Staubli: 'A lot of decision makers visited Techtextil India this time'

Rendezvous

Staubli: 'A lot of decision makers visited Techtextil India this time'

How was Techtextil India for Staubli this time?

It has been a good show for us. We had a lot of decision makers visiting the show. It is a very well organized show, attendance was better than the last edition.

What are Staubli's offerings for the Indian techtextil market?

We have a very comprehensive range of machines - carbon fiber weaving, aramid fiber weaving, glass fiber weaving, filter fabric manufacturing, and much more.

How is the Indian market for these specialized technologies?

The market is growing. A lot of know-how transfer has to take place from Europe. Europeans are quite closed when it comes to imparting this knowledge. Once the industry understands the nuances, the market will boom. For this, the JV route is a good strategy for the industry.

We received very good enquiries for carbon fiber weaving machines. As you may know, Hindoostan Thakersey is planning to foray into carbon fiber weaving. Ashima has already moved into technical textiles, Arvind Mills is into fabrics made from glass fiber. Others want to follow the leaders. Thus, we saw a lot of serious business enquiries this time. I expect that in another 2-3 years, technical textiles in India will grow immensely.

According to you, what is the major obstacle to growth of this industry?

This year especially, we see the currency volatility having a major impact on the investment decisions. The TUFS has taken a long time to be announced. The government must ensure that policies are not changed frequently, which disturbs smooth business functioning.

After India ITME in 2012, this year had started off on a good note for us, we had many orders for dobby and cam motion machines. But after the initial months, enquiries and orders slowed down. Projects of even big mills were held up. Staubli, like other machinery suppliers, was left holding stocks of machines. This was not an easy scenario, as machines are manufactured against orders, and we do not have facilities to stock so many machines.

Where do you see the Indian textile and technical textile market in the next five years?

With minimum incentives from the government and policy stability, the industry should do well.