Philippines eyes Indian market for indigenous fibres

11 Sep '12

2 min read

Philippines is considering the Indian market for promoting its indigenous fibres like piña and abaca.

The East Asian country is planning to enter the Indian market with its embroidered textile and natural products like barong, according to Mr. Shashank R. Pareek, Director, Textile Producers Association of Philippines (TEXPAP).

India’s population of around 1.2 billion people consume nearly 4.8 billion kg of textiles every year. However young Indians, who form over 40 to 50 percent of the total population, are quite price cognisant. Hence, the country is a good market for them who can provide quality products at reasonable prices, Mr. Pareek said.

Besides, the young educated professionals have a lot of purchasing power and are willing to try out new products, the Director of TEXPAP said.

Mr. Pareek suggested Filipino textile exporters to take part in Indian trade fairs, form alliances with leading Indian brands, hire local actors or even launch advertising campaigns to promote and develop a market for Philippines’ made products in the South Asian country.

The Philippine Embassy, which has offices in Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, is also trying to promote and facilitate trade relations between the two countries, he said.

Piña is a fibre made from the leaves of a pineapple plant and is commonly combined with silk or polyester to create different kinds of fabrics.

Abaca, also called Manila hemp, is extracted from the leaf sheath around the trunk of the abaca plant and exported in the form of fibre and pulp. Philippines fulfils 85 percent of the world’s demand for abaca.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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