MMF industry holds immense scope for India: Oerlikon seminar

The technical seminar, organised by Oerlikon Group in Daman, underscored the wider scope of manmade fibres in India. ´China will for the first time slowly change from planning industry principle to market-driven principle. Secondly, focus of China´s textile industry is more on domestic market development. Besides, there will be added growth in India in the medium- and long-term because of significant cost increase in China due to appreciation of RMB. There is also an increased importance of second source for textiles globally,´ said Michael Korobczuk, Vice President, Sales, Oerlikon Textile GmbH, Germany. ´However, Indian producers have to first think of improving the whole textile value chain (polyester to fabrics garments) and secondly in higher consistent quality levels of their products,´ he added.

Khurshed Thanawalla, Managing Director of Oerlikon Textile India Pvt Ltd, traced the history of the German group on Indian soil right from its small beginning.´The foundation for the Barmag/Neumag was laid in 1986 as a private limited company with a small office in Nariman Point. That time, the production of polyester in India was 150,000 tonnes and nylon 35,000 tonnes. With JK Synthetics, Reliance Industries, Garware and Nirlon entering in a big way, today India produces approximately 3.5 million tonnes of polyester and 80,000 tonnes of nylon. Some old names have disappeared and new names have come too. Wellknown, Bilosa, Alok and many more have emerged big in polyester,´ said Thanawalla.

Said Thanawalla: ´Oerlikon Neumag has an installed capacity of 1.6 million tonnes in India today. Barmag and Neumag services have grown fast and significantly in India, and the effective maintenance and spares replacement offering of the Oerlikon Group has brought many repeat orders in the country. In the coming year, we will offer more training for staff, improved spare parts services, etc. for the growth of the manmade fibre industry in India.´

´In India, manmade fibre has a share of 30 per cent in textile consumption against 70 per cent in the global market. China has given a big push to MMF industry and today leads the world in this industry. But man-made fibre industry in India faces a step-motherly treatment and for instance there is a 12 per cent excise on this industry against zero per cent on cotton industry. Against this background, countries including China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh treat cotton and MMF industry on the same level. For building a competitive industry, we need a fair fibre policy that treats natural and manmade fibre on the same level in respect of levies and other measures,´Oerlikon India´s chief concluded.

This was followed by presentations of: Jochen Adler, senior Project Manager of Oerlikon Barmag, on Latest innovation in technology for MMF; Detlev Schulz, Senior Manager, Oerlikon Barmag on FDY Wings: Latest Experiences; Mathias Groner Rothermel, Senior Manager, Oerlikon Neumag on Staple Fibre Technology, Staple Force S1000 (who also spoke later on Polymerization Plant for Polyester); Chetan Bhagat, Deputy General Managaer (Sales), Oerlikon India on BCF-New Development and Opportunities in Indian Market; Michael Korobczuk on Worldwide Latest Market Scenario of MMF; Ernst Wolfgang, Executive Vice-President, BB Engineering GmbH; and R Khatre, Manager (Services), Oerlikon India.

A Question Answer session followed the presentations, which was moderated by Debabrata Ghosh, General Manager, Sales, Oerlikon India. The final session was a panel discussion on Future Growth Strategy of Indian Manmade Fibre Producers and Impact of GST on the Textile Value Chain in the Coming Years. There was a very lively discussion and exchange of ideas moderated by Ghosh.