The $41-billion Aditya Birla Group will scale up and expand further the LIVA Accredited Partners Forum (LAPF), a unique initiative to improve the textile value chain, by reaching out to more players from the rural hubs and small towns across the country.
“This is an attempt to bring all textile stakeholders on a single platform and promote innovation and quality, and make India the world’s leading cloth manufacturing hub in line with the ‘Make in India’ strategy. India has the potential and can compete with any country, including China,” said Mr. Prakash Nedungadi, President, Consumer Insights and Brand Development, Aditya Birla Group.
“This initiative is not just limited to cities, but it will also include small towns and rural players,” he said at a stakeholders’ conclave held in Coimbatore on December 4. The summit, involving over 200 leading textile players, mainly from the southern States, was part of the efforts to support design development, technical skills, marketing and buyer link support under the LAPF initiative.
“This is a unique unity for quality. We have 320 members on board and the forum plays a key role in improving the value chain through critical support,” said Mr. Ashwin J. Laddha, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing (India, SAARC, Far East).
Birla Cellulose, the pulp and fibre manufacturing division of Grasim, has tied up with the Mumbai-based Netcarrots to implement a customer relationship marketing programme for the stakeholders. The LAPF members include spinners, weavers, knitters and fabricators, with major participation from textile hubs such as Tirupur, Erode, Ludhiana, New Delhi, Kolkatta, Surat, Bhiwandi, etc.
The LAPF programme is linked to Birla Cellulose’s fibre brand LIVA which was launched in March this year in line with the Group Chairman, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla’s vision of establishing connect with the end consumer.
The stakeholders also explained how they were benefiting from the collaboration with the Aditya Birla Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of viscose staple fibre (VSF). Mr. Subhash Dhawan from Gokul Tex felt that this partnership could make a big change in the textile sector by handholding the small players.
“Quality is the big difference that this initiative could make,” said Mr. Chellapandi of the Asmara Group, while summing up his experience. Likewise, Mr. Alakan Karuppannan of the Pallava Group pointed out that LAPF has proved the value in critical areas where small players faced challenges.
The company has also tied up with the Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA) to undertake quality improvement programs and stringent audits for the partners who are shortlisted for the programme after they comply with the eight stringent parameters. After the selection, the company will equip them with five major services, including design & development, technical services, vendor management, marketing & buyer link support and market intelligence.
Mr. Uday Khadilkar, Vice President and Head, Supply Chain, Mr. M. Natarajan, Regional Head (Southern Region – Sales and Marketing), Mr. Ritesh Khandelwal (Head – Brands and Retail), Mr. Rishi Sharma (Head Marketing, Digital Events and CRM), and Mr. Hemaxy Chotai (AGM, Design and Collections), also briefed the stakeholders on different aspects of the value chain.
The LAPF partners, including fabricators, promote / market their products with LIVA accreditation. A LIVA tag in a garment promises high quality fabrics. Leading brands in the country such as Pantaloons, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, People, Global Desi, Lifestyle, Melange, Shoppers Stop, Reliance Trends, Wills Lifestyle, Desi Belle Chemistry, F-109, Fusion Beats, FBB, Etnicity and Max use the LIVA branded fabric.
Birla Cellulose is the leading player in the VSF industry in the country with 93 per cent market share.