Techtextil India 2019 was bigger and better

The seventh edition of Techtextil India 2019 witnessed a strong participation of 192 exhibitors from major countries across the world. The much-anticipated event curated a gamut of technical textile solutions from across 13 contingents including India. The event attracted a swarm of 4,446 quality visitors from numerous major cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Raigarh, and Mumbai.

Michael Janecke, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles & Textile Processing, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, which organises Techtextil India, gives us a brief comparison with the previous event.

Excerpts…

Techtextil 2019 is a sell-out, it is said. So, what is the final tally of exhibitors, and the total space with halls? Give is also a brief comparison with the previous event.

First of all, it is an obvious step forward. Techtextil India is the biggest show for technical textiles in India. Techtextil India was started in the year 2007. This is our seventh edition.

For the first time ever, we have the Taiwanese pavilion. On this point of view, the show is expanding; it is getting more international. If you see the presentations of all the exhibitors, it is getting on a higher level. So yes, it is improving.

The fair marked a 17 per cent increase in exhibition space, growing by 23 per cent in terms of exhibitors and 25 per cent growth in international exhibitors compared to the previous edition.
Out of all the exhibitors, companies that are covered under each application area include: agrotech with 30 per cent, buildtech with 38 per cent, clothtech with 41 per cent, geotech and hometech with 40 per cent, indutech with 44 per cent, medtech with 38 per cent, mobiltech and packtech with 27 per cent, oekotech with 22 per cent, protech with 29 per cent and sporttech with 32 per cent.

This year, India’s first Hackathon on technical textiles was organised. With an aim to identify solutions to the critical challenges of sustainable urban living, Messe Frankfurt India hosted India’s first technical textile Hackathon. The Hackathon titled “Techtextil NEXT” builds an eco-system that supports India’s technical textile start-ups and enables them to develop products and prototypes with technical textiles, driving innovations in the industry.

The seventh edition of Techtextil India 2019 witnessed strong participation from major international stakeholders like Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and China.

Can you please say something about the concurrent events being held during Techtextil India 2019?

We have one day symposium, which was more condensed as compared to past events. Through symposium we are trying to give additional information about the markets and so on. Symposium is the premier forum for the technical textiles industry (including nonwovens and composites) bringing together top-level speakers, technical specialists and highly qualified professionals across the industry.

The conference attracted speakers and delegates representing the entire cross-section and stakeholders at a common platform, including the leading machinery manufacturers, raw material suppliers, fabric suppliers, the end-product manufacturers, consultants, start-ups/new entrepreneurs, investors, research and development companies, testing, and certification authorities and industry associations, major textile institutions, etc.

Some of the agendas highlighted at the symposium included:

• Industry overview: An exclusive session elaborated on the initiatives takes by the government to boost this sector along with market overview: global and Indian perspective and details about technological advancements and upgrade.
• Technical textile industry: Market developments: This session addressed the scope of advancements resource availability in man-made fibre (MMF). It also explained the evolution of technical textiles and the significance of certification for various processes within the sector.
• Digitalisation and sustainability: Focussing on the megatrends, topics like industry 4.0: the upcoming era in digitalisation, sustainable manufacturing-paving the way towards competitive world and reuse and recycling as a key focus area in technical textiles were the high points of the session Nonwovens and composites: These sectors maintain an important place in under the entire technical textile value chain. To gage accurate knowledge about the growth and development of these sectors this session emphasised on opportunities of composites in textile industry, future of acoustic and thermal insulations, 3D textiles: embracing the depth of technical textiles and advancement in technical nonwovens.
• Key user prospects: Technical textiles: Lastly, the forum ended with a detailed session about understanding the end user’s needs and demands within various application areas. This elaborate session included important agendas like essentials and desirables in personal protective equipment, concerns and demand of meditech and healthcare textiles, needs of innovative textiles for smart farming, sportswear: between fashion, innovation and comfort and R-pet rolling out home textiles.
  The symposium proved to be a spectacular juncture for valuable exchanges, between industry experienced speakers’ and numerous highly-qualified professionals witnessing as enthusiastic audience from all fronts of technical textiles.

Discussed at the symposium were various challenges, innovations, and a keen focus on integrating networks between the 12 dispersed application areas of technical textiles. The seminar aimed fostering sustainability, durability and functionality through the greater use of renewable natural fibres, rather than synthetic ones. With an aim to curb pollution levels through technical textiles, a newer model of coating machinery was introduced during the seminar, multi-operation machinery performing all six coating functions in a single unit, was greatly applauded as a means to conserve higher usage of energy while constraining pollution.

On the last day, we also held Hackathon. We had never done it in any Techtextil show before. It is a new concept for us. In fact, I know Hackathon from other events. Within the Techtextil brand, it is new. The first-ever Hackathon on technical textiles brainstormed over various challenges and opportunities existing in the industry.

What are the expectations — exhibitors and visitors — for the Techtextil India 2019?
The exhibitors I talked to consider India as a market that has huge potential. For some of them, it is a new approach. Some companies, who are participating here, have entered into the Indian market only after participating at Techtextil.

From the visitor’s side, it is general. More people coming in mean more numbers. In the end, it is important that quality people come in. For us, quality is more important than quantity.

Which are the segments in technical textiles that hold immense scope in the Indian market?

I think there is tremendous scope in infrastructure in India. Geo textiles are gaining momentum with all the constructions going on. Internationally, there is good potential in the automotive industry. I don’t have the numbers to give.

In India, even the protection wear market holds good potential. India, being dedicated to agriculture and farming, [I think] agrotex market will grow too.

What are the challenges that are hampering the growth of technical textiles in India?

First of all, we launched Techtextil in 2007 on a study undertaken by the Ministry of Textiles. We like to shift the Indian textiles industry into technical textiles. If you see the starting point, the show has become now bigger and bigger, but I’ve been told that the speed on the user’s side is not that high. It could be because of the economic conditions. Many things are not going in the right direction but more time should be focused to bring it really on track.

As you know, technical textiles are more research driven. In Europe, new products are developed together with the client. So many things are developed in-house. I’ve been told that in India there is not enough space.

What are the various new infrastructural efforts undertaken that would make things easy for exhibitors and visitors alike?

We have been promoting a lot through social media in India and globally. You can find the exhibitor list on the website. A lot of other services are offered too.
If you look for jobs, we have a tool called Texpertise Stock Exchange, which is available 24×7 globally, wherein anyone can post jobs. These are tools and features which are given to the exhibitors.