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India has surpassed China to secure the top position among 30 developing countries on ease of doing business.
The 2017 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), now in its 16th edition, ranks the top 30 developing countries for retail investment worldwide and analyses 25 macroeconomic and retail-specific variables.
India's rapidly expanding economy, easing of foreign direct investment rules and a consumption boom are the key drivers for India’s top ranking in the GRDI.
India’s retail sector has been growing at an annual rate of 20 per cent. Total sales surpassed the trillion dollar mark last year and the sector is expected to double in size by 2020.
In the past year, 100 per cent foreign ownership has been allowed in B2B e-commerce businesses and for retailers that sell food products.
India's retail sector has also benefited from the rapid growth in e-commerce. It is projected to grow 30 per cent annually and reach 48 billion dollars by 2020.
India’s effort to boost cashless payments and reform indirect taxation with a nationwide goods and services tax are also expected to accelerate adoption of formal retail.
Despite its slower overall economic growth, the market’s size and the continued evolution of retail still make China one of the most attractive markets for retail investment.
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) has welcomed the Goods and Services Tax rates for textiles and clothing.
CMAI feels bringing the entire value chain of textiles under the GST regime will do away the fractured tax chain that exists in the current tax regime. Application of tax to the entire value chain in a fair and neutral manner will help this sector to comply with the tax laws of the country.
Availability of input tax credits under the GST regime will provide a boost to investment and job creation in the sector, which is the second largest employer after agriculture with a direct employment of over five crore and indirect employment of over six crore people.
CMAI has welcomed the decision to have two slabs of GST on garments. With input tax credits and local levies being merged with GST, essential garments having a selling price up to Rs1000 will save on the total applicable taxes, making the essential garments even more affordable. Though there would be a small increase in tax incidence on garments of a selling price above Rs1000, after accounting for all the input tax credits, indications are that manufacturers would absorb the same and there would be no change in customer selling prices.
CMAI is currently working with all stakeholders of the textile value chain to identify challenges that may need specific rules as the industry gets ready to adopt GST. CMAI has also setup a Helpdesk of GST experts.
Antimicrobial chemicals help to control the growth of microorganisms in textiles as well as maintain their physical strength.
Recent research and developments have brought superior antimicrobial chemicals in the market which can be used easily with high effectiveness in all application sectors, including indoor, outdoor, apparels, technical, and industrial textiles.
Textiles with large surface area such as carpets, apparels etc. under certain temperature and moisture conditions become vulnerable for microorganism growth. These microorganisms are not only harmful to human beings, causing various infections and diseases, but also lead to undesirable effects on textiles such as discoloration, odor and reduced strength of material.
In order to decrease the health risks associated with infections from microorganisms, textile manufacturers are increasingly using antimicrobial chemicals in their products. Antimicrobial chemicals are used in textiles in two different stages i.e. during the spinning and during the textile finishing process.
A growing number of health awareness programs, development of hospitals and surgical labs create a substantial platform for the use of antimicrobial textiles. Recently developed smart textiles, used for health monitoring, also utilize hygienic and bacteria-free textile materials. Increasing consumption of smart textile materials is further expected to push the demand for antimicrobial textile chemicals over the coming decade.
"As the global textile industry’s most comprehensive sourcing summit for spring/summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is the ideal place to find latest developments in product innovation and sustainability. This is especially true in the fair’s Beyond Denim zone, which this edition will feature over 110 exhibitors from China, Japan, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere."
As the global textile industry’s most comprehensive sourcing summit for spring/summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is the ideal place to find latest developments in product innovation and sustainability. This is especially true in the fair’s Beyond Denim zone, which this edition will feature over 110 exhibitors from China, Japan, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere. Adding to a total of 3,300 exhibitors from around 22 countries and regions, they provide sourcing options for the entire industry, from fabrics for ladieswear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie and swimwear to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional & performance fabrics, sustainability products & services, digital printing technologies, garment & fashion accessories and more.
Volcanic ash is not uncommon in beauty products, it is known as Mother Nature’s skin purifier after all, and used as an exfoliator, but it is far less common in the textile industry. Orta Anadolu is set to change that with its Bioware denim, which is enriched with mineralised volcanic ash to create an odour absorbing effect. This technology captures and absorbs odour compounds that would normally pass through the fabric, neutralising bad bacteria while retaining the helpful bacteria that common deodorisers, which contain harsh substances, normally eliminate. This leads to an eco-friendly product that is better for the user’s skin.
Innovative presentations
Orta will also be presenting Biocharge at Intertextile, which, as the company claims, is the world’s first denim fabric for muscle wellness. Infused with minerals, Orta states that Biocharge is medically proven to refresh muscles, relieve muscle tension and optimise body balance. They will also present their Bounce stretch range, with high elasticity and a ‘street’ style, while Chronicle, another in its S/S 19 range, is a blend of heritage and future styles. Another innovative denim firm exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai, and another blending old and new, is US Denim Mills. According to the company, their collection at the fair will harness tomorrow’s textile advances to revitalise the great style visions of the past by adding fashion, comfort, performance and sustainability advantages to authentic denim looks.
Kipas Denim’s multi-faceted programme includes recycling waste yarn from the production process, while it also takes waste cotton yarn and blends it with Repreve fibres to create an eco-friendly denim fabric. Kipas also uses BCI cotton and organic cotton, and targets each to be 15 per cent and 5 per cent of total consumption, respectively. Furthermore, their Conservablue technology aims to reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing process by eliminating the use of rinsing overflow boxes before and after the indigo dye boxes, as well as ensuring 100 per cent of applied dyestuff remains on the yarn in the rinsing bath. As well as the overseas offerings, a wide range of domestic denim exhibitors covering all price and quality points will also feature in Beyond Denim. Some of the more notable brands participating include Advance Denim, Black Peony, Guangzhou Foison and Prosperity Textile.
Invista panel discussion
The market is changing and so must apparel and textile manufacturers. Low prices and discounts are no longer driving sales the way they used to. Today’s consumer wants better quality, appreciates new technology and is evolving their casualwear style. This is the premise behind the Invista-sponsored panel discussion, which will take place on day 1 of the fair. Titled ‘Denim’s Next Move – New Opportunities to Keep Growing Sales of Jeans and Casualwear at Retail’, participants will learn what consumers really want in jeans and casualwear, the return of chinos and new fabric technologies that are energising casualwear. The panel will be moderated by Jane Singer, director & head – market development, Inside Fashion. Panellists will include representatives from Advance Denim, Guangzhou Conshing Clothing Group, Prosperity Textile and Texhong who will share their latest innovations that will help brands and retailers drive sales and profits.
In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair Chic and knitting fair PH Value. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2018 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.
The textile industry of Bangladesh is thinking of reusing waste water and other natural resources. There are economic and environmental benefits of reusing wastewater. Reusing wastewater can ensure sustainability and facilitate an overall shift to a circular apparel industry.
Factories adhering to such a program have achieved impressive resource savings including savings of water up to about 18.4 billion liters in a year and savings of electricity by 1.9 million MWh in a year.
Taking to eco-friendly production methods in textile and clothing can make the sector competitive and sustainable. Vegetation in the factories helps reduce emission of carbon monoxide and cool the environs.
A green lens can help business owners reduce costs, fight climate change, re-think long-held business practices and open doors to myriad of opportunities.
Extreme weather and other environmental disruptions don’t just affect the people, animal-plant and infrastructure in their path; they also have profound effects on businesses and economy.
Textile businesses can take a lead role in reducing greenhouse gas emission, water pollution, and air pollution by implementing actions that save money, improve productivity, protect the environment and secure the nation’s energy requirement.
Companies are using practices which are viewed as sustainable and environmentally friendly. These practices might include use of renewable energy in production processes, tighter protections against emissions, and environmentally responsible sourcing of supplies, or final products not hazardous to the environment.
Cambodia’s exports grew by 7.2 per cent in 2016.But the number of registered exporting factories fell by 10.4 per cent, while the number of workers declined by 2.9 per cent, compared to 2015.
Garments and footwear are still the country’s most important exports, accounting for 78 per cent of total merchandise exports in 2016.
The EU remains the most important market destination for Cambodia’s garment and footwear exports, with the US second.
The sector’s exports to the EU and US combined accounted for only 65 per cent in 2016, down from 72 per cent in 2015, with an increasing share going to markets outside the US and EU, notably Japan and Canada.
While the country’s economic growth remains strong, growth in garment exports eased, expanding at 8.4 per cent in value terms year-on-year in 2016, compared with 12.3 per cent in 2015.
Rising labor costs, driven in part by the increasing cost of living, the dollar appreciation, and competition from other regional low-wage countries, in particular Myanmar, continue to exert downward pressure on prices of exported garment products.
The system of subcontracting factories in Cambodia could be a way to undercut regulations, including labor laws and the minimum wage.
The World Bank is helping Bangladesh diversify exports beyond the garment sector.
The project will improve the competitiveness of existing and potential export-oriented industries such as leather, footwear, plastics and light engineering, where Bangladesh has demonstrated a competitive edge.
The project will help create more than 90,000 jobs in sectors other than readymade garments. It will help the economy to integrate further into the world trading system, and provide better jobs to Bangladeshi youth entering the labor market in the next decade, with a particular focus on improving female labor participation.
Firms will be able to access international markets and enhance their ability to comply with international standards through awareness building and matching grants.
There will be support to marketing and branding efforts to strengthen linkages to existing and new markets. The scheme will also address the shortage of skills development, especially in industrial training for women, as well as in infrastructure and technology.
Also, the project will encourage training to improve skills and labor productivity, and thus help generate better-paid jobs.
Bangladesh is the largest garment exporter in the world after China. Although the garment sector constitutes 82 per cent of exports, employment growth in the sector has stalled. However, the other manufacturing sectors have been generating about 3,00,000 new jobs annually since 2010.
Germany is looking to fill the void as India’s entry to European Union. Governments and leaders on the both the leaders have already discussed the significances of Brexit and its effect on India and Germany.
At present Germany is said to be among India’s 10 top trading partners, with accumulated FDI by Indian companies in Germany exceeding €6 billion. One of the most vital EU trade partner for India it ranks 6th among the country’s global trade partners as a provider of goods and services. On the other hand India is Germany’s 25th most important trade partner, ranking 28th in the area of imports and 27th for exports.
Indian investments in Germany include the needs to grow new markets, expand company reputation, increase access to technology and lastly use Germany as a gateway to Europe. 80 significant companies of Indian companies operating in Germany indicate that four sectors account for 97 per cent of India-related revenues within Germany.
So far UK has remained the most significant investment destination in Europe for Indian investors. Together, at present the UK and Germany account for almost two-thirds of all Indian FDI undertakings with a total of 265 projects. This encompasses around 45.5 per cent of all Indian projects in Europe.
As per the analysis, 83 per cent of German Mittelstand companies do not have a succession plan in place. Till present 40 per cent of company owners in this economic sections were older. There is a huge potential for Indian investors if 290,000 owners expected external succession by 2018.
Blossom Premiere Vision will be held in France, July 4 to 5, 2017.This is a biannual trade show dedicated to first collections and designed for creative, luxury and high-end fashion brands.
The third edition of the show will continue the positive momentum of the first two editions.
With new product developments, the latest fabric and material innovations and color directions, this edition presents the collections and creative directions for autumn winter 2018/19 from 89 exhibitors.
About 63 weavers (including ten new exhibitors) such as lace-makers, embroiderers, specialists in ultra-fantasy, jacket and coat weights, shirts and tailoring; knitwear specialists, experts in creative and fashionable technical fabrics, silk makers, sophisticated print technicians and embellishment specialists will participate in the event.
Close to five accessories manufacturers and component suppliers (including two new exhibitors) for clothing, jewelry, and leather goods; specialists in textile accessories (ribbons) or metallic elements (buttons, buckles, rivets), buttons, zips and labels will also be present. About 20 tanners (including ten newcomers) for the fashion and leather goods markets: calfskin, lambskin, kid leather, exotic leathers, etc. will also be present.
In keeping with the values of the Premiere Vision group - selectivity, creativity, quality and innovation - Blossom Premiere Vision accompanies the season’s earliest collections thanks to a selective and extremely high-quality positioning.
The retail industry in India is expected to grow at a rate of 12 to 14 per cent over the next four years.
The growth will be on the back of more demand with higher incomes, job creations and improved standard of living. Other factors include higher discretionary spends and higher participation of producers/retailers in the organised retail market, discounted and promotional pricing, increased number of products and more private labels.
Easy credit availability, increased use of plastic money, increased discretionary spending, growing female working population have also contributed to the growth. Factors like favorable demographics, rapid urbanisation, rising income levels and per capita expenditure also contribute.
The retail industry in India constitutes over ten per cent of the country's GDP with around eight per cent of employment and is valued at 672 billion dollars at present.
Currently, India's organised retail market is valued at about 60 billion dollars, which is only about nine per cent of the sector, whereas the unorganised retail market accounts for the rest.
India has occupied a remarkable position in global retail rankings; the country has high market potential, low economic risk, and moderate political risk.
India’s net retail sales are quite significant among emerging and developed nations; the country is ranked third after China and Brazil.
