Both France and India are active players in the international textile market. France is also the sixth largest exporter of textile machinery worldwide, with its exports totalling $1.5 billion each year.
India, an equally important player, endeavours to become more competitive, with a lot of benefits accruing from globalisation.
Since India has grown to become one of the leading markets in Asia, both developing and developed countries, including France, are keen to expand their business activities with it. For the purpose, UBIFRANCE, through its Indian operations, organised an Indo-French seminar on Textile Machinery titled “French Technology to Boost the Indian Textile Industry’s Competitiveness” in Mumbai on April 20. Representatives of all the leading French textile machinery manufacturers, including Stäubli, Laroche, AESA, Asselin-Thibeau, NSC, Perfojet, N. Schlumberger, Superba, RITM, Dollfus & Muller and Callebaut de Blicquy, presented their views and product details for the benefit of Indian customers.
Mr. K. Ramachandran Pillai, NTC Chairman & Managing Director, inaugurated the seminar by lighting the traditional lamp.
In the absence of Mrs. Evelyne Cholet, UCMTF Secretary General, Mr. Sébastien Andrieux, Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of France, French Trade Commission, Mumbai Office, in his keynote address, said the French textile machinery industry is the third largest exporter of machinery of the European Union and the sixth worldwide exporter. Its current world market share is 6.5 per cent.
Excerpts from the speech:
The French Textile Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (UCMTF), with 30 member-companies, rigorously promotes French textile machines abroad. A member of the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), it is one of the four organisers of ITMA. Three ITMAs have so far been organised in Paris.
The UCMTF 30 member-companies, with a global turnover of 1 billion euros, exports 91 per cent of their products to 115 customer countries. They have a workforce: 8,000 (4,000 directly, 4,000 indirectly).
Here are the top 15 markets for French textile machinery in 2009
Globalisation is the new challenge for textile companies, with the emergence of new competitors with lower labour costs and the end of quotas. At the same time, India’s middle class with growing demand for quality and sophisticated products assumes special significance.
The French industry strategy now is to differentiate standard from mass products, modernize equipment and technology, and to innovate and move to products with higher added value.
French textile machinery is not present in the whole textile processing, but specialized in niches where they are world leaders. The industry offers tailor-made solutions to solve customers’ needs and aims to be their long-term partner. This strategy particularly fits in with sectors/niches where French companies are strong.
The specific sectors covered are long fibre spinning machinery; textile waste recovery machines; systems for yarn treatment and production of technical textiles; nonwovens manufacturing lines; additional equipment for weaving (dobbies and jacquard heads); finishing machines for bleaching, dyeing, yarn finishing, finishing lines for knitted goods and textile hydro-extractors; and air-conditioning equipment for textile factories.
French textile clusters of excellence help revitalize the industry through innovation. The goal is creation in France of an industrial network for innovation in textiles and clothing, regrouping industrialists and various players in textile R&D.
France is the second largest European producer of technical textiles, with a share of 24 per cent of European production. It is the fourth world producer, after Japan, the US and Germany, and is ahead of countries with strong textile traditions such as Italy and the UK. Technical textiles now constitute more than 30 per cent of the French textile production.