Bhupinder Singh:  Automation is the need of the hour in each and every process

B-Tex designs and delivers automation solutions for inspection and packing department with Italian know-how and software to global standards of excellence with local support. B-Tex started its journey around 2 decade ago and earned the reputation as a formidable choice in the textile industry for fabric inspection, rolling, slitting and packing systems for technical textiles, woven and knits with collaboration with RealTime Srl (Italy) for technical know-how and defect logging software. Bhupinder Singh, CEO of B-Tex Textile Machinery, speaks with Divya Shetty about the automation practices driving the company forward and the latest innovations shaping its journey.

What steps has your company taken towards automation, and how has it impacted production and efficiency?

Since the last 2 decades, B-Tex Textile Machinery has been witness to frequent innovations in the industry which meant that we too had to adapt quickly and bring out novel automation solutions to be relevant in the industry,  also try to stay ahead of the competition. B-Tex’s Auto-Cut-Pack System powered by Italian software has enabled our customers to increase production and efficiency while minimising manpower. 

There’s no denial of the fact that manpower crisis and space crunch poses a serious challenge to the textile industry, automation is the need of the hour in each and every process that obviously helps organisations to have optimal manpower, increase production and have quality MIS reports.

How would you describe the current state of the Indian textile machinery industry?

India’s textile exports staring at a potential 25 per cent hit in the next six months owing to the US’s decision to impose 50per cent tariffs and this will surely impact apparel and made-up goods industry significantly. Although the extension of duty-free cotton imports until December 31 does offer some relief by way of improving cost competitiveness. Machine manufactures like us are also affected, however we do believe that the Indian government will come up with measures that will help bring back the growing phase again.

What are the biggest challenges your company and the broader machinery sector are currently facing?

US tariffs primarily challenge textile machinery manufacturers through increased raw material costs, supply chain disruptions from component shortages, and decreased demand for machinery due to economic uncertainty and hesitancy in capital investment. The broader machinery sector also struggles with rising labour costs, the need for continuous innovation to integrate new technologies, supply chain disruptions, and a general shortage of skilled labour, leading to overcapacity and slower growth.

How competitive are Indian-made textile machines compared to global standards in terms of technology, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness?

Indian-made textile machines are generally less competitive globally in technology and efficiency compared to countries like Germany and Italy, which offer advanced machinery at competitive prices. India faces challenges with fragmented supply chains, a lack of automation, and reliance on manual labour, leading to lower efficiency and higher production costs compared to rivals like China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. However, Indian machines are often seen as more cost-effective due to lower labour costs in the manufacturing process. To improve, India needs to adopt modern technology and automation to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and meet evolving global standards for quality and sustainability

How is sustainability being integrated into textile machinery design and manufacturing in your company?

Sustainability in textile machinery integrates energy efficiency, waste minimisation, and the use of eco-friendly materials in the machine’s design and manufacturing process. 

B-Tex has 2 pillars Sustainability and Automation and this keeps us ahead. At B-Tex, we design and deliver automation solutions for Inspection and Packing Dept. with Italian Know-How and Software to global standards of excellence with local support. With Italian know-How, our machines are famed to be at par with that of Italian standards in terms of inputs and performance, sold out at affordable price. B-Tex achieves this by investing in energy-efficient technologies, designing machinery for lower resource consumption, utilising recycled or biodegradable materials in machine construction, and implementing a circular economy approach for end-of-life equipment. 

Could you share some of the key innovations or technological advancements your company has recently introduced?

B-Tex Auto-Cut-Pack System is a boon to Inspection and Packing department. Due to optimised cut plan, we help save our customers 2-3 per cent A-Grade fabric and please bear in mind that’s a considerable volume for a large textile company. And this directly results in increased profits. Additionally our machines also helps reduce manpower to the tune of 60 per cent as there is bare minimum handling of fabric due to features such as automatic packing with sorting. All defect entries through touch screen in Italian software can provide a variety of reports like shift-wise, sort-wise, operator-wise, production and department-wise to improve quality. And finally 40per cent space is also saved as Auto-Cut-Pack system singlehandedly delivers 80,000 mtr/day with LDPE and HDPE packing with a single operator. There are several other benefits like Auto-Samples, Folders, Barcode, Automatic labelling, etc.

B-Tex has created a niche for itself by designing specialised hi-tech machines for quality fabric manufacturers like  Ramco Group, Premier Mills, Tesssitura Monti, Premier Mills, Raymond Zambaiti, Soktas, Alok Industries, NSL Textiles, GM Fabrics, Himatsinghka, Morarjee Mills, Jindal Denim, SRF,  D’decor, etc. and exported to many countries. 

Along with Woven and Knits, B-Tex has expertise in non-woven and especially technical textile Machines for winders, un-winders, slitting and packing systems. We have already delivered tailor-made machines to High quality manufacturers like M/s. Khosla Profile, SRF, Milliken, Wilhelm, Texport Syndicate, etc..

B-Tex is participating in upcoming Techtextil Exhibition in Mumbai from 19-21 Nov. 2025 and we believe to gain good business due to our past experience and great foot fall at the event.