“The future of textile chemical segment looks promising. Year-on-year the application of textile chemicals have continued to evolve and expand into different textile sectors. The recent development in antimicrobials has played a key part in augmenting the durability of textiles, garments and providing stronger protection against contaminants.” – Mr. Raj Manek, Executive Director & Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd.
From pre-treatment of textiles to the finishing, chemicals are vital for fabricating textile materials for a vast variety of uses. Home furnishing and apparel textiles in particular, have been key contributors to demand for textile chemicals in India over the years. However, since the past few quarters there has been a dynamic shift in demand for textile chemicals due to the pandemic.
“The demand for apparel and home furnishing industry have been hard hit as consumers are buying less of these items. On the contrary there has been a vertical rise in the demand for oil & water repellents and anti-viral coatings for producing PPE kits, face masks and for various medical textiles,” shared Dr. Sanket Valia, Senior General Manager Business Development, Sarex Chemicals Ltd.
Increasing attention towards health, safety and hygiene has brought a serious limelight on antimicrobial finishes. Much recently, Sarex has developed two antimicrobial agents, Saraguard-5700 and Saraguard-FL, which are applied on functional clothing like PPE kits as well as commonly used products such as surgical fabrics, drapes, bed linens in order to provide durability and protection from pathogens, viruses and bacteria.
Going forward, the treatment of antimicrobial finishes on other textile products including industrial, home textile and apparels will be instrumental in reducing the risk of infection and cross-contamination as we go about our daily lives. Apart from providing protection against contaminants, textiles treated with antimicrobial ingredients are also known to increase the shelf life of products by preventing bacterial colonization, thus further augmenting their significance.
“Year-on-year the application of textile chemicals have continued to evolve and expand into different textile sectors. The recent development in antimicrobials have played a key part in augmenting the durability of textiles and providing stronger protection against contaminants. The future of textile chemical segment looks promising and through the platform of Techtexil India, Messe Frankfurt India will aid industry players to explore new business opportunities and further expand their potential,” shares Mr. Raj Manek.
Techtexil India, as a one-stop exhibition for technical textiles will continue to host businesses across its various application areas including med-tech, agri-tech, geo-tech, sports-tech, infra-tech, and home-tech.
With the first hybrid edition of Techtextil India slated on 25 – 27 November 2021, Messe Frankfurt India will aim at reuniting technical textile players to explore new opportunities and grow together as a unified segment.