Are you making right-fitted denim jeans? Are you using sustainable technologies to make your jeans? Does denim fabric used in jeans manufacturing have longevity? Are you manufacturing it under defined SMV? The 7th edition of TANTU Seminar, held in IIC (Delhi), not only raised such strong questions but also gave solutions to the industry at a time when sustainability and circularity continue to be the focal point of discussion in denim segment. The theme of the seminar was ‘It’s In Your Jeans’.
The event kick-started with the presentation of Sunder Belani, MD, Ramsons, India who gave a short brief of his company and its apparel finishing technologies. According to Sunder, India’s denim industry values at Rs. 35,000 crore and it is essential to provide the right sustainable technologies to this industry. “Our Nano Go Green technology, Ozone technology, Laser technology and Air Drying technologies help in lower chemical and water usage,” said Sunder.
The first panel discussion ‘Jeans Making: Art or Science’ was moderated by Prabir Jana, President, TANTU and the panellists included Munir Syed Sayeed, Chief Operating Officer, Epyllion Group, Bangladesh; Subrata Ghosh, Vice President, Chiripal Industries, India; Jasim Uddin, Project Director, NZ Denim, Bangladesh; and Abhijit Ghosh, Gameplan Enterprise, India . The panellists discussed all aspects right from denim fabrics manufacturing to cutting and sewing. One of the key points discussed was about stripe denim jackets and shirts, which are not in use nowadays. Around 85 per cent of the Indian denim market is owned by bottoms, so stripe denim jackets have very less scope. However, Indian mills have not been able to meet even the smallest of demands for denim fabrics of such products.
After the first session, Ram Sareen, Head Coach-Founder, Tukatech, Inc. , gave his presentation wherein he discussed how the construction of 3 garment products is different and difficult from the rest of the products. “These 3 products are Bra, Men Suits and Denim Jeans in which defects can be seen even from a good distance,” said Ram, adding, “Especially in denim, there is a huge disconnect between mills and garment manufacturers. 3D and Virtual prototyping can help eliminate fit issues.” Ram in fact made a strong forecast at the end of his presentation stating, “30 per cent garments will be made in less number by 2024 than in 2019.”
The second panel discussion ‘Finishing Jeans: Environmental Reboot’ revolved around the wet and dry finishing of denims, environmental impact and sustainability. The panel discussion was moderated by Suvodeep Mukherjee, Sr. General Manager , TUV SUD, India . The panellists were Manuj Kanchan, GM (South Asia), Jeanologia; Kishan Daga, Business Leader, Triburg Sportswear, India; and Dipankar Bose, Implementation Manager, ZDHC (South Asia) . The panellists agreed to a point that ‘sustainability in fashion industry is the most abused word’ and, despite a lot of talks, the industry is not transforming. “The input water cost is just 4 to 6 litres which is well below than what it should actually be. Raise the cost of water, industry will automatically be more sustainable and technology-friendly,” opined Manuj who then disclosed that Jeanologia is also launching its Laundry5.Zero model soon which will be based on ‘speed-quality-sustainability-agility-right product’ combination. In a nutshell, the panellists were on the same lines that though sustainability is not getting its right place, the ongoing cleaning/correction time (referring to the global recession) will make people know what it takes to be more profitable using sustainable methods in their business models.
The second panel discussion was followed by five presentations given by Vinod Krishnamoorthy, MD, Fortuna Colors, India; BK Mohanty, Country Manager India, MACPI Group; Datatex; Yawer Ali Shah, Co-Founder & CEO, Ama Herbal, India; and Jay Nugessur, MD, SIP Singapore.
The third panel discussion ‘Start-Ups in Blue Space’ discussed new ideas in denimwear, recycling & circularity. The session was moderated by Pranav Khanna, Builder, X, India and the panellists were Sartaj Singh Mehta, Chief Product Officer, BigPhi (Turms), India ; Padma Raj Keshri, Curator, India; and Sanjay Goel, Founder & CEO, Srishti Technet Pvt. Ltd., India . The discussion was based on the theme as to how to be competitive in business. Sartaj opined, “Middlemen in between manufacturing and retailers are the biggest trouble makers for business today.” On the other hand, Sanjay informed the audience that he is working on smart apparels in his start-up where he will focus more on functionality of fabrics and for this, he is looking for funds as well as vendors. Another start-up is being headed by Padma Raj who is a designer by profession and recently got accolades for his project of denim runway which has attracted some 1.2 million views till date and managed to get funding of Rs. 12,00,000.
Post a Comment