By Arun Rao
In a dynamic conversation with Dr. Dhara Choksi, Managing Director of Global Nanotech, we explore the company’s groundbreaking advancements in pigment powders, dispersions, and textile inks. Founded in 2015, Global Nanotech has quickly become a trailblazer in the textile industry, leveraging its expertise to set new standards and expanding its reach into the fashion clothing market.
A Visionary Journey
Global Nanotech, the only forward-integrated Indian company manufacturing pigment powder, dispersions, and textile inks, is now set to foray into fashion clothing. The brainchild of Dr. Dhara Choksi, Global Nanotech was established in 2015. Dr. Choksi, after earning her degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and honing her skills in the technical team of Choksi Exports, saw an opportunity to revolutionize the textile industry.
From Dispersions to Inks
Starting with the manufacture of water-based dispersions from pigments, the primary raw material for textile inks, Global Nanotech quickly garnered attention from top-tier ink manufacturers. “You need it. We formulate it.” became their defining tagline, symbolizing their commitment to tailor-made solutions.
Three years ago, Global Nanotech ventured into the textile ink market, establishing an R&D department to create top-notch inks. “We began with dye sublimation inks mainly for Epson printers and recently launched direct-to-film printing inks with exceptional opacity, ideal for printing on cotton t-shirts,” Dr. Choksi explained. Their focus on digital printing aligns with the industry’s shift towards sustainable and efficient production methods.
The biggest strength of Global Nanotech which gives it an edge over its competitors in textile inks is their complete control on the raw materials used in the production process like pigments. “Our inks are comparable to European competitors,” Dr. Choksi noted. This control allows them to offer high-quality inks that meet the demands of both mass producers and premium fabric producers. She also called the company’s R&D team as the company’s core strength.
Expanding Horizons
Operating from two manufacturing units in Ahmedabad and Sanand, Global Nanotech produces three quality grades of textile inks, catering to markets from India to Italy and the US. “We’re now focusing on new models of Epson printers and planning to manufacture inks for Ricohjet 6 and Kyocera printheads,” Dr. Choksi revealed. Their R&D is also working on direct-to-fabric and roll-to-roll inkjet textile inks.
Sustainability and Innovation
Global Nanotech’s commitment to sustainability is evident in their zero-discharge plant. “If its coloured water, we reuse it in the next batch, and in case of washing water, we treat it and then reuse it for gardening or any other purpose,” Dr. Choksi shared.
“Secondly, we use a printing ink technology, in which there is no need for post treatment process of washing the fabric after digitally printing the fabric. When a fabric is washed after printing, there are chemicals inside the water which also needs to be treated. The technology which we supply is going to be the textile inks of the future. Our technology in turn also reduces printing costs as the post treatment process is done away with and also reduces reducing environmental impact,” she stated.
Reducing fabric printing cost between Rotary and Digital printers
According to Dr Choksi, in earlier years, there was a big gap between cost of rotary screen fabric printing and digital fabric printing. That gap has absolutely narrowed. Dye sublimation fabric printing has become as competitive as screen printing, mainly due to the cost of dye sublimation inks reducing. So, now it has become easier for the textile industry to shift to dye sublimation or reactive digital printing.
Future Prospects
The textile industry is on a growth trajectory, with digital printing becoming more affordable and accessible. “Digital inks were once expensive, but costs are falling, making them viable for a wider range of applications,” Dr. Choksi opined. This trend is democratizing digital printing, enabling even small businesses and households to engage in customized fabric printing. Due to this, the company is projecting a massive growth in installation of digital textile printers and in turn for their inks.
Global Nanotech stands at the forefront of textile innovation, seamlessly blending sustainability with cutting-edge technology. Under Dr. Dhara Choksi’s visionary leadership, the company continues to push boundaries, driving the textile industry towards a more efficient and eco-friendly future. With plans to expand into fashion clothing and new markets, Global Nanotech is poised to make a lasting impact on the global textile landscape.
