Co-held exhibitions, FESPA Global Print Expo 2024, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro will be attended by over 425 exhibiting companies this year. 

To be held in Amsterdam from March 19-22, 2024, these exhibitions will showcase hard solutions such as wide format flatbed and roll-to-roll printers, screen printing carousels, and finishing solutions from exhibitors hailing from 36 countries. 

They will highlight suppliers including Afga, Brother, Colorjet India, HanGlory, Liyu International, MHM Mimaki, Roland, Epson and Multoh who will showcase products for digital wide format and screen and textile printing. 

Software suppliers such as Caldera, EFI, Fiery and Roq will display end-to-end workflows, automated job onboarding and color management.  On the other hand, sustainable alternatives for media and consumables will be showcased by 3A Composites, Antalis, Epson, HEXIS SAS, InkTec Europe and ORAFOL Europe.

The European Sign Expo 2024 will showcase an array of solutions for signmaking and visual communications. It will host 85 exhibitors including Cosign, Domino Sign, EFKA, Harmuth CNC-Frästechnik, Jinan AOL CNC Equipment, Lintel Display, Navori Labs and NSELED.

These delegates will explore products for channel lettering, digital and dimensional signage, engraving, illuminated displays, out-of-home media, LED, outdoor systems, laser cutters and sign tools.

Exhibitors at the Personalisation Experience show include Antigro, Kit Builder, Mediaclip and XMPie, demonstrating software for customisation design and variable data marketing. 

The inaugural Sportswear Pro will highlight solutions for direct-to-garment, direct-to-film, sublimation and heat transfer printing, as well as embroidery and laser cutting solutions.

Bangladesh’s imports of cotton, yarn and fabric, decreased significantly in 2023 as capacity utilisation in the country’s textile mills dropped by 50 per cent due to inadequate gas supply and slow demand for RMG in the global market. 

Compiled by the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), data from the Bangladesh Bank shows, Bangladesh’s cotton imports declined by 24.85 per cent to 1.35 million tonne in 2023 from 1.80 million tonne in 2022. 

Mohammad Ali Khokon, President, BTMA, attributes this decline in cotton imports to shortage of gas in the country which forced spinners to run their units at 50 per cent capacity. The ongoing dollar crisis also prevented some spinners from importing cotton, he added. 

As per BTMA data, cotton yarn imports by Bangladesh fell 19.11 per cent to 0.92 million tonne in 2023 compared to 1.03 million tonne in 2022. 

Imports of woven fabrics fell by 14.29 per cent to 0.49 million tonne while the imports of knit fabric fell by 10.34 per cent to 0.32 million tonne during the year.

However, Bangladesh’s export earnings from the apparel sector grew by 3.67 per cent during the year. Local value addition and an increase in unit prices boosted revenue growth from the sector, observes Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA.

Increased procurement from local sources, utilisation of raw materials imported in 2022 and increase in import of artificial fibers also led to the earnings growth, Hassan adds.

Rakesh Mehra, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has urged Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance to bailout spinners of the current severe financial strain being faced in the segment. 

Since the last few months, the Indian spinning segment has been experiencing a severe downturn intensified by external factors such as the prolonged Ukraine-Russia conflict and the recent Israel-Hamas war.

The segment experienced a 50 per cent decline in cotton yarn exports alongwith a 23 per cent decline in textile exports. Total textiles and clothing exports dropped by 18 per cent during the FY 2022-23 compared to the previous year.

Capacity utilisation in the segment also dropped by almost 70 per cent due to factors like a prolonged economic impact of global conflicts, an 11 per cent import duty on cotton and issues related to MMF Quality Control Orders.

This placed many spinning mills, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), under severe financial stress. 

To deal with these challenges, textile mills association have urged the finance minister to introduce support measures like, extending the one-year moratorium for the repayment of the principal amount, converting three-year loans under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) into six-year term loans, and providing necessary financial assistance to alleviate stress on working capital on a case-to-case basis.

These measures will help spinners mitigate the current crisis in the sector, prevent job losses, sustain their market share and achieve the set export targets, adds Mehra.  

India's textile and apparel industry, once a vibrant powerhouse, is facing a tough weave. Despite projections of robust growth, the sector struggles to translate potential into reality. Let's unravel the threads of this predicament, examining the roadblocks hindering progress and exploring potential pathways to a brighter future.

Growth Stalled: While the global apparel market is projected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2025, India's share remains stagnant. Export growth, initially expected to hit $40 billion by 2022-23, has fallen short, hovering around $24 billion. This disconnects between projections and reality exposes underlying challenges plaguing the industry.

Cost Concerns Cast a Shadow: High input costs are the first knot tightening the industry's grip. Raw materials like cotton, coupled with complex tax structures and logistical snarls, inflate production costs. A 2023 Invest India report reveals Indian spinning mills pay 20-25% more per kg of cotton compared to global benchmarks. This price pinch makes it tough to compete with countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, where costs are more forgiving.

Import Tsunami Washes Away Profits: Rising imports of cheaper ready-made garments further squeeze domestic players. In 2022-23, India's apparel imports crossed $11 billion, a significant surge from $6.4 billion in 2019-20. This influx floods the market and erodes the profit margins of local manufacturers, impacting capacity utilization and job creation.

Sustainability Concerns Unravel the Fabric: Environmental woes add another layer of complexity. The industry grapples with water pollution from dyeing processes, inefficient energy consumption, and mountains of textile waste. A 2021 McKinsey report estimates the global fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. This necessitates a shift towards greener practices, such as embracing renewable energy, using organic dyes, and adopting circular economy principles.

Glimmers of Hope in the Loom: But amidst the challenges, threads of resilience shine through. Government initiatives like the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUF) and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme aim to modernize the industry and boost exports. Companies like Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail are weaving sustainability into their core, with Birla Cellulose becoming the world's first man-made cellulosic fibre plant to achieve water and energy positive status.

2024: A Year of Reckoning? The road ahead remains uneven, but promising threads of opportunity emerge. Increased domestic demand, fueled by a burgeoning middle class and evolving consumer preferences, presents another avenue for growth. Additionally, a focus on niche markets like sportswear and technical textiles can tap into new segments.