Upendra Prasad Singh, Union Textiles Secretary has directed private master developers to incur 70 per cent of the cost involved to develop an integrated value chain in a mega textile park. The government has received proposals from 17 states for the PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme or the mega textile park scheme, which will be developed with a capital of Rs 4,445 crore within a span of seven years up to 2027-28.

Among the states that have expressed interest include: Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana. The mega textile parks scheme will help India expand its textile business besides reducing logistics costs, opines Singh. Announced in the Union Budget 2021, the PM-MITRA scheme aims to make Indian textile industry globally competitive. The scheme will create world-class infrastructure with plug-and-play facilities, besides giving rise to exporters of global standards. The scheme will also enhance the overall income and uplift the quality of life of textile workers associated with the PM-Mitra scheme,

Researchers at the Agroisolab in Jülich and the Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, in western Germany, have accused sportswear brands Puma and Adidas of using Xinjiang cotton in their T-shirts. It has also accused Hugo Boss and German Outdoor wear brand Jack Wolfskin of making shirts using Xinjiang cotton while fashion company Tom Tailor has been accused of launching a pullover made from it.

As the Guardian, the US banned cotton imports from the autonomous region in north-west China last year. Several large western clothes brands and fashion brands also banned the use of Xinjiang cotton in their collection. In October 2021, Hugo Boss claimed all new collections are being developed in accordance with global standards. In 2020, Puma refused having any direct or indirect business relations with manufacturers in Xinjiang. In the same year, Adidas also refused having contractual relationship with any Xinjiang supplier.

Textile machinery manufacturer Stoll has launched a new collection of designer pieces tilted ‘Wonderful.’ As per a Textile Value Chain report, the new trends collection serves different areas of application that includes Stoll knit and wear® products in the new gauge of E 10.2 and in established gauges, such as E 7.2, The collection also displays Stoll -weave-in® and Stoll -ikat plating® techniques for creating novel patterns, display material usages and colour impressions. The collection offer customization in selected products via Stoll-autocreate®. The trends collection also includes a sustainable footwear fabric solution that was created in collaboration with renowned players in textile value creation.

Launched in March 2022, the collection was well-received by customers in Italy. A few customers also adopted the new pattern options contained there directly into their current collection, and ordered the necessary technical kids to convert their machines, as per Jörg Hartmann, Head - Fashion & Technology, Stoll.

Most listed spinning and textile mills in Bangladesh have seen a rise in Q3 profits as rising yarn prices gave a boost to apparel exports. However, business outlook for the current year remains unstable due to gas crisis, volatile cotton price in international market and a hike in global freight costs hike in the January-March quarter.

As per The Business Standard report, the Dhaka Stock Exchange lists 58 textile and spinning companies, of which 45 have published their third-quarter unaudited results. These results show, profits of 29 companies grew while seven companies saw a drop and and nine incurred losses.

The biggest gainers were: Tamijuddin Textile, Envoy Textile, Simtex, Shasha Denim, Square Textile, Monno Fabrics and Maksons Spinning. Anlima Yarn, Evince Textile and Stylecraft incurred losses, while they had recorded profits previous year. Profits of Aman Cotton, Alhaj Textile, Delta Spinners, ML Dyeing and Rahim Textile decreased in Q3 of fiscal 2021-22. The Export Promotion Bureau says, Bangladesh’s RMG exports increased 45 per cent to $11.52 billion in the third quarter through March, compared to $7.94 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. To keep pace with the growth in apparel exports, yarn makers revealed plans to invest about $2.5 billion in expanding production capacity by next year.

One of Europe's biggest fast fashion chains, Primark has decided to introduce sustainable farming methods to an additional 125,000 smallholder cotton farmers in in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh by the end of 2023. As per a Reuters report, the group's sustainable cotton program trains farmers to preserve biodiversity by using fewer chemical pesticides and fertilizers. It also lowers raw material costs besides improving yields and profits for the farmer. Owned by London-listed Associated British Foods (ABFL), Primark aims to increase the number of farmers in the program to over 275,000 by the end of next year.

The brand currently makes 40 per cent clothes from recycled fibers or more sustainably sourced materials. Almost all major brands are being pressurized to adapt sustainable supply chains and address the prevalent waste culture in the industry. Primark hopes to make a difference with its new initiatives.

To counter Nike’s shrinking sales Foot Locker aims to promote Adidas’ products in its retail chains. The retailer plans to triple Adidas’ sales of sneakers and other items at its stores. The two companies will target over $2 billion in retail sales by 2025, enabling Adidas to generate up to €100 million ($105.41 million) more in revenues this year. The collaboration will include product allocation and shared marketing spend. It will focus on key Orginals franchises including NMB, Superstar and Stan Smith.

The retail chain also aims to reduce Nike’s product share in its store from the current 70 per cent to 60 per cent in 2022. With more than 2,500 stores across the world, Foot Locker is a leading global athletic footwear and apparel retailer. Since 1975, the company has become an icon in the global street culture, sneaker scene and athletic lifestyle. Its longstanding collaborations with biggest brands enables it to offer the latest products to consumers.

Vanessa LaFebvre has been appointed new president, Global Activewear Segment, American apparel company HanesBrands. LeFebvre will lead the company’s growth across global brand Champion by focusing on innovation, key markets and new channels. Prior to this, LeFebvre was the senior vice president, commercial, North America at Adidas. She was responsible for the brand’s e-commerce, retail stores and wholesale growth. She was particularly known for delivering significant growth and profits in the North America region.

LeFebre’s extensive experience, leadership and energy will enable Hanesbrands to build on strong momentum for its Champion brand and drive long-term global growth, says Steve Bratspies, CEO, HanesBrands. Prior to joining Adidas in 2019, LeFebvre served as president of Lord and Taylor. She has held several senior leadership positions and merchandising roles in her career with reputed retailers like StitchFix Macy’s, Daffy’s and TJ Maxx.

Around 260 of the world’s best-known retailers and brands collectively sourced 2.5 million tons of Better Cotton in 2021. As per a Textile Today report, this accounted for 10 per cent of global cotton production adding up to 47 per cent increase in 2020 sourcing volumes. A founding member of the Better Cotton program, Ikea was able to meet its sustainable cotton sourcing goals by sourcing through the Better Cotton program. As per Arvind Rewal, Global Cotton Development Manager, IKEA, the retailer was able to deliver its sourcing commitments and currently sources 10 per cent of cotton required in supply chains globally.

Another member, Riachuelo aims to improve social and environmental practices by reducing the environmental impact of cotton farming, as well as improving the safety and well-being of cotton farmers, says Alesca Magalhaes, Executive, Sustainability, Riachuelo – Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Member.

Retailers and brands across the industry are driving sustainability in cotton farming by: supporting cotton farming communities. Since 2010, the Better Cotton organization has also been exploring public-private partnerships to initiate action for achieving more sustainable development in the cotton sector.

Despite first-quarter sales being impacted by lockdowns in Greater China, Adidas maintains its goals for 2025, says Kasper Rorsted, CEO. Rorsted says, sales may drop in double digits in 2022 as markets are unlikely to recover soon. However, it is expected to grow robustly in future. Russia-Ukraine war has not impacted consumers’ buying behavior, adds Rorstted.

A German multinational corporation, Adidas AG is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. It designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after Nike. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, 8.33 per cent of the German football club Bayern München, and Runtastic, an Austrian fitness technology company.

Revenues of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) surged by 144.2 per cent Y-o-Y i to over 5.15 trillion VND ($224.26 million)in Q1FY22. The association recorded a pre-tax profit of 376.7 billion VND ($16.4 million) during the quarter.

The association’s revenues from the textile industry increased by 139 per cent, while revenues from the garment industry rose by 167 per cent over the same period last year.

Cao HuuHieu, General Director, Vinatexattributes the growth to the sound control of COVID-19, enabling businesses to deliver the orders they received from 2021 and accept more orders, along with stable prices of cottons and labour cost, a news agency reported.

This year, Vinatex plans to speed up digital transformation to improve its operating efficiency, he says.

Vinatex has completed 63 per cent of its yearly target in textile production, while its garment has recovered to the same situation as the pre-pandemic period, adds Le Mac Thuan, General Director, Vinatex