Sushil Verma:  Industry needs stable markets to grow and take investment decisions

Kusters Calico Machinery designs, manufactures, and supplies textile wet processing and converting equipment. The company was 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. In this interview, Sushil Verma, Managing Director, Kusters Calico Machinery, discusses the challenges facing the textile machinery industry, as well as the growth opportunities he envisions for the sector.

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

Currently the Indian textile machinery industry situation is not up to the desired level due to political instability in many countries, lingering wars, geopolitical challenges etc hindering decisions to invest or expand. Everyone is in wait and watch move. Industry needs stable markets to grow and take investment decisions. It’s easy to invest but difficult to sell unless you have available & accessible market.    

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

Businessmen shirk to invest in the fluid situation. Today the tariff war going on in many countries has shaken the confidence of the industry and people are hesitating to invest unless the tariff issues are resolved and normalcy is restored. India has been doing good export of textile but due to tariffs it is getting hit and specially those who are into exports. Today countries are so much interdependent on each other businesswise that any issue in one country affects the others. But this is temporary phase and hope within next 6 months tempers will cool down and business will return to normal.

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

If I give you textile wet processing machines comparison, Indian manufacturers are quite competitive both in terms of technology and efficiency if we compare apple to apple. There are many cheap versions available both in India and abroad which we have to leave aside for comparison purposes because they don’t offer same quality and performance.  

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

Firstly our company is concerned to reduce 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 & power consumptions. We are also manufacturing efficient inhouse heat exchangers to reduce heat loss in the process.

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

Kusters Calico has done lot of work in machine automation field and we supply highly automated machines today, some of the work is listed below:

• Develop full automation and control on the operating screen to reduce material waste, energy consumption, water usage, and chemical waste, aligning with global sustainability goals.
  • Use automated dyeing systems to maintain precise control over parameters, reducing shade variations.
  • Implement recipe-based steam and chemical control via touch screen, shifting workers to skilled roles like system operators and data analysts.
  • Tailored automation solutions integrate seamlessly with existing systems, minimizing disruption and maximizing benefits.
  • Use Siemens SIMATIC controllers in panels that use 50% bio-based plastics, cutting CO₂ emissions from housing materials by half.
  • Use panel components optimized for seamless integration, minimal maintenance, and long-term environmental benefits.
  • Work towards complete adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and IoT-based real-time monitoring of machinery and environmental conditions.

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

We have recently expanded our advanced product portfolio with two new high-performance machines:

• Singeing Unit for Knit Fabrics (up to 2.4 m width): Features two water-cooled burners, flexible flame positioning, and PLC-based controls. Equipped with automatic flame extinguishing, safety interlocks, advanced cooling, and efficient fume extraction, it ensures consistent quality and fabric protection. 1st machine is successfully running in Iran.
  • Chain Merceriser (fabric width up to 1800 mm): Features two 15 m self-lubricated chain rails with stainless steel clips for smooth fabric movement, entry rollers, edge guiding with photocell sensors, nylon brushes, and a spray system with circulation, filtration, and vacuum for efficient chemical treatment. Geared motors control width adjustment and chain movement, while the hood with exhaust fan and heating coil ensures uniform processing and superior fabric quality. The machine is successfully running in Russia.

Looking ahead, what opportunities and growth areas do you foresee for Indian textile machinery manufacturers in the domestic and global markets?

We at Kusters Calico are working to go to the markets which are emerging today as textile hub in the changing scenario. There is clear shift in business from one market to other 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 future as business is very dynamic these days and longevity is not assured. For us entering Knits market is one of them and recently we secured Knits CBR order. Already supplied Knits CWR and Padders in the past. Now we are working to develop Knits CMR.