StitchWord Editorial Issue April 2014

It’s election time... a time for frenzied debates, and I happen to listen to one such panel discussion wherein one of the panellists said that since manufacturing is capital intensive and the ongoing recessionary trend limited our capital resources which led to low employment generation... how does this argument stand for a Government which fails to acknowledge an industry which employs 14 million people and most of them either uneducated or just primary pass (a myth broken by a StitchWorld survey which shows that 71% are 10th pass) and who all can be put to the shop floor by training him or her for just about 8 days, speaks of the importance of the industry in a developing economy, especially where the manpower is young and abundant... In fact, Garment manufacturing is one industry which has been instrumental in the growth of all the developed economies of today and plays a very important role in the developing economies.

Over the decade long journey of StitchWorld, I have repeatedly advocated the importance of the industry for the overall economic development of the nation through the critical aspect of skill development of the lowest level of the resource chain right from the sewing skills to other 30 different types of pre-production and finishing skills. No doubt the sewing operators are larger in number, but other processes too require continuous skill enhancement and play an instrumental role in upgrading the industry. Our next issue will discuss different aspects of skill development… don’t miss the edition, which also has an analysis of the survey results carried out on 567 workers from 45 factories in Delhi-NCR, on safety, health and educational concerns.

Even as the industry debates skill development and funds are being allocated under various schemes for the same, a major concern today is the non-availability of workers across all major garmenting hubs. In the recently published AO Top 100 listing in Apparel Online, labour is among the top ranking concerns of the industry. In fact, labour shortage has been responsible for holding up expansion plans of many… the reason given for this shortage across the board is the appeasement of employable villagers through the NREGA scheme, creating a nation of free-loaders. Adding to the problem are many other parallel schemes by State Governments giving free ration, in a way discouraging people to venture out for work… And even though many of the skill development schemes are free of cost, facilitators are finding it difficult to attract rural youth.

China is a very good example of how a developing economy moves up the value chain, as workers lose interest in basic work. Today equestrian apparels, is a new chapter for the Chinese and in this issue of StitchWorld we look closer at the market and the opportunities. Also on review are the technologies from various solution providers at the recently concluded GTE.

StitchWord Editorial Issue March 2014

Has the time come for bonded garments? There is a lot of talk from many companies, who would like to add bonded shirts to their portfolios in addition to bonded innerwear which is already quite popular.

The technology of bonding has graduated from tape sealing of seams to multi-stage adhesive tape bonding to the recent single stage bonding with liquid glue dispenser. The popularity of multi-stage adhesive tape bonding is undoubtedly higher due to maturity of the technology, and the last I counted, there are around 12 European companies which are producing machines for bonding and I am sure there must be equal number of Chinese machine manufacturers if not more. Among the quite popular ones are from Macpi, PFAFF, Schips, Nucleus, while the Asian companies are Brother, H&H and Typical.

Except ‘Arrow’ stitchless shirts, there aren’t many in retail to offer stitchless garments to consumers. Will the stitchless garment story be a rare example of technology driving the fashion retail trend?
 Interestingly, the needle manufacturer Groz-Beckert also discusses the nuances of bonded garments in its training academy in Germany, which certainly says something about the acceptability of the technology.

Today, it may be quite expensive to produce the bonded shirt due to the slow speed of the technology available, which is around 2 shirts on a machine per day, but I am sure in times to come the speed will go up... and also the quality of the garment.

The very existence of bonded shirt still remains inexplicable; may be a rarity value or can it score high on luxury quotient? While the quality, wearability and lifecycle are yet to establish their superiority, there is already discussion regarding which one is more sustainable, sewn or bonded?

 Whatever may be the developments in technology, the age-old system of ‘Jugad’ will always find place in Indian factories to tide over the problems that sometimes even the best of technologies are not able to do. In this issue of StitchWorld a few companies in the Delhi-NCR share their tips on working with fine fabrics when manufacturing highfashion. With a unique blend of technology and ‘Jugad’, these companies are servicing some of the most fashion-driven brands of the world.

 From this issue onwards, we are initiating a new series on training programs that can be undertaken by students or professionals looking at long-term growth in the apparel & textile industry. The first article in the series discusses the pedagogy of various institutes which are imparting training on Six Sigma.

Also in review is technology for knitting and allied operations available with leading players. With back-to-back fairs over the last one month..., this issue reviews the recently concluded KnitWorld, Ludhiana in detail, while the technology seen at GTE, New Delhi will be reviewed in the next issue.

StitchWord Editorial Issue February 2014

Trade shows are evolutionary, but not in the Indian sub-continent… I have been participating very regularly at various fairs all over the globe and it is fascinating to see how the fairs in Europe evolve in terms of product category, categorization of booths, and even service levels, facilitating an exhilarating experience for the visitors, appealing to their sense of taste and entertainment while also at the same time providing them with learning, all three at the same time and place.

Of course there is an ulterior motive of the organizers and the participants that the visitor spends more time at the fair and makes some informed decisions…

At European fairs I find that even the participant take the trade shows as a time to meet friends, since over a period of time the clients are the friends, otherwise when can one take the time off to meet clients at one place and also spend some time to not only showcase products, but also catch up with industry gossips, over a glass of wine and a few snacks!

 We know that the business is all about give and take, and technology suppliers have a lot to give since they not only know how to run a factory, but also by virtue that he visits many factories around the globe he is privy to many innovative benchmark solutions and strategies…

I would say that the same spirit should prevail at fairs in this region… the participating companies should first understand that it is their fair and its success and failure is their success or failure… The first criteria to choose a fair should obviously be the one whose organizer has a deep understanding of the industry and also understands the need of the visitors and participants…, whose track record shows that he is well equipped to encourage and inculcate the culture change and innovate.

Sadly, the lack of expectation from the participant and probably their inert involvement adds to the overall complacency, allowing the fair to run in the old fashion way with the three critical factors – decent food, entertainment and learning – regaled to the backseat.

 What are certainly coming up strongly are the private niche technology events that are more personal, inviting and focused. Bangalore was recently witness to such a show by the Turel Group, with the jeans manufacturing line from Vibemac capturing good audience and enquiries. Details of the show are highlighted under the story ‘The era of private niche shows dawn…’

 Other interesting reads in the issue include an article which unveils the educative side of YouTube and suggested some interesting videos which the professionals on the shop floor can refer to for various operations. For the industry that’s always looking for new product options, the article “Making of a swimwear…’ has some interesting insights, offered by industry experts on how to convert a T-shirt unit into a swimwear unit.

StitchWord Editorial IssueJanuary 2014

Right from the start of the year it was obvious that a serious weeding out is happening, separating the men from the boys… those who are doing well are the serious, committed players, who know what they need to do to grow. Their strategies and expansion plans are on course…

Then there are those exporters I who have already started to shift away from the industry, focusing more on real estate and retail segments. These exporters are no longer serious players and we can expect them to fade away with time… There are some who have failed to read the pulse and are confused on what direction to take… They are sitting on the fringes waiting to be bailed out.

Significantly, over the year Shahi, Matrix, Shivalik, Richa, SPJ Group, all big exporters by Indian standards have gone in for additional capacities; few companies from Bangalore like Voltas Fashions, Four Creations, Sheen Apparels and Snow White and even ITS Creations and Parmeshwar Fashions from Mumbai are also going in for new units or taking on expansions in their existing unit. SM Exports, New Delhi are reportedly jacking up capacities in a big way. Many smaller companies in Jaipur and Delhi-NCR too are now going ahead with investments put on hold for the last few years. 

Also interesting is the fact that a lot of investment is going in to bring processes which were earlier being outsourced, in-house from embroidery to printing.

The confidence of these companies that the future is definitely bright has been justified by many events that have turned the tables in favour of the Indian garment Industry from the softening of the Indian currency, making it very competitive to the Chinese labour conundrum and growing disinterest in Bangladesh due to political and labour unrest, as also safety issues…

Those who had not foreseen the turning point were jolted to wake up from a slumbering pace to fast build up capacities, sensing ‘big’ business coming India’s way.

A survey by StitchWorld involving major technology providers shows that around one lakh machines have been supplied/are to be supplied over a period of one year from January to December 2013. Taking averages in production and UVR, based on past statistics, it becomes obvious that the total exports from India should be around US $ 15.5 billion in calendar year 2013…The real gain once the machines are installed and running to capacity should be around US $ 17.5 billion by the end of 2014… Huge strides no doubt for an industry which has been hovering around US $ 12 -13 billion for the last few years…!

No doubt, the confidence level of the industry is high…, in fact some mega projects that have been long pending are expected to be finalized by the first quarter of 2014, after which the growth could be really steep; importantly many of these projects are from upstarts and not just the growth driver companies.

Keeping one’s niche at its core, for a fruitful 2013

A Happy & Prosperous New Year to all our Readers and Contributors! We would certainly like to forget 2012 with the hope that 2013 would be good since after many months of twists and turns, there are finally indications of an improved economic health this year both in the US and the EU…

But more than that it would be our internal working culture and developed skills; entrepreneurial, managerial and financial that would impact our position in the world market.

Over the entire last year StitchWorld kept pace with companies implementing Lean processes, working hard to improve worker efficiency and productivity to stay in competition.

Today, however the question is, are they justified… when the issue is timely deliveries and the constraint is financial or an erratic supply chain or poor material resource planning? How could the increase in worker efficiency or productivity help?

Be it known that, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China or Vietnam are not in competition with India… we have our own niche and the constraint is not the shop floor… it is in the pre-production stage with all the channel partners to be blamed and to some extent the Government for its policies.

We have one of the highest UVRs among exporting countries, not because we are expensive, but because we have a niche product for which buyers pay… we should stick to our core strength and grow on a strategy built around that core.

This year a lot of our articles will be focused on backward planning and how to excel in small quantities. In the year gone by, many of our articles under 'Best of 2012' fell under four broad categories – Best Practices, Management Concepts, Product Focus and Technology Reviews. While the intention is the same, this year the micro focus under each will be slightly different.

In this first issue of the year, StitchWorld presents synopses of some of the most appreciated articles under these categories that readers voted for. We are encouraged by the responses and always welcome constructive feedback.

Another very interesting article and a new product category for the readers of StitchWorld in the current issue is a rundown on the fast growing orthopaedic aids market, highlighting one of the most successful manufacturers in the category – Mohali based Tynor Orthotics, which is producing a total of 2,50,000 units of orthopaedic aids per month. The article is an example of how success comes to those who have the courage to venture into niche products/markets. Going forward this should be the focus for many progressive companies.

The future is for the optimist

Amazing, how time flies… and before we know the year has gone by… when we look back, we invariably try to recall all the good things that happened in the year that has just ended. And to be honest, I think all of us would like to forget the passing year with a hope that the coming New Year 2013 would be a great year…

The hope is based not only on wishful thinking, but on some positive indicators… Firstly, of course is that the situation cannot get worse than what it is at present. Secondly, the US retailers have shown good results in the third quarter hinting at a pickup in shopper sentiments and even though the EU is hit by recession, many of the big European retailers and brands have shown growth.

The industry is at an all time low but not all is lost, exports to non-traditional markets has increased 4% since April and the FTA with Europe is just around the corner. It is heartening to see that many exporters are going ahead with growth plans and there is undercurrent of confidence that 2013 should be a better year… the future is always with the optimist!

In the year 2012, StitchWorld focussed on many new sewn products categories different from mainstream apparels such as footballs. Not that we ignored the potential apparel categories, like the exhaustive cover story on bra manufacturing in our June issue. All around the year we visited many factories and bought to you the best practices followed in companies like Madura, Vardhaman, SKNL. We even went on to analyze and explore the best practices in the manufacturing facilities of designers and haute couture manufacturers and presented them in our articles with suggestions for technical improvement from our experts.

In this last issue of the year we carry forward the tradition with a detailed run down on best manufacturing practices by Bangalore based Radhamani Exports, which is doing multiple styles in varying quantities at one time with great success. A review on flexible manufacturing attempts to highlight sewing automates for factories looking at multi-product, multi-process solutions. In an in-depth interview with Anil Anand, MD, HCA, whose company goes back more than 100 years, SW traces the history and evolution of the technology suppliers in India.

I would personally like to thank all our StitchWorld supporters on behalf of the team and take the opportunity to assure them that the dedication with which we served them last year will continue unabated… our commitment to bring to you new opportunities is undying…

Along with design and fit, quality and technique are also eually important for our indian fashion designers.

Around 15 years back, I was part of a meet that deliberated on the way forward for the Indian designers. In those days, today’s known designers were shy of sharing their turnovers, and while the estimated total turnover of the designers was around Rs. 50 crore, the free media spent on them was around Rs. 400 crore. Has the situation changed since that time…!
No doubt the designers have grown 10 times but that is still due to the couture collections. Collaborations among the members of the supply chain have still not been formed to allow the designers free rein to creativity. They are still managing the front end as well as the back end – that is, retail and manufacturing. Internationally all designers have grown big because of the growth of their prêt as well as bridge lines and for that they have partnered with companies that understand the market and manufacturing, leaving them to concentrate only on their creative self.
More than the design it is the fit and the quality of stitching which is important in the prêt and bridge lines… do the designers understand what constitutes quality in a garment and the concept of a 'first time right’ manufacturing… you cannot undertake to do customized fit in the prêt and bridge collections.
To grow in the true sense, it is important for the fashion designers to understand what quality means and what kind of technologies are available to make the garment a perfect fit the first time… StitchWorld under a new series ‘Quality Couture’ hobnobs with designers in an attempt to understand their current manufacturing setup and suggest improvement to achieve desired results.
We start this series with a market leader – Tarun Tahiliani. The SW team visited Tarun’s unit in Gurgaon to understand his concept of quality and present his best practices to the upcoming designers and the supply chain partners. We invite the design fraternity to come forward to be featured under this series and have their units assessed by our expert technical team for improvement.
This issue closes the five part series by Mausmi Ambastha on Performance Measurement Tools with 'Inventory Management' in focus. If any of our readers want the complete series in a book format, they may contact our office; the book is reasonably priced. We also carry a detailed feature on Button Holing and Button Sewing machines, which is a complete guide on feature-rich technology that improve the quality and reduce the cycle time of button holing and sewing.