#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2025-09-18

Toray Industries and MAS Holdings announce Joint Venture in Odisha, India

Toray Industries (H.K.) Ltd., has officially entered a joint venture with South Asia’s largest apparel manufacturer MAS Holdings, marking a unique opportunity to enhance the two companies’ supply chain capabilities and pursue product manufacturing within and for the fast-growing Indian market. The joint venture, operating under the name Toray MAS Apparel India, will see the establishment of a new manufacturing facility at the MAS Apparel Park Bhuinpur in Odisha, India, which is currently under development.

from left to right: Yasukochi Akira - Sales Director, Toray MAS Apparel India, Teruki Umeda - Managing Director, Toray MAS Apparel India, Teruo Funhashi - Managing Director, Toray Hong Kong, Malik Ahamadeen - CEO, MAS India, Suren Fernando - Group CEO, MAS Holdings, Shakthi Ranatunga - Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings, Rajitha Jayasuriya - Director, Corporate Affairs, MAS Holdings, Sid Amalean, Director – Innovation & Business Strategy, MAS Holdings, Surath Chandrasena, Finance Director, MAS Holdings. © 2025 Toray MAS Apparel India

The groundbreaking for the MAS Apparel Park took place earlier this year in March 2025, with operations expected to commence in early 2026. The new facility is aimed at catering to both current and potential customers in the region, supporting the growing demand for high-quality, innovative textile solutions.

The official signing ceremony for the partnership took place in June at the MAS Head Office in Colombo, with Teruo Funahashi, Managing Director of Toray Hong Kong, and Suren Fernando, Group Chief Executive Officer of MAS Holdings, representing the two organizations.

Commenting on the partnership, Teruo Funahashi, Managing Director of Toray Hong Kong, said “Toray MAS Apparel India will contribute to local employment and economic growth by manufacturing advanced, top-quality offerings. That company will serve as a garment stronghold in India for Toray and MAS Holdings, reinforcing their partnership by deploying strategies that capitalize on their capabilities”.

Suren Fernando, Group CEO of MAS Holdings stated "This joint venture marks a significant step forward in strengthening our global supply network and deepening our partnership with Toray Industries. The Odisha facility will play a key role in supporting our customers’ evolving needs, driving innovation and contributing to regional economic development. In today’s global economic landscape, strategic partnerships like this are key to enhancing our capabilities and continuing to deliver value-added solutions to our customers."

The collaboration builds on MAS Holdings' extensive apparel manufacturing expertise and Toray Industries' advanced material technologies, positioning Toray MAS to deliver innovative products to global brands while fostering economic growth and job creation in Odisha.

The operation being set up aims to advance sustainability by incorporating renewable energy solutions such as rooftop solar PV, energy-efficient technologies across operations, and advanced water and wastewater management systems. The facility is also being designed to ensure universal accessibility, integrating environmentally responsible practices in waste and chemical management, aligning its future operations with both environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.