This March, the textile fraternity saw the launch like no other; Birla Cellulose did a grand launch of its fabric brand, LIVA with their new stylish brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut. Expected to play a key role in producing excellent fabric to the fore, LIVA is an endeavour to reach out to the end consumer with a quality offering that is in line with current fashion trends.

The expectation from the new government in the centre was very high. However the situations at the ground level did not alter much. The government´s attention was concentrated on macro issues. This could not lift the morale of the industry.

´If our cotton could speak, it would describe the extraordinary people behind its growth and cultivation.´ ´Our farmers are passionate: about their work, their crops and their communities. They are devoted to transforming an element from the earth into a fiber of our lives. They see a singular vision of the crop´s connection to what matters every day, and its embrace of all.´

The picture that appears at the end of the top row on Page 76 of ITJ September 2015 issue is that of B B Bharti, Joint Textile Commissioner. It has been erroneously named as Sundara Moorthy of BDB India. The inadvertent error is regretted.

True to the motto ´standstill is a step backwards´, a successful card model such as the C 70 will also be further improved. Further development is based on customer and market requirements as well as the technical progress of the technology and machine components.

Anuj Bhagwati, who now heads the A.T.E. Group, joined the Group in 1994. He has been actively involved in a wide range of activities in the group: he introduced IT to the group, managed several companies, put together joint ventures, and has been a part of divestments, turnarounds, start-ups and scale-ups. In the process he has transformed A.T.E. into a modern and technology oriented group.

Ryan Smith joins the Miller Weldmaster team as Outside Sales Rep for Miller Weldmaster´s western region. In this capacity, Smith will be responsible for spearheading business solution strategies, enhancing customer relations, and building new business relationships.

Bruce Atherley, who most recently served as vice president, Global Marketing for KAO, Inc, has been named executive director of Cotton Council International (CCI), effective October 1.

Despite historically low prime interest rates in the industrial nations, in many regions of the earth very high capital costs still prevail. For the affected customers, the question of the optimal design of their spinning mill in relation to the degree of automation and flexibility therefore still continues to be raised. Both factors have a significant influence on the investment sum and the associated capital costs over the depreciation period.