Cotton production in India the next cotton season (October 2015 to September 2016) is expected to be approximately 385 lakh bales. Though deficient rainfall in states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra were expected to bring down production, rains in these states during the last 10 days have given hope that production will be almost the same as last year. Prices are also expected to be stable next season.

Textile mills, who are the main buyers of cotton in the country, are facing financial problems because of slow movement of yarn. They want the Center to come out with a scheme to extend financial support to mills to purchase the raw material, that is, cotton. Cotton exports this year are lower than last year and are 63 lakh bales so far. Imports have touched 13 lakh bales. Cotton stock is available in surplus globally. International cotton associations are also expecting a surplus carryover of cotton stock the world over.

India is the second largest producer of cotton in the world after China, accounting for about 18 per cent of world cotton production. It has the distinction of having the largest area under cotton cultivation in the world, ranging between 12.2 million hectares and constituting about 25 per cent of the world area under cotton cultivation.

Textile Exchange, a global non-profit organization that works to accelerate sustainable practices in the textile industry has announced the findings of a comprehensive benchmarking report that measures the progress of 57 leading textile companies in their effort to become more sustainable. While there is an overall improvement in the companies’ initiatives to become more sustainable, Textile Exchange points out that the data on usage of preferred materials must be prudent to better assess their efforts.

Investing in green practises

The Benchmark Program allows companies to track their own progress and also relate it to others’ experience and results in four main areas: Sustainability Strategy, Supply Chain, Materials Usage and Sales and Marketing. According to the findings, 93 per cent of companies reported to have a vision or mission to be more sustainable.

The majority, almost 81 per cent are addressing raw materials use at the strategy level and 74 per cent are setting individual targets for specific materials. The report says that 70 per cent of companies use a voluntary sustainability standard to help them ensure the integrity of their organic products and 64 per cent are tracking other preferred materials. While 74 per cent are reporting the amount of organic cotton they consume, 81per cent claim to be communicating the sustainability attributes of their products to their customers.

The ‘Benchmark Program for Organic Cotton and Preferred Materials’, will be shared with the textile industry. The 57 participating companies submitted detailed data about their organic cotton and other preferred materials use to Textile Exchange for analysis and comparison across the industry. These companies range in size from small start-ups to global brands and share the common goal of improving sustainability efforts across their supply chains.

Lack of data on usage of preferred materials 

Policies on raw materials and animal welfare are still lagging behind human rights and ethical trade, says the report. Also, companies setting long-term goals for a preferred material portfolio were less common than setting targets for specific materials. While 73 per cent of participants could provide data on organic cotton, the numbers dropped off dramatically for other preferred materials. Textile Exchange says that this is an area where companies need to improve so that their use of preferred materials such as recycled polyester and preferred cellulosic (such as lyocell) can be better analysed. 

“Textile Exchange’s Benchmark Program provides a framework for the industry. Companies working to improve their impact on the environment, natural resources, people and animals can compare best practices and results. Our aim is to have these companies learn from each other and even feel a sense of urgency to make improvements similar to those of their colleagues in the industry. As we move beyond the pilot phase we’ll also be encouraging more companies to join in,” says Liesl Truscott, European and Materials Strategy Director.

The benchmarking results will be featured at TE’s global Textile Sustainability Conference in October and in a series of online workshops for companies that will be launched later in 2015. Textile Exchange, founded in 2002 works closely with all sectors of the textile supply chain to find the best ways to minimize and even reverse the negative impacts on water, soil, air, and the human population created by this $1.7 trillion industry. TE accomplishes this by providing the knowledge and tools this industry needs to make significant improvements in three core areas: materials, integrity and supply chain.

www.textileexchange.org

The government plans to encourage companies to produce geo and technical textiles through the textile technology mission scheme. The aim is to promote its ‘Make in India’ initiative by way of enhancing capital subsidies to procure textiles machineries which are largely imported.

It is likely to make use of geo and technical textiles mandatory in sectors such as construction of roads, ports, airports, canals, dams as also in defence and railways to propagate their applications and to restrict such imports to enhance domestic production, points out Textile Commissioner, Kiran Soni Gupta, while speaking at a seminar on 'Geo Textiles' under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Soni informs capital subsidies for obtaining textiles machineries could also be increased along with the interest subsidy expansion since states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu make a significant contribution on the geo and technical textile manufacturing front. PHD Chamber plans to open a ‘Startups Cell’ to support, fund and guide the young entrepreneurs in the field of their choice including technical and geo textiles segments.

www.phdcci.in

Indian bed and towel major Welspun has bagged the license to supply towels to the teams vying for the coveted 2015 Rugby World Cup that started on September 18, 2015 in the UK. This is not the first time that Welspun's towels made at its manufacturing capacities in Gujarat are making their presence at a global sporting event. In 2006, the company held license to manufacture towels for the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

The company has emerged strong in manufacturing textiles—towels and bed sheets. Around 95 per cent of Welspun’s revenue is driven by exports to global retailers in the US such as Walmart Stores and JCPenney.

Companies like Welspun are also investing in research and development (R&D) to innovate and grow their business. The company has applied for six patents in Europe, the US, Brazil, China, Korea and Australia for its creations such as natural finish fabric, ergonomics mattress pad and eco-dry towels that use little water during washing. It has already got patents for Hygrocotton that has a hollow core for fluffiness, temperature control and moisture wicking, from the UK and the US in the past two years.

www.welspunindia.com