and other raw materials. On the other hand, Korea is a potential garment export market for Bangladesh. So, there lie mutual benefits for both sides, he added. The BGMEA President apprised the envoy of BGMEA's initiative to organise Bangladesh Apparel Summit in Korea in November 2023 and sought his support in this regard. He recalled the contribution of Korea to the development of Bangladesh's garment industry, especially the support the country provided the initial stage of the sector in terms of training and technical support. Extending thanks to Korea through the ambassador, the BGMEA President expressed the hope that the development cooperation would continue and ties between the two countries would be strengthened further.
Source: The Financial Express
Taking materials research from “lab to label” will be the focus of Deakin University’s new Future Fibres Facility, unveiled during the launch of the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres. The hub is a collaboration between the Australian Research Council (ARC), Deakin and industry partners, using the world-class research teams and facilities at Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials. Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said the continued support for the Future Fibres Hub, which is now in its second iteration, demonstrates the value industry places in research collaboration and Deakin’s commitment to fostering innovation. “Work supported by our research hub and new fibres facility will bring benefits to a range of industries – such as automotive, mining and fashion – through a wide array of partnership projects,” Professor Martin said. “These projects also have a strong sustainability and circular economy focus, including the generation of fibres from new and sustainable sources, as well as fibres that can be recovered and reused. By creating smarter materials and technology, this work will contribute to Deakin’s mission to translate ideas to impact, fostering innovation that strengthens the economy and enables a sustainable world.” Deakin boasts the largest and most advanced fibre research group in the southern hemisphere, with more than 110 researchers. The new Future Fibres Facility is unique, housing fibre production and yarn processing equipment, along with specialised knitting and weaving machines. Future Fibres Hub Director Professor Joe Razal said the facility, located at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus in Geelong, would enable research teams to take new ideas from inception through the prototype and production stage. “For example, in the past, we could produce a sample of a new material, but not a whole garment. We couldn’t go from lab to label before,” Professor Razal said. “Thanks to our new Future Fibres Facility, the final steps in that process are now available.” Working with industry partner Nanollose, Deakin researchers are helping to develop fabrics generated from waste products. With partner Xefco, they are working on a water-free method to dye and finish fabrics. “Australians will be able to wear clothes and buy products made from materials that they know have far less environmental impact,” Professor Razal said. In a project with Carbon Revolution, Deakin researchers will help find ways to reduce waste in the manufacturing of carbon fibre composite wheels, a product in high demand for making vehicles lighter and more efficient. “The research focuses on solving real-world problems and discovering ways to reduce waste from the manufacturing process,” Professor Razal said. “This not only benefits the local community with highly skilled jobs but also enhances our international reputation for innovation in Australia.” The new Future Fibres Facility is supported by the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), a part of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). The ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres includes research partners at the CSIRO, National University of Singapore, EMPA (Swiss Federal Labs for Materials Science and Technology), Aalto University (Finland) and Imperial College London.
Source: Textile World
Lenzing Group, a world-leading producer of woodbased specialty fibers, has launched LENZING ECOVERO with REFIBRA technology at this year’s Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Textile Fair and Trade Show. Building on the success of TENCEL Lyocell fibers with REFIBRA technology, the expansion of the REFIBRA technology to LENZING ECOVERO will help Lenzing increase the overall post-consumer content in its products. The expansion further highlights Lenzing’s ongoing stride towards the transition to a circular economy in textile and fashion with its innovative, future-proof solutions. “As climate change compels eco-conscious living, Lenzing collaborates with the industry to forge a future defined by collective engagement and systematic change, steering us toward a circular economy,” said Florian Heubrandner, Executive Vice President Global Textiles Business at Lenzing. “LENZING ECOVERO with REFIBRA technology is well-positioned to meet the surging demand for diverse circular design innovations. This new offering empowers likeminded fabric mills, garment manufacturers and consumer brands to embark on this transformative journey alongside Lenzing – breathing new life into post-consumer textile waste while anchoring circularity at the core of the textile value chain.”
Scaling circular responsible viscose fiber production for global textile market Through Lenzing’s successful development and scaled production, LENZING ECOVERO with REFIBRA technology is now available to customers worldwide. Maintaining the ecoresponsible benefits of the original LENZING ECOVERO, the new viscose fiber with REFIBRA technology comprises up to 20% of post- consumer textile waste, which is sourced from cellulose-rich materials or polyester-cotton blends. The waste is collected and sorted in collaboration with key industry and innovation leaders who champion post-consumer textile recycling programs.
Unleashing unlimited product possibilities with circular solutions Driven by its “Better Growth” strategy, Lenzing consistently embraces circularity in textiles and empowers itself and its value chain partners to drive systemic change for a greener future.
LENZING ECOVERO with REFIBRA technology plays a crucial role in this vision, filling the gaps for mills, manufacturers, and brands that seek to meet evolving industry requirements and consumer preferences globally. This new fiber is identifiable at every stage of the supply chain, from fabric to final product, ensuring traceability and transparency. This empowers brands and retailers to offer genuine products while enabling consumers to make informed purchases.
Source: Textile World
Avery Dennison , a global supplier of materials science and digital identification solutions, is inviting Intertextile 2023 attendees to discover the potential of bridging the physical and digital realms with advanced digital identification solutions for apparel. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics 2023 (August 28-30) takes place at The National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai, and is one of the biggest and most comprehensive apparel fabric and accessories exhibitions in the world. With the ability to interact directly with connected garments at the Avery Dennison booth (1.1 – E77, Hall 1.1 Accessories Vision), Intertextile attendees will be invited to See Beyond the Physical, the Digital and into the Future, and witness the benefits of connected apparel solutions in real-life situations. They will see how the company’s innovative digital ID portfolio, featuring Avery Dennison’s connected product cloud, atma.io, and its broad portfolio of digital triggers, including QR codes and RFID, can track a products’ full chain of custody along the supply chain. The interactive exhibit will illustrate how garment manufacturers and retailers can benefit from real-time insights, helping them improve supply chain accuracy and efficiency, reduce waste, enable circularity, and strive to meet net-zero targets. Through demonstrations of Avery Dennison’s apparel portfolio, which include Embelex, Factory Solutions (including on-demand manufacturing), and Digital Solutions, the company is showcasing how its technology contributes to a more sustainable future for textiles on a global scale. Items displayed will include a Connected Garment, Swijin performance wear embedded with digitally connected heat transfer labels, a digitally-connected BYBORRE Scarf, and Transnomadica vintage jeans embedded with digitally-connected printed fabric labels. Embelex Agility® HD heat transfers for sports jerseys, which can be digitally enabled, will also be on show. Amelia Chen, Asia commercial director, Apparel Solutions, Avery Dennison, and Leo Shi, senior manager, apparel & beauty market development, Avery Dennison Smartrac Greater China, Avery Dennison, will be speaking at the event on 29th August. Their session is entitled: “See Beyond the Physical and Digital – Unlock Digital Transformation in Apparel.” In-booth presentations, led by Avery Dennison experts, will be running simultaneously. These will explain how end-to-end Digital Solutions can unlock the transformation of the apparel industry and connect data from raw materials to consumers. Jenny Hu, China sales director, Apparel Solutions says: “We consider the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics event to be a crucial platform for highlighting Avery Dennison’s significant position as a worldwide frontrunner in the apparel supply chain. Our ability to merge the realms of physical and digital, coupled with our leadership in digital ID innovation, will take centre stage. This event will serve as a showcase for the substantial value our solutions provide to the fashion and textile sectors.”
Source: Textile World
