The Saurer Hub In India Will Service Asia And The Rest Of The World

Rendezvous

The Saurer Hub In India Will Service Asia And The Rest Of The World

How is work on Saurer's new plant progressing?

We are on plan. There will be a small inauguration ceremony in July end to mark the start of the move and production. Later we will have a large ceremony with our customers, the press and our Chinese shareholders, in order to celebrate the success. Right now we are more concentrating on getting the production started.

Following the commencement of India manufacturing, how would the market strategies and dynamics change for the company, in terms of exports and the Indian market?

Naturally we will be concentrating even more on the Indian market since we are the only company who is able to offer full automation from the roving frame up to the winder, an automaton that is highly sought after in these times when availability of labour is limited in many regions. After the start of our factory we will be able to offer Zinser roving and ring spinning frames from India together with our Autoconer 6 winders from Germany.

We also see a big advantage in logistics to the surrounding markets, where we can considerably shorten the freight times from India to SE Asia. Our hub in China will service the Chinese local market and the hub in India will service Asia and the rest of the world.

How do you perceive the Indian market for Saurer?

The Indian market is one of the most important ring spinning markets in the world. The speed expectation and the yarn quality spun is superior to many other markets and therefore the automation with Zinser Roving & Ring together with the Schlafhorst winder is a very good fit to the Indian market demands. We also have a very high market share on rotor spinning in India.

What are the trends in spinning in other markets - China, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, etc?

In China we see large projects following the one belt, one road policy and there is a clear trend in shifting production capacities towards the western region where raw material and labour is available in combination with low energy costs. The quick industrialisation in China is causing a lack of manpower in eastern regions.

Turkey is a market with flexible, high quality production, for supplying fast collections for the ever changing fashion in the European market. In one to two weeks the trucks from Turkey can reach almost any European country.

Problems in Russia and Egypt have had an effect on textile production and investment activities in the spinning and carpet industry. Bangladesh and Pakistan are still partly struggling with energy problems as gas is still not available to every mill, which is hindering capacity extensions of our customers.

How is the Indian technical textiles market for Saurer products?

We see a good opportunity for Saurer products in India's technical textiles market. The current growth in ATY is visible in Saurer Components business and also for the business unit Twisting (technical yarn and tire cord). The use of technical textiles is a fast growing segment as the field of application for technical textiles is getting wider.

Any other highlights from Saurer?

Our triple E added value philosophy has been excellently received by our customers. We concentrate on energy (all new machines at Saurer must show reduced energy consumption in comparison to the previous generation), economics (better yarn quality makes a difference in customers profitability which is essential for sustainable growth of the industry) and ergonomics (optimised workflow, easy handling).

A good example is the positive customer feedback we have on Autoconer 6 that was introduced in India during our customer days. It consumes 6% less energy, has a 6% higher productivity and a new material flow. So far the sales figures have exceeded our expectations and we look forward to welcoming our customers to ITMA Milan where we can show a lot more show stoppers.