Heavyweights vying to venture into 'non-woven tech'

Mumbai, Jan 7: 'Non-woven technical textile' which have got theirapplications in the manufacture of absorbent hygiene products like babydiapers, feminine health care products, surgical gowns, face masks,geotextiles, automotive textiles etc., has become the latest buzzwordin the Indian manufacturing sector, with some of the big corporatehouses like Reliance Industries and Coimbatore- based Shakti Groupmaking their foray into this segment.

India Committee Chairman of the US-based Association of Non-wovenFabrics Industry (INDA), Mr Sheshadri Ramkumar confirmed thedevelopment.

''While Reliance Industries has recently registered it'smemebrship with our organisation, Shakti Group too has evinced it'skeen interest for the same,'' he said.

''Currently, India produces only 35,000 tones per annum whereasChina's output per annum is over 7.5 lakh metric tones. It is necessaryfor India to race against China, particularly in textiles as the Indiantextile industry is vital for the growth of economy and manufacturingin India. Though China may be doing well on the front of non-woventechnical textiles, but Chinese products often fail to maintain thequality and standard as desired by US Importers and it is here thatIndia can take a lead,'' INDA's president Mr Rory Holmes observed.

The Indian government estimates technical textile sector tocontribute USD 12.7 billion of which the non-wovens are estimated to beUSD 5-6 billion by 2012.

At present, nearly 0.5 per cent of the USD 300 billion retailsector comprises non-woven technical textiles that simply means anopportunity worth USD 1.5 billion domestically, he observed.

Mr Holmes expressed confidence that India has the potential to scale-upit's non-woven technical textile production to 3,00,000 tonnes perannum (TPA) from the current level of 35,000 TPA through awareness andan industry base.

INDA, which has over 325 companies like Procter and Gamble,Kimberly-Clark, Johns Manville, Freudenberg, Dupont and 3m as it'smembers, is all set to hold an international conference on nonwovens inIndia in October. Recently, INDA had held a two-day long workshop forthe aspirants of the industry in Mumbai.

UNI
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