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Kusters Calico manufactures and supplies the most affordable and excellent machines to the textile wet processing and converting industry. The company is built up on an area of 20000 sq m and was established in 1996 as a Joint Venture of Eduard Kusters Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG of Germany and Calico Industrial Engineers (Calico) of India. At present, it is a 100 per cent subsidiary of JAGENBERG AG, Germany. Sushil Verma, Managing Director, Kusters Calico Machinery, discusses recent developments within his company in this interview and shares his insights on the current state of the textile wet finishing and processing industry.
How do you assess the current state of the wet finishing and textile processing industry in India and globally?
Currently, the textile industry is going through a tough phase due to various geopolitical uncertainties in the world especially tariff-related, affecting many textile-producing countries. Customers are reluctant to invest unless clarity emerges on the tariff structure. Since wet finishing & textile processing are important processes in textile so it’s also affected. Our order intake has also reduced as customers are in wait and wait-and-watch policy today.
What are the latest technological innovations Kusters Calico has introduced in the wet finishing segment?
Kusters Calico has developed new continuous bleaching range for the knits segment and going all out in the knits sector now. we can offer continuous pad batch, continuous washing and continuous bleaching range for the knits market. Next, we are working to develop a new continuous mercerising range. Kusters Calico henceforth can offer machines for both woven and knits.
How is your company addressing the growing demand for sustainability and resource efficiency in textile processing?
Firstly, our company is concerned with reducing the carbon footprint in our production facility; hence, Kusters Calico has recently installed 500 kW solar panels on factory sheds to produce and meet 80 per cent power requirement through green energy. Secondly, better Kusters technology and efficient washing compartments require lower water, steam, and power consumption. We are also manufacturing efficient in-house heat exchangers to reduce heat loss in the process.
What trends are shaping customer preferences in wet finishing machinery today, particularly from export-driven or high-performance textile manufacturers?
Today, there is a shift in customer requirements as they now demand high-quality machines to produce good quality fabrics, less utility consumption, fully controlled by PLC-driven programs to reduce manpower requirements and maintain consistency in product quality. All our machines are electronically controlled, hence less dependent on workers’ skill and hundreds of recipes can be stored in the PLC, which can be easily recalled to maintain the same quality
How do your machines cater to emerging segments like technical textiles and high-value fabric processing?
Today, we have seen customers demanding a single machine that can run both woven and knits to have more flexibility in production. Also, more shift is seen towards man-made cellulosic fibres i.e., rayon modal, lyocell, tencel, etc., 100 per cent cotton, cotton lycra and other blends with synthetic fibres, which requires a high degree of accuracy in machine and roller manufacturing, bigger size and driven rollers, etc to avoid crease formation & elongation control. We have worked out the solutions for all these types of fabric requirements.
What kind of R&D efforts or collaborations is Kusters Calico focusing on to stay ahead in the market?
We have formed a cross-functional team of experienced managers to suggest changes in the existing product ranges to increase product efficiency, better productivity, improve the design and standardization for ease of manufacturing and reduce design and manufacturing time. A team of dedicated design engineers is also working to standardise the modules, many already been done, and work is going on with other modules.
Can you share your strategic vision and future growth plans for both domestic and international markets?
We have plans to go to the markets that are emerging today as a textile hub in the changing situation. There is a clear shift in business from one market to another and we have to be proactive to be present in these markets. We also need to increase our product portfolio so that we can cater to more customers and mitigate the risk of market meltdown in the future, as business is very dynamic these days and longevity is not assured.
