• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

G. Gurumurthy

Progressive textile companies in the South have taken their lessons on value-addition seriously and they are trying their hand at high-end products using new grade man-made fibres.

COIMBATORE, March 19

STIFLING business environment and falling margins have forced textile companies to look at manufacturing value-added products.

Progressive textile companies in the South have taken their lessons on value-addition seriously and they are trying their hand at high-end products using new grade man-made fibres.

This has infused Austrian cellulosic fibre manufacturers, Lenzing AG, with high hopes of garnering more business from India for its branded viscose fibre range — modal/ micro-modal.

"Lenzing is bullish about Asia, especially India, for marketing its specialty fibre, modal, and the Austrian fibre major is keen on reaching out to leading India textile brands/groups which could be knitted into the value chain," says Mr Pradeep Roongta, Director of the Mumbai-based Stuti Exports Pvt Ltd, the sole selling agent for the Lenzing group in India/Bangladesh and Nepal.

Stuti has tied up with three leading textile groups in the South — Premier Mills, Loyal Textiles and Lakshmi Mills — which have started using the `modal' fibre to produce yarn/fabrics that will go into high-valued garment/apparel making, Mr Roongta, who was here recently to forge business tie-up with a few Coimbatore- based textile mills, told Business Line.

Premier Mills and Lakshmi Mills would be using the micro denier `modal' fibre to produce the yarn that can be woven with silk to produce hi-end apparels/garments.

The blended `modal' yarn range could also find application in making under-garments.

Stuti Exports is also trying to build a chain of yarn/garment making units using `modal' and the Austrian fibre major would provide technical expertise to the Indian consumers of `modal'.

"We are expecting that some more South Indian mills will get into using modal fibre soon," he added.

Currently, Stuti is assisting Garden Silks of Surat in developing saree made of `modal', though this is still in the initial stage.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section
Rs 2,770-cr surplus in UP Budget

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line