The Union Government has assured the textile and clothing industry that it will identify Central and State embedded taxes and work out a reimbursement scheme soon. HKL Magu, chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council, has said in a press release that representatives from apparel, made up, and textile segments met the Union Finance and Textile Ministers and officials of the two ministries on Sunday. In the two-hour meeting, the industry explained the issues of concern, pending GST refunds and slow disbursement of rebate of State levies (ROSL). The embedded and inverted taxes were not considered for refund and there was a delay in receiving the GST refunds, they said. Over 90 % of the textile and clothing industry was in the MSME sector and these delays had affected the financial capability of the units. The exporters were unable to book orders during the peak season. The industry had seen reduction in drawback and ROSL by over 5 % of FOB since the pre-GST period. Further, Indian textile and clothing exporters did not have preferential access in countries markets such as the European Union which countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam had. These had an impact on the exports. Mr. Magu said the Finance Minister had instructed the officials to immediately identify the Central and State embedded taxes and work out a reimbursement mechanism. The Ministry would also expedite refund of GST and ROSL in a time-bound manner, the release said. Though annual apparel exports are at 17 billion $ now, the industry is confident of 20 % growth this financial year if there a level-playing field.
Source: The Hindu
New Delhi: To formulate the strategies for enhancing export in each sector which comes under the Ministry of Textiles and to resolve the problems and challenges faced by the Handicrafts Sector, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Finance and Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Textiles called a meeting with the heads of Export Promotion Councils on Sunday at New Delhi. O P Prahladka, Chairman- EPCH gave an overview ofthe sector and also placed before the Ministers strategies being adopted by the EPCH for export growth. Prahladka informed that both the Union Ministers gave a patient hearing to the issues raised by him and assured all possible cooperation towards resolution of all the issues, which are hampering the exports of handicrafts from the Country. The major suggestions placed by the Chairman included:
Source: Millennium Post
New Delhi : The World Trade Organisation’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) has agreed to establish a panel to rule on a US complaint on certain programmes in India which Washington claims are prohibited export subsidies. India was not given an opportunity to object to the first request for a dispute panel by the US, as is the usual practice, because the dispute involves prohibited subsidies. “The panel was established under special provisions of the WTO’s Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures allowing panels to be established on first request for disputes involving alleged prohibited export subsidies,” according to a note from the WTO.
Popular schemes
The programmes targeted by the US include most popular incentive schemes such as the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, Export-Oriented Units Scheme and sector-specific schemes, including Electronics Hardware Technology Parks Scheme, Special Economic Zones, Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme and Duty-Free Imports for Exporters Programme. The US, in its representation, argued that the programmes provided financial benefits to Indian exporters, which allowed them to sell their goods more cheaply to the detriment of American workers and manufacturers. It alleged that while the exemption given to India from the ban on export subsidies had expired (as the country had surpassed the $1000 threshold for per capital gross national product), it was yet to withdraw its schemes. New Delhi, however, is not convinced that the time it is entitled to for a phase-out of the schemes has lapsed and wants more discussion on the issue.
Source : Business Line
New Delhi : The government has incorporated duty-free import entitlements for select employment generating sectors such as handlooms, handicrafts and leather through customs notifications, in the existing Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20). It has, however, said the entitlements will be restricted to only customs duty with effect from July 1 2017, to align it with the GST regime. “The Commerce Ministry has re-introduced the duty-free import entitlement of sector-specific inputs which were available in the FTP (2009-14) in the current FTP (2015-20) as well. This was already available to exporters through customs notifications. However, it has been clarified that only basic customs duty would be exempted with effect from July 1 2017, when the GST was implemented,” a government official pointed out. The duty-free import entitlements provide a substantial relief to the chosen sectors — handlooms, handicrafts, leather, sports goods, toys and marine. “Duty-free import entitlement is an important incentive scheme for exporters. Incorporating it in the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) was required as it completes the picture of all benefits available to specific sectors,” the official said. Exports from labour-intensive sectors such as handlooms, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, ready-made garments and marine have all taken a hit over the last few months.
Source: Business Line
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani today announced that foundation stone for setting up National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Jharkhand will be laid within a month. Addressing a gathering at Bishunpur in Gumla during Yuva Mahotsav organized by Vikas Bharti, Chief Minister Raghubar Das also promised employment to 1 lakh youths by January 12, 2019. Irani claimed that the Central Government in coordination of State Government has provided employment to more than 20,000 youths in textile industry. “As soon as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he started working towards providing employment and self employment to youths and it is because of central schemes that 31 crore Jan Dhan accounts were opened and amount of Rs 80, 000 crore were deposited,” said Irani. Poor are being benefitted by Mudra Yojana and 12 crore people so far have been benefitted with it, 70 per cent of them being women, she added. Irani further said that the Government has been taking along the youths in developmental process which gives them energy and strengthens their dedication for people from all class of society. CM Raghubar Das said that the youths must fix a target as they have unlimited power and divert their energy in right direction. The Stage Government is committed towards their welfare by making you skilled besides giving degrees, and Rs 700 crore has been allotted for the same,” said the Chief Minister. Only thing one has to do is to change his mindset as condition of Country, State, of society does not take time to change, he added. “Giving quality education to youths is priority of the State Government under which they are being trained by 15 different departments and 1, 58, 0583 youths have already been trained out of which 51,308 youths have been provided employment,” said Das. Out of which, 29 per cent are Scheduled Tribe and 12 per cent are from Scheduled Caste category, he added. The CM said that State Government has provided maximum employment to youths in textile industry and has also assured that they get salaries ranging from Rs 9,300 to up to Rs 17,000. The State Government in the coming 3-4 months, will provide employment to 25000 youths and 1 lakh more youths will be connected to employment and self-employment, he added. “The State Government intends to make skilled not only to the educated youths but the uneducated boys and girls will also be made skilled as per their capability for which planning has also been chalked out and all district administrations have been directed for execution of the programme,” said the CM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is of the view that overall development could not be done without skill development of youths, he added. The Chief Minister further added that empowerment of women was important for development of Jharkhand for which „Johar‟ and „Tejaswini‟ Schemes are being implemented. Das also said that under the Prime Minister Health Insurance Scheme, 57 lakh poor families of the state will get health insurance of Rs 5 lakh for better treatment. Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh, in his speech, said that the country will be strong when the country's village, the poor and the farmers will be strong. Just like Subhash Chandra Bose ji said „tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe aazadi doonga‟. Similarly, the Prime Minister says that you bless him and he will give you the golden age of India. Union Minister Sudarshan Bhagat said that initiative will give employment to the youth. The Central and State government is working for the welfare of poor. Efforts have been made to eradicate poverty during 4-year tenure. Earlier, appointment letters to 10 youths among 40, who have received training under skill development, were handed over to them during the program. Committees doing better work in beekeeping were also given cheque worth Rs 50,000 to 1lakh by the esteemed guests. Ranchi Mayor Asha Lakra, Gumla MLA Shivshankar Oraon, Mandar MLA Gangotri Kujur, MLA Harekrishna Singh, Padmashree recipient Ashok Bhagat, Dattatreya Hosbole, Central President of Khadi Gramodyog Vinay Kumar Saxena and others were also present during the programme.
Source: The Pioneer
Chinese officials will visit India soon to hold bilateral discussions on the issues hampering the negotiations of the proposed mega free trade deal — Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said. The pact, negotiations for which started in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in November 2012, aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights. “Chinese official delegation will be coming here for RCEP only. We have invited them for RCEP,” Prabhu told PTI. The RCEP bloc comprises 10 Asean members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners – India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The meeting with Chinese officials would be crucial as Indian industry and exporters are apprehensive about the presence of China in the grouping. They have stated that lowering or eliminating duties for China may flood Indian markets with Chinese goods. India’s trade deficit with China stood at USD 63.12 billion in 2017-18. India wants certain deviations for such countries. Under deviations, India may propose a longer duration for either reduction or elimination of import duties for such countries. Pressure is also mounting on India for early conclusion of the proposed trade pact. Prabhu said that during his recent visit to Cambodia, Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen expressed his keenness for early conclusion of RCEP talks. “I explained to him that we have certain issues with China. So we are talking to them bilaterally about the RCEP issues as well as with Australia and New Zealand where “we have concerns about agriculture because we want to make sure that agri imports should not happen through RCEP so that our farmers should not get affected. We explained these two things,” he added. When asked about the apprehensions and concerns raised by experts and industry on the agreement, Prabhu said the ministry is collecting feedback from all ministries and other stakeholders for preparing their positions. About mounting pressure for conclusion talks, he said it is a comprehensive economic partnership agreement and that means inclusion of services sector. Member countries are looking to conclude the talks by end of this year but a lot of issues are yet to be finalised including the number of products over which duties will be eliminated. Domestic steel and other metal industries wants these sectors to be kept out of the deal. Under services, India wants greater market access for its professionals in the proposed agreement. India already has a free trade pact with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan and South Korea. It is also negotiating a similar agreement with Australia and New Zealand but has no such plans for China.
Source: Financial Express
Ranchi: Chief minister Raghubar Das promised on Monday to provide a regular source of livelihood to one lakh youths either through direct recruitment or through self employment by January 1 next year, claiming that 1.59 youths had already been trained by his government under various skill development schemes while 51,308 of them had already started earning. Addressing a youth conclave at Bishunpur block headquarters of Gumla district, Das, who was accompanied by two Union ministers, he said that 49 per cent of the beneficiaries were women while 29 per cent SC and 12 per cent ST youths had been benefited by these schemes. "Let poverty not become a hurdle in the way of your growth. My government is committed to sharpen your hidden talents through skill development schemes. We have made a Rs 700 crore budgetary provision for skill development schemes run by 15 state departments. Within three to four months another 25,000 trained youths will be getting employment," he said. Das also inaugurated a Lok Suvidha Kendra, or public facilitation centre, set up by Khadi Village Industries Commission, a hospital built by ONGC under its corporate social responsibility programme and a conference hall named after Mahatma Gandhi. The chief minister also paid homage to Jatra Tana Bhagat, the founder of the Tana Bhagat movement during the freedom struggle, at Chinyari village of Bishunpur block and elaborated on the steps being taken by his government for the welfare of the sect. Union textile minister Smriti Irani said her ministry had so far facilitated employment to over 20,000 Jharkhand youths in the textile sector, and added that the foundation stone of National Institute of Fashion Technology would be laid in the state within a month. Among the other important participants at the meeting were Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Sudarshan Bhagat, Kendriya Khadi Gramodyog Board chairman Vinay Kumar Saxena, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's close aide Dattatreya Hosabale, MLAs Shiv Shankar Oraon, Hare Krishna Singh and Gangotri Kujur and Ranchi mayor Asha Lakra.
Source: The Telegraph
Scientists have developed a tiny, super elastic fibre that can incorporate electrodes, paving the way for smart clothing and artificial nerves for robots. The fibres can detect even the slightest pressure and strain and can withstand deformation of close to 500 per cent before recovering their initial shape. Scientists at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland came up with a fast and easy method for embedding different kinds of microstructures in super-elastic fibres. For instance, by adding electrodes at strategic locations, they turned the fibres into ultra-sensitive sensors. The method can be used to produce hundreds of metres of fibre in a short amount of time. To make their fibres, the scientists used a thermal drawing process, which is the standard process for optical-fibre manufacturing. They started by creating a macroscopic preform with the various fibre components arranged in a carefully designed 3D pattern. They then heated the preform and stretched it out, like melted plastic, to make fibres of a few hundreds microns in diameter. While this process stretched out the pattern of components lengthwise, it also contracted it crosswise, meaning the components' relative positions stayed the same. The end result was a set of fibres with an extremely complicated microarchitecture and advanced properties.Until now, thermal drawing could be used to make only rigid fibres. However, researchers used it to make elastic fibres. With the help of a new criterion for selecting materials, they were able to identify some thermoplastic elastomers that have a high viscosity when heated. After the fibres are drawn, they can be stretched and deformed but they always return to their original shape. Rigid materials like nanocomposite polymers, metals and thermoplastics can be introduced into the fibres, as well as liquid metals that can be easily deformed. "For instance, we can add three strings of electrodes at the top of the fibres and one at the bottom. Different electrodes will come into contact depending on how the pressure is applied to the fibres," said Fabien Sorin from EPFL. This will cause the electrodes to transmit a signal, which can then be read to determine exactly what type of stress the fibre is exposed to - such as compression or shear stress, for example," said Sorin.Scientists integrated their fibres into robotic fingers as artificial nerves. Whenever the fingers touch something, electrodes in the fibres transmit information about the robot's tactile interaction with its environment. The research team also tested adding their fibres to large-mesh clothing to detect compression and stretching. "Our technology could be used to develop a touch keyboard that's integrated directly into clothing, for instance," said Sorin. The researchers see many other potential applications. Especially since the thermal drawing process can be easily tweaked for large-scale production. This is a real plus for the manufacturing sector. The textile sector has already expressed interest in the new technology, and patents have been filed.
Source: Daily news and Analysis
Ease of doing business, tax exemptions, and easy access to Southeast Asian markets - Thailand is making it easier for startups, especially in the manufacturing sector. Mention Thailand and the mind immediately visualises pristine beaches, flea markets, and a roaring nightlife. While tourism has been a key driver of Thailand‟s economy, over the last year, the country has also been establishing its credentials as a manufacturing hub in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. Over the span of the one week that I was in the country, what struck me was how it was looking to establish itself as a manufacturing hub, with easy access to markets such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines among others. Regular sessions between government officials and entrepreneurs, plans of setting up a maintenance, repair and overhaul unit for aircraft, new airports, and policies to drive investment in manufacturing – Thailand is making all the right moves. Not only that, the country is also not shying away from opening its shores to investments from neighbouring countries, mainly China. Not just manufacturing companies from within the country, but those from across the world are seeing improving processes that are making it easier to set up operations in Thailand.
Ease of doing business
In 2016, the World Bank had ranked Thailand at second place in terms of ease of doing business among emerging economies in East Asia. The 2018 World Bank Ease of Doing Business report ranked Thailand at 26 among 190 economies. India, on the other hand, ranked 100. It is this very ease of doing business that has gotten several Indian startups keen on Thailand and by extension, Southeast Asia. The Rs 300 crore Hi-Tech Membrances Group supplies reverse osmosis kits to companies that sell water filters. It is an SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) that was started in 1995, and has plants in Bardoli, Parwanoo, and Surat in India. Founder and CEO Vijay Shah would import close to 100 reverse osmosis systems into the country, but found the duties and levies heavy. That is when he decided to set up a plant in Thailand. He told YourStory that the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) helps businesses set up operations in the country. The BOI works under the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand, and focusses on investments in the country, as well as overseas investments. The idea is to get a seamless link between private sector corporate entities, investors, and government agencies with manufacturing startups, SMEs, MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) and even larger manufacturing units. This helps create a manufacturing ecosystem that can work together when needed and thrive.
Tax benefits
Thailand provides a seven-year tax exemption to export-driven manufacturing businesses. “Thailand gives us access to the ASEAN market. The tax rates are lower, the import duty rates are at zero, compared with India’s 10 to 30 percent. There is generally a liberal view on import duties for products that are primarily meant for exports,” explains Vijay. Thailand is also working on several exemptions that would come into effect this financial year. On the other hand, even with the Make In India campaign and other efforts in this direction, India has primarily been a services-led economy, as opposed to Thailand, which has historically been focussed on export-led manufacturing. However since 2014, with the push of Make in India, the country has focussed on developing infrastructure, building a talent pool to the needs of a manufacturing economy and even attract FDI. While India is growing, a global report states one of the major challenges India faces is building a strong infrastructure for manufacturing startups and also that the governance model is slow to react. In terms of exemptions, the Indian government has given 100 percent tax exemption for the first three years for startups in general. For manufacturing businesses and entities, GST (Goods and Services Tax) plays a significant role. According to H&R Block, persons holding advance authorisation, export promotion capital goods (EPCG) and export-oriented units (EOU) do not have to pay IGST and cess on imports. The council also introduced a scheme to paying 0.1 percent as GST on procured goods. In India, under the GST regime, it has been observed that exporters were facing difficulties like blocked cash flows as they were required to pay GST and Integrated GST on raw materials, imported finished goods, inputs and others. According to media reports, India is currently working on a new GST system to allow companies with units in tax-free zones to claim a GST refund. As of the last fiscal, $515,000 was earmarked for the implementation of the National Manufacturing policy. “However, most of the policies and processes take time. We are not sure how startups can avail these benefits. In countries like Taiwan and Thailand, the transparency of the benefits and how they can be availed, makes it easy to look at setting up in either place,” says an electric vehicle manufacturing startup founder, who intends to set up a base in Southeast Asia, on the condition of anonymity. Apart from tax exemptions, Thailand has eased visa regulations for trained professionals.
Solar Manufacturing hub at Thailand.
Land and raw materials
“It is easier to get parts of products made in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand and Taiwan. The labour is cheaper, and more skilled in building hardware,” electric vehicle manufacturing startup founder adds. “In India, it becomes difficult to explain to vendors what we want. In a number of cases, we need to train and also work on a trial-and-error basis to get a basic part. This is a cost as we need to further import raw materials, and so it becomes easier to manufacture elsewhere,” he adds. One of the biggest requirements for manufacturing startups is the ease of procuring raw materials. According to a Damco report, while India does not lack in availability of raw materials and labour, its growth as a sourcing region could still be limited by the fact that it is not competitive enough in the area of secondary, non-cost factors. In Thailand, the Free Zone encourages Thailand-based manufacturing operations by making the process simpler. The duty on products manufactured abroad and imported into the country is decided on the basis of the complete product, rather than materials or components. It also provides the manufacturer uses of labour and services. While India has removed import licensing requirements for consumer goods, certain products face licensing related barriers. Special import licenses are needed for vehicles and motorcycles. There is a negative list for banned or prohibited items like oils of animal origin, tallow and fat. Certain chemicals and livestock products require an import licence. Pharma products can be imported by government trading monopolies only. India also has distinguished goods under remanufactured, reconditioned, new, and secondhand categories. Apart from raw materials, land also plays an important role. Thailand has set up industrial parks like Amata, which has factories of some of the biggest global brands. Amata‟s Chief Marketing Officer explains it is easy to procure land in Thailand. He adds that procurement of land takes a year, post which, the government offers benefits for manufacturing startups like electricity and easy access to water. Under Make in India, National Investment and Manufacturing Zones are being conceived as giant industrial greenfield townships to promote manufacturing activities. It is also said that the central government will be responsible for improving or providing external physical infrastructure linkages like rail, road, ports, airports and telecom, and work towards bearing costs of the same. “There is little known or seen in that direction. Also, the paperwork and details are complicated,” says a textile manufacturer.
Labour benefits
One of the benefits of India and Southeast Asian countries is the fact that the labour costs are cheaper and lower. Thailand is known for its skilled and productive workforce, while the costs of labour are higher than India, like Rs 8000 per person versus Rs 6000 per person in India, the efficiency is higher. “While there is labour available, the need to have skilled labour for high-intensity technology isn‟t available in India. There is little know-how. There is more talent for the services sector in India than high-technology talent for manufacturing,” says another motor vehicle manufacturer in India. Indian companies looking at Thailand as a manufacturing destination isn‟t new. Large Indian corporations like Aditya Birla Group, Mahindra Group, TVS Logistics Services, Punj Lloyd Group and Ranbaxy Laboratories among others have already made investments in the country. But the lure of further tax exemptions and policy changes are now making it easier for SMEs and MSMEs.
Source: Yourstory
The rupee continued its unabated rise for the third-straight day, surging by 35 paise to end at a new two-week high of 67.43 against the US dollar after a surprise crash in crude prices quickly faded near-term trade deficit and inflation worries. The domestic currency market heaved a sigh of relief following a significant easing in crude prices that will lead to considerable improvement in India's position on fiscal front, bolstering investor confidence towards the home currency. Global crude oil collapsed after Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih endorsed prior comments from his Russian counterparts calling for self-imposed output curbs to be relaxed, perhaps as soon as June. The meltdown could be a blessing in disguise for India as gradual uptick in inflation made investors jittery and they fear the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may shift its stance from neutral to tightening which led to hardening of yield, a forex dealer said. Brent crude futures, an international benchmark, is trading lower at USD 75.37 a barrel, down 1.14 per cent in early Asian trade. In a further sign of confidence, currency traders and other speculators unwound a part of their bullish long-dollar positions built up over the last few weeks. However, geopolitical uncertainties after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the planned talks with North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un along with importers demand for the dollar limited further gains in the local unit. Similarly, selling pressures on government bonds eased significantly with the benchmark 10-year yield tumbled to 7.74 per cent from 7.79 per cent. The Indian currency had breached the crucial 68 level and came within a whisker of a historic low against the dollar last week. It has recouped a whopping 1.47 per cent in the last three days. Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors and funds continued their steep selling spree in the midst of rising US bond yields and pulled out nearly Rs 18,000 crore (USD 2.65 billion) from capital markets so far this month. India's foreign exchange reserves fell by USD 2.648 billion to USD 415.053 billion in the week to May 18, the Reserve Bank data showed. The rupee opened with a wide gap-up at 67.52 against last weekend's close of 67.78 at the inter-bank foreign exchange (forex) market on heavy dollar unwinding. Building on strong momentum, the home currency shot up to hit an intra-day high of 67.29 in mid-morning trade before ending at 67.43, revealing a strong gain of 35 paise, or 0.52 per cent. The RBI, meanwhile, fixed the reference rate for the dollar at 67.4430 and for the euro at 79.0027. Globally, the dollar traded lower against its major trading partners, but was fractionally higher against the yen. The dollar index, which measures the greenback's value against a basket of six major currencies was up at 94.41. In the cross currency trade, the rupee strengthened against the pound sterling to end at 89.76 per pound from 90.43 and rose further against the euro to finish at 78.47 as compared to 79.28 last Friday. The local unit also hardened against the Japanese yen to settle at 61.66 per 100 yens from 61.94 earlier. Elsewhere, the common currency took a big knock against the greenback on the back of growing Italian political uncertainty amid fears that the financial market stress in the Eurozone will cause the ECB to extend its QE and delay rate hikes. The British pound, however, staged a goodish rebounded from 2018 lows against the US dollar amid holiday-thinned liquidity conditions on the back of a bank holiday in the UK. In forward market today, premium for dollar dropped further owing to sustained receiving from exporters. The benchmark six-month forward premium payable in September declined to 87.50-89.50 paise from 89.50-91.50 paise and the far-forward February 2019 contract slumped to 222-224 paise from 226-228 paise previously.
Source: The Economic Times
New horizons for French fashion and Indian weaving In a Franco-Indian artistic fusion, organisations are reviving and popularising Indian weaving techniques globally. While India masters the craft of weaving, France offers expertise in tailoring and fabric manipulation; thus creating a product that introduces something new to both the markets. The Indian textile sector is one of the largest in the world, and handwoven Indian fabrics have been revered worldwide for centuries. However in recent times, despite global demand, the influence of handwoven commodities in the international market have become limited due to limited supply and lack of innovation. Textile art in India is skill based. Distinct textiles are found in different parts of the country where each region lends its own unique craft. Despite holding a high buying power, consumers both in India and abroad spend money on international and designer brands as opposed to Indian artisan products. Indian crafts get bracketed under an „ethnic‟ status, because of which many consumers have stereotypical ideas about their look and usage. As Indian textile art is becoming stagnant, initiatives by the government and private organisations are helping the art gain momentum yet again. One of them is Ekaya – a brand rooted in Banaras, involved in promoting and safeguarding the art of Indian hand weaving, including the revival of forgotten fabrics and patterns. For the Paris Haute Couture Week last year, fourteen stylists from C‟Couture Paris (French Federation of Custom-made Couture Creation in Paris) worked with Ekaya‟s traditional Banarasi silk to make a collection of ivory wedding gowns. After a successful exhibition in Paris, C‟Couture again teamed up with Ekaya to create the „Cousu d’Or‟ (sewn with gold) collection that was exhibited in Delhi in March 2018. The collection showcases talent and know-how of the creators and as well the richness of Indian textile heritage, such as the refinement of chikankari – an embroidery technique from Lucknow. “We did not want to make Indian clothes because our idea was to take them to the European clothing, just to see how we can work with these materials. In order to highlight refined and luxurious side of these fabrics, to give a new dimension to rich Indian materials and to show all the possibilities they offer for a European fashion confection. It is about breaking stereotypes about Indian fabrics and to expose them differently – as pieces of art and to show how to use them,” says Daniel Martin, secretary, C‟Couture Paris. The „Sewn with Gold‟ exhibition that showcased the best of both worlds was a hit, be it with the fashion professionals, or students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi. So much so, an exhibition in Berlin is also underway. Another entrepreneur who is reviving the Indian textile art is Nil Gandhi, Director at Sourcing World Products (SWP) – a textile buying agency based in Paris and having operations in India. SWP assists in sourcing, production and logistics of textile products in India, and helps brands across the world to develop ready to wear, accessories and home textile collections. “We have a good mix of Indian know-how and French fashion. We are thus able to promote Indian hand-weaving in a unique manner,” says Nil Gandhi. Despite initiatives to revive the art, a lot of the new generation is not continuing with their family‟s weaving business because of lack of respect for the skill. “Having fewer people weave is going to result in the industry to die no matter how much business we create, so it is also important that the government focuses on turning this into a proper profession, which encourages more business development in the sector”, Palak Shah, CEO, Ekaya, told Media India Group.
Source: Media India Group
AHMEDABAD: The security at Ahmedabad Textile Industry‟s Research Association (ATIRA) doesn‟t allow vehicles inside the campus in the morning before office hours. However, they make an exception for Ramniwas Agarwal, a businessman. Agarwal, a regular walker at the campus, always has his car boot full of grains to feed birds. All the walkers are free to take the grains and scatter them at designated areas. Agarwal doesn‟t keep count of the amount of grains he brings in daily as the chirping of hundreds of birds on ATIRA campus is his reward. ATIRA, boasting of 67 acres of campus right in the middle of the western Ahmedabad, is a favourite campus for the morning walkers due to its lush green environs which come alive with bird calls at the break of the dawn. But this thrum of nature is kept alive by the 400-strong walker and jogger community that tends to the flora and fauna. Many of the Good Samaritans, majority of them businessmen, attribute their act to septuagenarian Kirit Shah, a businessman who has been regular at the campus for about three decades. The businessmen might be dictating orders in their working hours, but here they can be seen cleaning the water pots meticulously and filing them up with the water by bringing the plastic cans from water points.“Before me, there was one businessman who used to fill up the water pots while taking a walk. When he got relocated, there was no one to carry forward his work. Thus, I started filling the pots for birds and animals. I started alone but today there are about 10 teams that look after the work,” says Shah, adding that today no broken pot goes unattended as someone invariably replaces it with a new one. Jatin Badhiyani, a businessman, comes for a daily walk for past six years. “For past two years, we (he and his wife Namita) started filling up water in pots and providing grains. The fellow walkers were an inspiration and we truly feel a sense of satisfaction,” he says. Apart from the birds including scores of peacocks, the campus also has a colony of monkeys, snakes and stray dogs. It‟s only for past few years that the walker groups divided 70-odd water points in 10 groups that also looks after replenishing the grains for birds and insects at designated spots. In absence of one or more members, others willingly take up their share of work. Earlier, many members used to bring water from their homes but ATIRA now has provided them taps to fill the cans. “Now it‟s more like meeting our family in the morning as many of the members have been coming to the campus for over a decade. We also organize a family meeting every month and try to go on excursion once a year,” says Agarwal. Jagdish Acharya, a businessman and part of the walkers‟ group, said that it‟s their way of giving back to nature. “I am not an avid bird watcher, but I can say that the birds have grown in number and variety over the years. What can be a better way to start the day?” he asks.
Canine care and peacock-spotting
Bhairavi Gupta is a housewife who feels for the dogs at ATIRA campus. These dogs include both strays and those abandoned by their previous owners. Gupta provides milk for these dogs and pups as she believes that the act fills her with positive energy to begin her day. Parul Dabhi, an arts and crafts teacher, is easy to spot on ATIRA campus as she is the only visitor in whom the peacocks trust. She feeds the peafowls on a regular basis but one peacock in particular, nicknamed „Raja‟ by Dabhi, is so fond of her that it even eats from her hand without any fear or apprehension.
Source: Times of India
PUNE: Even as the country debates the use of genetic modification technology, some cotton farmers in Maharashtra have decided to defy government directives against the use of illegally propagated herbicide-resistant cotton varieties and other GM crops like brinjal and mustard. They have called their protest an „Agitation for Freedom to use Technology‟. India has not allowed cultivation of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) BT cotton variety, which helps farmers save the cost on employing manual labour for removing weeds. HTBT cotton plant is resistant to herbicide sprays, which then kill only the weeds. The Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur had confirmed presence of HT cotton seeds in Maharashtra in the previous year, following which the state government had raided the godowns of a prominent seed company NSE 2.12 % and registered a police complaint. To prevent the use of HT varieties in the 2018 kharif season, the agriculture department of Maharashtra has appealed to farmers to stay away from these seeds. However, Shetkari Sangathana, a Maharashtrabased farmers‟ organisation, recently organised aTechnology Freedom Conference at Akola in Marathwada where it passed a resolution to support farmers who decide to plant the illegal HT varieties of BT cotton. Ajit Narade, a leader of the Shetkari Sangathana, said, “Despite its trials being over, the government has not given permission for use of HT cotton seeds. The rapid spread of these seeds without any promotion shows that farmers are desperate to use this technology. That is why we have decided to support farmers who want to cultivate HT seeds. We will soon be setting up teams to give protection to farmers.” However, the agriculture department has cautioned farmers against using HT seeds as it is against the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Source: Economic Times
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1400.23 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
VSF |
2245.06 |
USD/Ton |
0.35% |
5/28/2018 |
|
ASF |
3035.13 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Polyester POY |
1404.14 |
USD/Ton |
-0.66% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Nylon FDY |
3504.48 |
USD/Ton |
0.90% |
5/28/2018 |
|
40D Spandex |
5553.98 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Nylon POY |
5913.81 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
1685.75 |
USD/Ton |
-0.23% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Polyester FDY |
3175.94 |
USD/Ton |
1% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Nylon DTY |
3191.58 |
USD/Ton |
2% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
1697.48 |
USD/Ton |
-0.46% |
5/28/2018 |
|
Polyester DTY |
3629.64 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
2956.91 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
2260.70 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
3050.78 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
3113.36 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2675.30 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
2362.40 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2581.43 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.46 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.90 |
USD/Meter |
0.35% |
5/28/2018 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.25 |
USD/Meter |
0.12% |
5/28/2018 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.70 |
USD/Meter |
0.22% |
5/28/2018 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.74 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/28/2018 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.15645 USD dtd. 28/5/2018). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greets a member of the special delegation of South Korea's President on March 6, 2018.The US has pushed back additional sanctions against North Korea as the countries continue talking about a summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.Talks of reviving the planned summit seem back on track, with US officials meeting North Korean counterparts in the DMZ this week.The Treasury Department reportedly prepared a sanctions package which would target nearly 30 entities, including those in Russia and China.Trump favors a "maximum pressure" policy on North Korea, and US and UN sanctions have successfully curbed its foreign funding.The US has decided to push back additional planned sanctions against North Korea as the countries progress on talks of a future summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the US was prepared to announce increased sanctions against North Korea but decided to delay the action indefinitely while talks with North Korea continue.Last week President Donald Trump abruptly pulled out of a meeting with Kim Jong Un scheduled for June 12, citing "tremendous anger and hostility" on the North Korean side. Talks of reviving the planned summit seem back on track, as US officials continue to meet with North Korean counterparts at the DMZ this week. The Treasury Department has prepared a sanctions package which would target nearly 30 entities, including those in Russia and China, officials told the Journal. The sanctions, which were set to be announced this week, have been put on hold so long as talks concerning the summit move forward. The US, along with the UN, has imposed numerous large-scale sanctions on North Korea, cutting off much of its foreign income. The UN bans exports of North Korean coal, iron, seafood, and textiles, and limit imports of crude oil. Estimates say nearly half of North Korean transactions are made in foreign currency, commonly the Chinese yuan. But China, one of North Korea's largest trade partners, drastically reduced its imports from North Korea this year, according to the Associated Press. Trump has long emphasized the US commitment to a "maximum pressure" policy on North Korea in order to prevent the country from obtaining nuclear weapons. South Korea even credited Trump's hardline policy for helping bring Kim to the negotiating table last month, a claim which North Korea angrily refuted.
Source: Business Insider
The Ministry of Trade and Industry seeks to expand the establishment of integrated industrial zones to deepen local industrialisation and industrial development, through the use of international expertise via foreign investors wishing to establish industrial cities in Egypt, such as Russia, France, Turkey, and China. The Egypt-France Business Council's head, Fouad Younis, said negotiations for the establishment of the French industrial zone in Alexandria were progressing with France's Ministry of Finance and Economy. He predicted that this year will see the signing of contracts for the establishment of the zone on 25 feddans close to the Alexandria Port, especially as French President Emmanuel Macaron is expected to visit Egypt in the first half of the current year. The value of French investments in Egypt has reached about €4bn, up 12% from last year, which offer 40,000 jobs through 160 companies in many sectors, mainly tourism, air and sea transport, energy, environment, building materials, and cars. Meanwhile, 18 Turkish investors are negotiating with the Industrial Development Authority (IDA), to establish an engineering industrial zone on 1 sqkm in the cities of 10th of Ramadan or Badr. Hamada Al-Agwani, executive director of the Egyptian-Turkish industrial city project, said that the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) is considering entering as a 50% shareholder in the project's investments of EGP 3bn. The industrial city project aims to establish 1,300 factories to create 20,000 jobs. Russia is seeking to establish an industrial zone in East Port Said with investments of EGP 6.9bn. Alaa Ezz, general secretary of the Russian-Egyptian Business Council, said the Russian industrial zone had been negotiated three years ago, especially as Egypt seeks to boost economic relations with Russia in the coming period. The area is expected to be built on 5.25 sqkm in three phases. The first phase will begin with 1 sqkm by the Russian industrial developer, which will provide 7,300 jobs in construction and building. The Russian industrial developer will work in parallel to attract Russian companies and investors during 2018 and 2019. With the end of the implementation of the first phase, the second phase includes 1.6 sqkm, which would create 10,000 jobs to be completed by 2022, followed by a 2.65 sqkm area to create 17,000 jobs in infrastructure projects. The entire zone will be completed in 2031, 13 years after the beginning of the first phase. Then, Russian companies will set up projects and industrial clusters that would provide nearly 35,000 jobs. The most important industries to be established within the Russian zone are the manufacture of sensors, air conditioners, and motors; construction and building equipment; glass and ceramicswood and paper industries; and feeder industries for vehicles and tires. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade and Industry announced the implementation of the first phase of a Chinese textile industries city on an area of 3.1m sqm in the industrial city of Sadat. Mohamed El-Morshedi, chairperson of the Textile Industries Chamber of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, said that the aim of the city is to reduce Chinese spinning and weaving imports, and to expand the establishment of Egyptian-Chinese factories to manufacture the production requirements. The city will include 568 factories with a total paid-up capital of $2bn over seven years, including 87% foreign investments and 13% local investments. The city will provide direct work opportunities for up to 160,000 technicians with a total production of $9bn annually.
Source: MENAFN
RCC was formed with the coordination of six concerned institutions, including Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), to improve safety in garments industry. Bangladesh government has taken a BDT 10 crore project under Remediation Coordination Cell (RCC) to start renovation programmes taken for Ready-Made Garments (RMGs) for improving working conditions in the RMGs. Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) deputy inspector general, Md Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan said, "A total of 3780 RMG industries started renovation activities with the association of International Labour Organization (ILO) after the collapse of Rana Plaza at Savar.” He said under the national initiative of the government, a total of 1549 RMGs started renovation programme while 1505 RMGs under European buyers' alliance Accord and 890 others under American buyers' Alliance. RCC was formed with the coordination of six concerned institutions, including Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), to improve safety in garments industry. Bhuiyan said that 150 risky RMGs were shut down since the formation of RCC. He further added that 27 percent of renovation activities of 809 risky RMGs among 1549 RMGs under national initiative has already completed. 60 engineers have been appointed to follow up the programme taken under RCC while the activities will begin from July 1. Under the renovation programme, 296 RMGs are in Dhaka, 172 in Narayanganj, 190 in Gazipur, 126 in Chittagong and 25 others in different other districts will be renovated.
Source: Devdiscourse
Textile exports managed to continue recovering in the 10MFY18 period with modest growth of 8 percent as compared to the same period last year. The segments that have contributed most to this growth in value terms have been knitwear and readymade garments, registering a decent increase of almost 15 percent and 12 percent respectively as compared to 10MFY17. Readymade garments have also led volumetric growth, registering an increase of almost 13.5 percent. This year‟s growth in textile exports has mostly been based upon a boost in the value added segments. However, the state of the overall sector remains mired with problems which continue to hamper growth. The outgoing government has left it in some cases to the very last months of its tenure to address issues which have been red-flags for some time now. For instance, the rupee depreciation has only taken place in the last four months but going forward will be a boon for textile exports in particular.Then there is the high cost of production which has been the most frequent complaint of textile stakeholders. Energy costs in particular have led to rapidly eroding cost competitiveness compared to regional peers such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and China. But the government has failed to address this issue as gas provision to majority of the textile industry which is based in Punjab has been R-LNG. This costs almost Rs1200/MMBTU and unless a weighted average formula is adopted by the next government, matters would become grimmer in the time to come. Also, the government has remembered in its final days that high power tariffs for the textile sector are counter-productive and there are talks of bringing down the electricity tariff by Rs3. But one issue that has totally been ignored is the payment of pending sales tax refund and export rebates. This has resulted in a liquidity crunch for most exporters hampering them from taking additional orders or complete existing ones. According to an advert published in Business Recorder last week by the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), “not even a single processed sales tax refund claim has been paid for 8 months while huge amount of sales tax RPOs is also pending payment.” Ironically, there have been talks about another textile incentive package by the government. What benefit would it translate into and whether it will even be followed by the next set-up is a big question mark. The only thing that can be ascertained for a certainty is that the PML-N government did things too little and too late for recovery of the textile sector.
Source: Business Recorder
Retail demand in the European Union for Sri Lankan apparel was at a mere 5 per cent increase in the first quarter of this year compared to 2017. This was a drop in expectations on the back of the GSP plus trade facility that resumed in July 2017. Sri Lanka Exporters Association (SLEA) President Felix Fernando told the Business Times on Friday that due to the long winter season in Europe the industry had observed a drop in retail demand for apparel as a result of which local exporters were unable to reach the expected increase in sales of 12 per cent. The industry was only capable of achieving a 5 per cent growth in apparel exports during the Q1 compared to the same period last year. He noted that spring garments could not be released as most of the Europeans were slow on purchasing clothing and would rather remain indoors than go out shopping. Reports have stated that Europe was in the grip of a “cold snap, which has sent temperatures plunging below their usual late-February levels, and sparked heavy snow showers in unusually southerly spots like Rome.” And expectations are that there could be severe weather with flooding and rains in Europe this month. In fact another report highlighted that even April was giving the chill with temperatures dropping even in the US. “Usually by March it clears up,” Mr. Fernando explained and noted that however, this year the situation has not been the same. He pointed out that in 2017 they had observed a “big growth” in the EU market during the first quarter compared to 2016. April however, he pointed was a relatively low month. During the first three months of this year the industry expected to achieve a growth of 12 per cent in apparel exports compared to last year. However, the figures during the first quarter was up by only 5 per cent for both the US and the EU compared to last year‟s sales as a result of which earnings were at US$1.269 billion. Meanwhile, Mr. Fernando noted that the exports to other sectors like China, India and Japan had however, dropped by about 2.3 per cent. The industry expects to achieve an increase of US$500 million more in earnings for this year compared to last year.
Source: Business Times
KARACHI: Textile processing industrialists while expressing grave concern over artificial price hike and shortage of Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) in local market have sought permission from Ministry of Commerce to import it on zero rated duty. All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) expresses with utter surprise and consternation that the local manufacturers of HP has abruptly reduced the supply of HP in the country which has created panic amongst our member units who are the one the major consumers of HP. Saleem Parekh, Central Chairman APTPMA said that HP is used as a basic raw-material by the Textile Processing Units. “Shortage of HP would adversely affect the export of textile fabrics/ garments and deprive the country of valuable foreign exchange to the tune of billions of rupees, besides closure of hundreds of textile industrial units, and would throw thousands upon thousands of wage-earners out of jobs. In a recently meeting held in the office of Textile Commissioner Organization under the chairmanship of Ahmed Bakhsh Narejo, Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textile & Industry, which was attended by the all stake holders except Sitara Peroxide. The country‟s total demand of Hydrogen Peroxide is 4500.M.Tons/Month, out of which 99% is consumed by Textile Industry. There are two plants of this chemical in the country, namely Sitara Peroxide having a production capacity of 2550 M.Ton/month & DESCON Oxychem, 2400 M.Ton/month respectively. The demand of Hydrogen Peroxide for Textile Industry of Northern zone (Punjab+KPK) is about 2200 M.Ton/month where as it is about 2300 M.Ton/month in Southern zone (Sindh+Balochistan); total demand of the Country is about 4500 M.Ton/month. It is learnt that, DESCON Oxychem is supplying 1175 M.Ton/month out of its total production of 2760 M.Ton/month to south zone which is 42% of its production, on the other hand M/s Sitara Peroxide having total capacity 2550 M.Ton/month is producing only 1780 M. Ton/month which is only 70% of its full capacity. Out of its current production of 1780 M.Ton/month, it is supplying only 200 M.Ton/month to south zone which is only 11%. Hence total supply to south zone is 1375 M.Ton/month i.e. a shortage of 925 M.Ton/month to the tune of about 60% being faced by South zone Textile Industry. Due to this acute shortage, the price fluctuation is very high & the situation may compel the SME Sector for closure, whereas, the LSM are surviving by importing through DTRE, which impart Trade Bill. He emphasized that TCO should intervene & contact Sitara Peroxide & press Sitara Peroxide to bring its unit in full swing and ensure an un-interrupted supply of Hydrogen Peroxide to the South zone in the true sprits which were under take at the time of imposing duty & antidumping duty on Hydrogen Peroxide. He further said that matter should be resolved on war footing otherwise closure of Textile Industry will take place. The Director (Textile) informed that the M/s Sitara Peroxide has been approached several times but they have tended to response.
Source: Daily Times
