“India ITME Society” was formed in 1979 for forging relationships between various technology providers, machinery manufacturers, raw material and spares suppliers, various service providers and end users in the textile world, through exhibitions.
First such event kicked off in 1980 and thereafter every four years. Now it has come a long way to its 10th event which is slated to make its opening in Mumbai on December 3 this year. With over 1,000 plus exhibitors covering 17 chapters of the textile industry, fondly called the ‘Olympics of the Textile Industry’ by Mr. Sanjiv Lathia, the Chairman of the India ITME Society, during an exclusive interview to The Textile Magazine.
Mr. Sanjiv says: “This time it’s in Olympic proportions, with 162 first time exhibitors, with over 25 new specific sectors in spinning, processing and weaving, from raw materials to actual finished end use garments. The new exhibitors account for 16-17 per cent of the total number of exhibits this year, of which 20 per cent are from countries like Taiwan, China, Italy, Turkey and Australia”.
Technology and machinery providers for digital printing to dyes and chemicals are slated to exhibit their offers. Special emphasis is on Green Tech, organic raw material, processing to waste management. Carpet machinery suppliers from Belgium and Turkey, Fiber and Yarn manufacturers from Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Germany also shall participate.
Seven national and international textile institutes to showcase its value adds through its research and workshops. Focus on empowering students in various textile education is on the cards, for them to interact and learn through workshops and seminars conducted by the institutes during the event.
The India ITME textile exhibition this year is well supported by the Government of India both at Central and State level. Industrial development department of India and the State of Gujarat lend its well endowed support along with 73 international textile associations and media partners.
When asked about the single largest challenge India ITME faces to get this event rolled out seamlessly, Ms. Seema Srivastava, the Executive Director of India ITME, says: “Space is the only constraint. The Goregaon center with its glorious entirety would be fully packed. An additional 10,000 sq.ft. if available, this event can gobble up like a pie in a bite”.
On the efforts to promote the show, Ms. Seema says that apart from the mailers, specialized roadshows are being conducted since June every week. About 24 roadshows were conducted both in domestic and key international markets, like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Africa and in places including Tirupur, Madurai, Tejpur and Vijayawada in India.
Further Ms. Seema adds: “India ITME exhibition will not be just another exhibition, it would mean an event for everyone from exhibitors, visitors, suppliers, agents, consumers, students, researchers and other agencies with something to take away from this event experience and participation. A point or food for thought, an idea or flash for improvement, contact to forge a mutually benefiting relationship, etc”.
Mr. Sanjiv firmly believes that there is a lot that can be done to improve the value chain that’s present in the Indian Textile Sector as a whole. As he rightly puts it with over 25,000 footfalls each day totaling over 150,000 visitors spread over 6 days, a B2B event is truly a huge event to reckon with in adding the much needed value to the VALUE CHAIN.
Kudos to the organising team
The India ITME society has done a brilliant job in promoting the show across all global and domestic markets. A specific mention needs to be made about the tireless efforts put in by the team let by Ms. Seema Srivastava. The event promotions started almost 3 years prior to the event, showcasing the Indian textile industry and the exhibition in all global textile trade shows including Milan, China, Dhaka, Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam and Ethiopia. More recently, India ITME society has been conducting a series of road shows across the country in every small and major textile markets including Ichalkaranji, Ahmedabad, Vijayawada, Tirupur, Salem, Madurai, Jetpur, Delhi, Coimbatore, Hyeradad and Bhiwandi. This has possibly been the best effort ever taken in promoting the India ITME show and the team led by Mr. Sanjiv Lathia and Ms. Seema Srivastava definitely needs to be acknowledged and applauded.