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EDANA GM concurs on potential in Indian nonwovens market

23 Oct '14
3 min read

General Manager at European nowovens trade body, EDANA - Pierre Wiertz, while speaking at the 2014 Techtextil Symposium in Mumbai – India, concurred with other panellists that there is considerable growth potential for India’s domestic nonwovens market.

Pierre Wiertz reminded Indian industry leaders from both technical textiles and nonwovens, attending the event that the global growth rate of overall production of nonwovens has outpaced that of many other industries, since the beginning of the 21st century.

“This makes nonwovens one of the fastest growing fibre-consuming sectors, if not the fastest. However, but in doing that, it had more often been following rather than outpacing the global economic growth,” he added.

Comparing the stage of developments of global nonwovens production and consumption, Pierre Wiertz suggested that at the same time as the world’s population reached 7 billion people in 2011, global annual average per capita consumption figure of nonwovens reached an impressive 1 kg.

“Considering the current slow-down in nonwovens growth since then, it will however probably take to 2021 or longer to double this symbolic level. At the same time, Asia will see the fastest growth rates.

“But while China has already reached a remarkable level of over 1 kg/capita, admittedly still less than half of the European level, India is lagging behind, with less than 300 grams per capita," Pierre Wiertz said.

The panel of speakers presenting nonwovens developments in India, agreed that the growth of the Indian nonwovens industry's output was poised to accelerate from the current level of around 250,000 tons, alongside in quality and end-uses as well.

Whilst a predominant share of the Indian lower quality spunlaid nonwovens produced, go to sectors like low-end packaging, new production capacities of nonwovens coming up in the next few years, would primarily target hygiene, medical, mobility, filtration, construction and infrastructure.

Altogether, opportunities for the whole value chain, including the increasingly sophisticated machinery requirements, were emphasised, they also said that the considerable local polymer and staple fibre production capacities may play a significant role in this development.

"Eventually, the whole question of how nonwovens and its end products are perceived or ignored by consumers, but also by media, authorities and opinion leaders, is another subject of concern, which does prompt EDANA to act on behalf of its member companies," Pierre Wiertz informed.

He explained by saying, "More and better communication is required, in India like elsewhere, to convey the positive contribution of nonwovens to people’s lives and to society, but also to fight misperceptions and prejudices about their environmental impact.” (AR)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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