StitchWorld Editorial Issue March 2019

Already so many garment manufacturing technology fairs happen in India, but the focus is still not realistic India is a mega country with diverse needs and every state is as big as Bangladesh if not bigger, so why question the number of garment manufacturing technology fairs happening in India…

Looking at it from another perspective, each Indian state has so many garment manufacturing hubs that every one of them deserves a separate fair… consider Meerut, Panipat, Jaipur townships in North of India that are still unrepresented at such fairs, and on similar lines, there are many townships in South and East of India which require a technology fair to bring the local industry up to date on latest hardware and software technologies.

The understanding is that these townships comprise smaller players whose needs are also met by very basic technologies, and at most through automation at basic level.

But the factors that are still ignored at these technology fairs are the technologies of the future and the knowledge forum, which start with Industry 4.0, moving on to AI, Data Analytics, VR, additive technology to robotics… a missing platform for understanding how these new systems/ technologies are going to impact the way the industry will work in the future.

Though technologies and discussion forums need not be part of every technology fair since only the big and organised companies would be keen to take cognizance of the newer set of systems and processes at present; for them, having one big technology fair which showcases a route map for the future in any one place within India would be very much reachable.

If today, we do not start updating ourselves on such solutions, in no time, we will find that the industry is left with only small producers that are largely unorganised and unable to cater to the demands of the growing retail in India… Hence, leaving the space empty for import of garments from global manufacturers that are hungry for work and are ready to invest time, energy and resources to meet the needs of an evolving Indian retail market

We are very clear on the future directions and soon you will find StitchWorld fulfilling the role of guiding the industry to address the future… a future which is sustainable and growth-oriented!

Stitch World Editorial Issue April 2017

May is going to be an interesting month for me as I will be attending Texprocess in Frankfurt, Germany…, something that I really look forward to.

Somebody, sheepishly asked me why visit Texprocess when such technology fairs take place in developing countries also…? My answer was simple: “Texprocess is the only international technology trade exhibition of our industry which is a ‘distinct depart’ from the basic technologies that one sees everywhere, at almost every fair happening in any part of the world!” It is not only the range of products that makes it impressive, but the advancements in each process which is a ‘value creation’, makes the fair a must-visit for those looking to understand< the future of the industry.

The Digital Textile Micro Factory, which is a live demonstration of apparel production chain to address the needs of small batches or even one-piece orders, is definitely something that the industry will find interesting at the fair.

Another special experience at the show will be the ‘Living in Space’, a part of Techtextil, which happens concurrently with Texprocess that will showcase a wide variety of applications for technical textiles in space travel together with the processes involved.

On a recent visit to India, Michael Jänecke, Director, Brand Management, Technical Textiles & Textile Processing, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH presented me with a beautiful pen drive in the shape of a space traveller wearing a space suit and also handed over space food, which travellers eat when in space… Nowhere else can I get such an experience… Only at Texprocess in combination with Techtextil we can even expect something so unique!

Going by the trend to think futuristic…, the next issue of StitchWorld will carry two articles of utmost importance. One is on Robotics – Innovations in these disruptive times by Frank Henderson, President, Henderson Sewing Machine and Dr. Prabir Jana, NIFT Delhi. The other on practical application of 3D printing of sewing machine parts, which will not only reduce time wasted in finding the correct spare part from the inventory but will also empower SMEs to 3D print the required part/attachment near the point of consumption, thus reducing their dependence on agents for machine spare parts.

The futuristic concept has become so big that the same is also the theme of this edition of StitchWorld. Whether we talk about the digital feed in sewing machine in which brands like Brother, TYPICAL, Juki and Duma are coming up or web-based solutions offered by Lectra, I am sure of the fact that technology suppliers are aggressively harnessing the concept of Industry 4.0.

A detailed analysis on ‘Digital Feed in Sewing Machine’ by Dr. Prabir Jana is surely a step ahead in IoT and will provoke my readers to think upon its future benefits. Following the series, where we exclusively interact with industry leaders, this issue carries a detailed discussion with Daniel Harari, CEO, Lectra on the ‘future’ where he throws light on technology acceptance in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, and shares about the SaaS model, introduced by the company.

The current issue of SW concludes the three-part series by Anand Deshpande in which he has explained the strategies to implement Lean process in a factory.