India must focus on global audience too: Janecke
Global market size for technical textiles is estimated at $145 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4 per cent to $170 billion by 2020, according to Wazir Advisors Knowledge Paper.
Global market size for technical textiles is estimated at $145 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4 per cent to $170 billion by 2020, according to Wazir Advisors Knowledge Paper. Indian technical textile industry is in its nascent stage and accounts for around 5 per cent of the global technical textile production. Michael Janecke, Director of Messe Frankfurt, is very upbeat about India’s technical textile market. “India’s participation in the Techtextil Frankfurt this year clearly reflected the dynamics within the Indian technical textiles sector,†Janecke said, while interacting exclusively with the Editor of the Indian Textile Journal through email.
How successful was the recently-held Techtextil Frankfurt, and your comments on the India’s participation at that event?
Techtextil in Frankfurt surpassed our expectations. A record number of over 33,670 visitors from 104 countries plus 7,091 synergy visitors from Texprocess made their way to Techtextil from 9 to 12 May which is plus of 18 percent. A new record was also set on the exhibitor side with 1,477 companies from 55 countries. The last edition in 2015 featured 1,393 exhibitors from 52 countries. Same applies for Texprocess, the leading international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials that is held in parallel with Techtextil. With 14 per cent more exhibitors, 312 from 35 countries, and 2.9 growth on the visitor side, 13,718 visitors from 109 nations plus 11,399 synergy visitors from Techtextil, this was the biggest ever Texprocess.
India’s participation in the event clearly reflected the dynamics within the Indian technical textiles sector. Around 38 exhibitors from India showcased their textile innovations at Techtextil, 12 more than in 2015. The number of visitors from India increased from 364 in 2015 to 507 in this year making India one of the nations with the highest visitor growth rate at Techtextil. We also noted that Texprocess seems to gain growing importance in India. The number of visitors doubled compared to the last edition. Exhibitors are still a bit reluctant. In 2015 we had three and in 2017 two Indian exhibitors at Texprocess.
Scaling records once again, the platform has marked a 50 percent increase in exhibition space and is expected to host over 175 companies this year. Through a collaborative effort of Messe Frankfurt’s extensive sales network as well as various regional industry associations, the international participation in the event has also remained consistent with the 2017 fair set to host exhibitors from nine countries. This includes Austria, Belarus, China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain and Switzerland.
It has always been important for us, as organisers, to maximise the reach of the event among the right segments. So, in terms of visitors, the focus remains on attracting serious buyers and quality visitors with the necessary decision-making competence. We are confident that the co-location of two premier brands shows for the industry will be a major draw for visitors and textile sector players that will equitably drive up the visitor numbers from the last edition.
A very important feature will be the launch of Texprocess Pavilion at Techtextil. Texpocess as a brand has been a leading trade fair for international garment manufacturing and textile processing industry. With India’s contribution in the technical textile industry expected to further grow, the need for new technologies in garment manufacturing machinery is on a rise. Manufacturing technical textiles demands specific raw materials, machinery and equipment that are not readily available in India and importing those materials are expensive. The launch of Texprocess Pavilion will provide all the garment machinery manufacturers a great platform to display their innovations and build a new and strong client base while at the same time allow Indian market to see how these solutions can help expand their existing capabilities.
Covering the entire value chain and displaying the latest technology in technical textiles, nonwoven and garment manufacturing machinery, Techtextil India and Texprocess Pavilion together will aim to be a reliable platform for business and sourcing.
First of all, the Texprocess Pavilion should not be missed by visitors. Apart from this and pre-arranged buyer-seller meets, Techtextil India also conducts a symposium which is a premier forum for the technical textiles and the nonwoven industry attracting top level speakers and highly qualified professionals across the industry. The conference brings together participants representing the entire cross-section and all stake-holders of the industry at a common platform to learn about the market outlook, trends, developments, opportunities and challenges in the industry and also network with the industry experts. Some more specific topics that would be highlighted during this event are, Protective Agrotextiles, Textiles in Aerospace Applications, Fibre Innovations for Functional and Value Added Nonwovens amongst others.
This year we also have a seminar on garment manufacturing and textile processing. The launch of Texprocess pavilion provided the perfect backdrop for this seminar and for visitors to network with the sector leaders sharing their expertise and insights on the latest happenings in this segment.
Another first for this edition is the live telecast of the 56th edition of the Dornbirn Man-made Fibre Congress taking place in Austria. This is a global high-level conference and textile professionals from India can have an exclusive access to the plenary lectures and specialized papers from this conference right here in Mumbai – only during the three days of the fair. In the last few years, how do you see the Indian market for technical textiles has moved — up, down or stagnant? Comments from your experience.
When it comes to evaluating the Indian market I primarily speak from the perspective of a trade show organiser. Given the constant growth of Techtextil India and the increasing participation of Indian exhibitors and visitors at Techtextil in Germany, the Indian technical textiles market appears to be on a growth path. This is at least what we experience at our trade shows. That India’s technical textile and nonwoven industry continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors within the textile industry is also underlined by the numbers published by the Indian government.
According to recent studies, the nonwoven sector has emerged to be one of the most preferred areas for investment in India. Moreover, according to the numbers I know from the Indian government Packtech forms the largest segment followed by Indutech, Mobilitech and Hometech. With regard to growth, Geotech is predicted to grow the fastest. Answering this development, the Techtextil symposium offers a variety of lectures and discussions dedicated to these application areas.
Due to the growth of the Indian economy, domestic demand for high quality textiles and private consumption of textiles are growing constantly. And of course, it is often the domestic market setting the fundamental prerequisites for growth and expansion of an industry. However, in order to keep pace with international competition and to enter new markets, a company’s growth strategy should also focus on the needs of potential export countries. It is therefore crucial to Indian technical textile companies to present their strengths and innovations to an international audience.
As I mentioned the Indian technical textiles markets is a highly dynamic one. Apart from the support by the national government numerous regional initiatives and programmes aim to foster the development of the industry. However, this structure sometimes makes it difficult for the industry to focus efforts on those areas they think are the most promising ones for their business. From my perspective, an optimised coordination and / or concentration of initiatives and investment programmes as well as standardisation in norms for different sectors could be a way to further strengthen the Indian technical textiles industry sustainably and to open up additional new markets to Indian companies.
The German association VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies has come forward to announce its support for this much-awaited launch. The support exemplifies the immense potential for trade and technology transfer between Indian and German companies, targeting the growing demand and manufacturing focus of the garment and textiles industry in India. The launch has also drawn attention of the buyers from India’s largest garmenting associations Apparel Export promotion Council (AEPC) and Clothing Manufacturers of India (CMAI) both of whom have confirmed their support to the platform. Delegations from these key associations will be visiting the fair to identify the advancements and bring new technologies to their members. Among the exhibiting companies at Texprocess Pavilion are IIGM, Tukatech, Mehala Machines Ltd., Turel sales Corporation, GA Morgan Dynamics, Bierrebi, Optitex, Lectra and more.
The Texprocess Pavilion will be the first attempt to expand the scope of Techtextil India also into the garment machinery segment and of course we hope to provide the exhibitors and visitors an additional platform they benefit from not only this year but also in the future.
