#INDIA ITME 2022

2021-04-29

Win-win: India ITME Society & SITA-ITC partnership connects the Textile Sectors of East Africa and India virtually

On Friday 23 and Saturday 24 April 2021, the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, in partnership with India International Textile Machinery Exhibitions (ITME) Society, hosted TextilesExchange 2021. It was a virtual trade fair for the textile industry where Indian and East African textile businesses met potential trading partners and capitalized on market opportunities. TextilesExchange 2021 is under the framework of Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA), a project funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Mr S. Hari Shankar, Chairman, India ITME Society, gave the keynote address at the opening ceremony that took place on Friday morning. “This TextilesExchange 2021 platform is enabling buyers and sellers to interact based on their mutual business interests. And which will hopefully result in long-term business relationships”, he explained.

Over 700 business to business (B2B) meetings were planned for the event, and many more happened during the two days of the event. Close to 250 businesses from Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are using the TextilesExchange platform to:

• present their company’s products,

• source inputs,

• exchange knowledge, ideas and technology, and

• create vibrant business networks in the process.

Mr Govind Venuprasad, Coordinator, SITA, explained the rationale at the opening ceremony: “Covid-19 pandemic with ensuing travel restrictions has limited opportunities to network through physical trade fairs and exhibitions; this has been to the detriment of business and trade. We shall overcome and this that occupies us today will be a distant memory soon! In the meantime, SITA is attempting to fill the gap through virtual means, by hosting this online Trade Fair for the Textile Sectors of India and East Africa”

On the first day, the participants also interacted with international experts in technical seminars on access to finance and import compliance regulation, two of the biggest challenges for East African Textile companies. Giving Rwanda’s perspective at the opening ceremony, Ms. Kanzayire Theopiste, Chairperson, Apparel Manufacturing Group (AMG) of Rwanda, highlighted access to finance as a major challenge for their members, 99% of whom are women. Her remarks were followed by a presentation by Ms. Anda Valla, SITA Project Officer, who announced the launch of SITA’s Access to Finance guide that seeks to address this problem. This practical guide will assist companies to get connected to financial institutions.

Three quarters of the East African TextilesExchange delegates were women. Since Textile and Apparel is a women-led sector, growing and strengthening the textile value chain is key opportunity to economically empower women and contribute to sustainable development at the same time. With this in mind, Ms. Sheena Frida from the Kenyan Fashion Council, emphasized the timeliness of the TextilesExchange event, since the sector has been particularly badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As well as connecting companies with each other to do business, TextilesExchange2021 served as a platform for insights on technology transfer and other partnerships including investments between Indian and East African companies operating across the textile and apparel value chain. In particular, TextilesExchange 2021 focuses on machinery, fibre, yarns, fabric, trimmings and accessories.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 closes doors, advancing sustainable and innovative sourcing in South China

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 served as a strategically positioned mid-year sourcing platform for the Greater Bay Area, highlighting Shenzhen’s role in connecting regional demand, supply and innovation exchange across the textile value chain. During the three-day fair, over 20,000 visits were drawn from 74 countries and regions[1], as exhibitors and buyers engaged with new developments in greener, performance-led, and value-added yarn and fibre solutions. Held in conjunction with Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and PH Value, the fair underscored the benefits of closer synergy and new materials across yarn, fabric and apparel platforms for the South China market.