ICAHT-2022
17TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON APPAREL & HOME TEXTILES (Virtual) 24TH SEPTEMBER 2022
Conference Background and Highlights
The recent unprecedented circumstances that arose due to COVID-19 presented new challenges and opportunities for businesses to leverage mutual synergies to harness the untapped potential in the textile and apparel sector. However, the lockdown has been lifted, and the industry has not only opened up but also picked up gradually. Today, the textile and apparel cluster desires to move faster with radical innovation, shifting markets, evolving supply chains and distribution channels, cost & operational efficiency, and orientation towards responsible and sustainable manufacturing. The value of face-to-face interaction will never go away but there are circumstances when going virtual is inescapable. Notwithstanding, the virtual program was filled with networking opportunities, educational sessions, and attendee insights, generating meaningful takeaways. For survival in the manufacturing sector, OGTC strives to improve the competitiveness of the textile sector in general and the apparel sector in particular at a fast] pace. The event was attended by leading industrialists, manufacturers, industry experts, academia representatives, etc. During the event, the speakers and delegates shared their views on business excellence in the Indian textile industry and the support needed for future growth.Opening Session
Opening Remarks: Col. S Kapoor, Director General, OGTC Keynote Address: Mr. PMS Uppal, President, OGTC
Col. S. Kapoor took over as Director General OGTC in February 2022.Earlier he was Executive Director, Faridabad Industries Association for over 15 years. A Postgraduate in Defence Studies, Col. Kapoor served in the Indian Army for 27 years. He has a vast administrative experience and has contributed to the growth of OGTC in a befitting manner.
He gave the opening remarks in which he introduced OGTC and its core values to all the dignitaries and panelists. He welcomed all the dignitaries and set the tone of the conference. He talked about the foremost ongoing initiative i.e. Industry 4.0 smart solutions through technology providers and also talked about the roadmap drawn to redeem carbon footprints.
In addition, he also talked about the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme launched by the Government of India along with PLI 2.0, an opportunity for MSMEs. He highlighted that in the last fiscal year India crossed the USD 400 billion export mark and the textile and apparel segment made a significant contribution (7% to the industry output, 2% to the GDP, and 50% to the country’s total export earnings).
Mr. PMS Uppal President, OGTC, a visionary and founder of the cluster of garment manufacturing companies in National Capital Region of India, Mr. Uppal is Managing Director of Pee Empro Exports which is part of a vertically
integrated Pee Empro group comprising of Hemla Embroidery and Creative par Dyeing & Printing works.
Mr. Uppal, delivered the key note address and spoke about the concept of OGTC i.e. cluster-based knowledge sharing and coordinating and cooperating with the co-competitors. He highlighted that today the world is changing at a fast pace that was understood by very few industrialists. He further added that making an organization as flexible as possible will help the organization in catering to all the ongoing and upcoming challenges.
Theme Presentation:$50 Bn. Export Goal: What Will It Take to Get There?
Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Jt. Managing Director, Wazir Advisors is an expert on corporate strategy, business creation, diversification and performance enhancement assignments in the textile, apparel and retail sector for Indian and International clients with over 25 years’ experience The theme presentation opened the discussion with a view on global trade, top exporting countries, major product categories, India’s cost of manufacturing, and what will it take Indian manufacturers to get USD 50 billion garment exports. He gave a brief overview of the 870-billion-dollar textile and apparel industry and highlighted China’s strategy of increasing the share of textiles and technical textiles exports as manpower cost in China is 3x times in comparison to India due to which China will not be able to sustain apparel exports in the future. He added that there is a huge opportunity for Bangladesh, Germany, India, and Vietnam to be the gainer in apparel exports. He also talked about challenges faced by Indian garment manufacturers in terms of good-quality fabric being imported. He highlighted the strength and expertise of Indian manufacturers in the production of natural spun yarn and their shortcomings in the apparel sector. He further highlighted the fact that India possesses the spinning capabilities required to cater the growing global demand yet lacks the infrastructural support to service other man made fiber categories. During his presentation, he also talked about some of the emerging trends in the textile and apparel industry i.e. consumer trends, retail trends, sourcing trends and product trends. Prashant focused on the advantages of India to become a top-class destination for apparel manufacturing as raw material, skilled manpower, complete value chain, readymade infrastructure, large integrated players, etc. He also focused on India’s potential to increase its share in markets such as Japan and South Korea. Finally, he concluded that “manufacturing excellence is the key to get to USD 50 billion apparel exports”.Session 1: Presentations
Session Chairman: Mr. Tony Uppal, Managing Director, Pee Empro Exports
| Impact of Changing Environmental, Social & Governance Requirements on the Fashion Value Chain | Ms. Ruby Ojha, Regional Team Lead for South Asia, ESG Department, International Finance Corporation |
| Market Access Issues for Indian Apparel | Dr. Ram Singh, Professor, IIFT Industry |
| MMF Industry – Markets & Growth Prospects | Mr. Ajay Sardana, President & Head Strategy & Business Development, Reliance Industries |
| Digitization as a Catalyst for Business Growth | Mr. Akash Shah, Managing Director, Coats Digital in Fashion Supply Chains |
| Remote Business Management: Possibilities, | Mr. Rajat Sikka, MD, Saivana Exports Private Limited Issues & Necessity |
Okhla Garment & Textile Cluster
Presentation 1
Impact of Changing Environmental, Social & Governance Requirements on the Fashion Value Chain
Ms. Ruby Ojha is a senior environmental and social development specialist and regional team leader for South Asia in the Environment, Social and Governance Department of International Finance Corporation. She has more than 22 years of work experience and has worked extensively on assessing E&S risks and designing mitigation measures.
She gave a brief overview of sustainability in the context of business while focusing on ensuring business success whilst contributing towards economic and social development, a healthy environment and a stable society. She also focused on how ESG sustainability is aligned with strong financial performance and provides value addition to the organization. During her presentation, she highlighted that E&S sustainability is not specific to a sector, it applies to all sectors. She also talked about the E&S issues that are relevant to the readymade garment sector and their impact on the apparel retail supply chain.
Presentation 2
Market Access Issues for Indian Apparel Industry
Dr. Ram Singh is Professor & Head (MDPs) at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade with over 25 years of teaching experience. He also holds Master Certificate in SCM & Logistics from Michigan State University, USA. He specializes both in training & research in areas such as Export Import Procedure; Trade Policy & Trade Logistics. Dr. Ram Singh is directly involved in training of probationers of Indian Trade Service and Indian Revenue Service.
Presentation 3
MMF Industry- Markets and Growth Prospects
Mr. Ajay Sardana President & Head Strategy & Business Development- Polyester. Reliance Industries Limited. Has rich experience in Groups like Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Aditya Birla Group (ABG) Indorama Venture Limited (IVL) in varied roles and responsibilities like Corporate Affairs, Liaison, Strategy, Customer & Market Intelligence, Liaison, Sustainability, Competition Intelligence, Business development & Specialties Sales. Corporate & Public Affairs Professional, a dynamic and veteran top honcho, handling Corporate Relations & Public Policy, along with strategic assignments in corporate sector for the last two decades.
In the presentation, he highlighted various opportunities in the Man made fibre sector and their application areas. He also showed a relationship between GDP growth and the growth of fibre consumption. In addition, he highlighted that the global economy is reviving back after the covid pandemic and textile growth will follow. He also focused on how the share of polyester in total fibre consumption is gaining prominence in the world from 17% in 1980 to 40% in 2000 and will reach 70% in 2030.He added a focus also on changing the consumer landscape redefined by polyester. During his presentation, he also talked about how recycled polyester should be targeted for decarbonization and lower GHG emissions. He also gave a brief about the various government schemes and policies which are promoting the manufacturing of man-made fibre.
Presentation 4
Digitization as a Catalyst for Business Growth in Fashion Supply Chains
Mr. Akash Shah was appointed by Coats Group, the world’s leading industrial thread manufacturer, in 2020, to spearhead Coats Digital, a unique, multi-faceted technology business that optimises and accelerates the urgently required digital transformation of the fashion supply chain. Akash is an experienced senior executive with 25 years across global markets with depth across Asia-Pacific.
The presentation on Digitalization as a Catalyst for Business Growth in Fashion Supply Chain commenced with a brief introduction about Coats Digital and then continued with different industry-level challenges faced by apparel manufacturers these days such as supply chain disruption, increasing raw material, and labor costs, greater order fragmentation, and on-demand agile production. He briefed about manufacturing challenges at each level of production starting from range planning to KPI analysis.
Presentation 4
Digitization as a Catalyst for Business Growth in Fashion Supply Chains
Mr. Akash Shah was appointed by Coats Group, the world’s leading industrial thread manufacturer, in 2020, to spearhead Coats Digital, a unique, multi-faceted technology business that optimises and accelerates the urgently required digital transformation of the fashion supply chain. Akash is an experienced senior executive with 25 years across global markets with depth across Asia-Pacific.
The presentation on Digitalization as a Catalyst for Business Growth in Fashion Supply Chain commenced with a brief introduction about Coats Digital and then continued with different industry-level challenges faced by apparel manufacturers these days such as supply chain disruption, increasing raw material, and labor costs, greater order fragmentation, and on-demand agile production. He briefed about manufacturing challenges at each level of production starting from range planning to KPI analysis.
Presentation 5
Remote Business Management: Possibilities, Issues & Necessity
Mr. Rajat Sikka is the Managing Director and co-founder of one of the premier fashion houses, Saivana Exports. Saivana is among the top Indian sustainable garment exporter in high fashion ladies’ and children’s garments. Saivana is the nation’s first apparel exporter to attain carbon neutrality which was one of several efforts made as part of Rajat Sikka’s environmental endeavours.
He talked about the importance of remote management at senior management and middle management level and also introduced the impact of Covid on switching to remote-managed jobs. He highlighted that hiring problem solvers in management is necessary for the company’s growth. He also highlighted that for the management of the company the only necessity is to deliver the product on time, within cost, and to grow the happiness index of the buyer and all these necessities can be fulfilled remotely. He concluded the presentation and said that ERP systems at the management level can go a long way in making the organization effective.