'Changes in fashion makes textiles agile'

The four-day programme will conclude on Saturday in Erode.

The acceleration in the pace of change forces every stakeholder in the entire textile product supply chain, including weavers, to become agile and respond quickly, said deputy chairman Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu adding that skill development, adoption of technology and global trade practices are imperative for the weaving sector to achieve its full potential.

The foreign countries represented as exhibitors and buyers include Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. A coffee table book titled Titans of Tamil Nadu Textiles, featuring 28 successful entrepreneurs in the textile sector has also been released. About 20 speakers from India and abroad are addressing the WEAVES conference, being organised with the theme of Global Connect for Weaving. The event also features a fashion show.

"Compared to spinning, the supply chain representing weaving, finishing, and processing has to do a lot of catching up in terms of adopting standards, robustness, and modernization. He said that textile sector is going to stay in the State, where there is availability of raw materials, local demand, skilled people, tradition, culture, and the spirit of innovation," said Jayavarthanavelu who is the chairman & managing director, Lakshmi Machine Works Limited.

"Tamil Nadu accounts for 60 per cent of exports of yarn and fabrics, and 85 per cent of knitwear. Together, they provide about 40 lakh direct jobs. However, the industry expects the government to create a level playing field for it to compete in the global market effectively," A Sakthivel, vice chairman, AEPC & regional chairman, FIEO, said.

"The strength of the industry is that it achieves such a huge volume of exports without having to import virtually anything. The farmers grow cotton of all counts – from 2 to 120 – throughout the year. The domestic industry meets all machinery needs. There is abundant skilled labour pool," pointed out Jayavarthanavelu.

"In the globalised era, countries are required to cooperate instead of competing with each other, as they are all interdependent of each other for goods and services in every imaginable sector and economic activity. He said that for globalisation to succeed, countries must engage in trade relations with the right spirit and right partners. He said that the textile sector provides upto 600 million jobs worldwide, and there is a huge scope for a symbiotic relationship between Sri Lankan garment and apparel manufacturers and the Indian yarn and fabric suppliers," V Krishnamoorthy, deputy high commissioner, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission, said.

The council is keen to set up a CAD centre and work towards  the development of computer-based design skills for the benefit of the weaving units of Erode, said M Duraisamy, immediate past chairman, Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL).

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India