Over the years, GHCL Limited has grown into a leader in its area of operations, adhering to global standards and best practices recognized internationally. With its focus on customer & quality by providing latest modern infrastructure and conducive work environment, the company is aiming to achieve its prime mission of responsibly creating value for all its stakeholders.
The Textiles division at GHCL Ltd. is a fully integrated set up, starting from spinning yarn to finished products for home textiles on a global scale.
GHCL’s spinning operations, has two units located in Paravai and Manaparai within the state of Tamil Nadu with a total installed capacity of 1,85,000 ring spindles, 3320 rotors, 480 Vortex positions and 5760 TFO spindles manufacturing 100% cotton, synthetic & synthetic blended yarns. The home textiles operations of GHCL located at Vapi, Gujarat includes wide-width weaving, processing (dyeing, printing & finishing) & stitching made-ups to manufacture products like sheet sets and duvets. It has the flexibility to process both cotton and blended fabric. State-of-the-art textile machinery in spinning includes Rieter, Schlafhorst, Savio, Murata, Truetzschler and LMW. Home textiles facility is equipped with machinery like Tsudakoma, Picanol, Benninger, Kuesters & Monforts.
GHCL today is accredited with various certifications like ISO 9001, EMS 14001, OHSAS 18001, BCI, GOTS, OCS, GRS, CmiA, Cotton USA, Cotton Leads, Supima, Egyptian Gold Seal, etc.
Sustainable growth
GHCL acknowledges the risk of climate change and its implication. Efforts in energy efficiency measures and enhancement of renewable energy portfolio is our contribution towards mitigation of climate change. In addition to green energy, the company has embarked on GHG inventorisation project with an aim of developing business specific road map for GHG mitigation. GHCL is continuously focused on health and safety stewardship through the goal of “Zero Harm” i.e. to achieve zero injuries in producing products & services. Some examples on the company’s commitment towards environment:
• 27 MW Wind Energy
• 2 MW of Solar Energy
• REKOOP:Bedding products made from forensically traceable recycled PET (rPET)
• CIRKULARITY: Bedding range that supports Circular Economy and centers around ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’
The yarn division produces a wide range of products with a monthly production of 2650 tons. At the Paravai location, 100% Cotton yarn is produced. The company’s count range from Ne 30s to Ne 160s in Ring Spun from Indian Cotton, Pima, Egyptian Giza, US Upland, Australian and West African Cotton. In Open end spinning the count produced are from Ne 10s to Ne 30s.
In Manaparai location, 100% Synthetic and Synthetic blended yarn is produced in count range from Ne 20s to Ne 100s in Ring spun. In Vortex spinning the count range is from Ne 20s to Ne 40s. Major products are Polyester/Cotton, Polyester/Viscose, 100% VSF, 100% Modal, 100% Bamboo and its blend yarn.
So far as home textiles is concerned, GHCL manufactures range of bedding products like sheets and duvets ranging from 100% cotton to other blends in various thread counts starting from 144TC up to 1400TC.
GHCL is constantly looking for newness and has been a perennial innovator of quality bed linen. Its recently launched innovative brands include: REKOOP, CIRKULARITY and MEDITASI that also reinforce the company’s commitment towards its four pillar strategy of innovation, traceability, sustainability and giving back to society.
Relationship with U.S. cotton
GHCL has a long standing relationship with U.S. cotton. GHCL consumes around 35000 tons of fiber annually out of which U.S. cotton accounts to 67% from all the origins. The company started its import of U.S. cotton from 2005 onwards. This was mainly due to demand for high quality and enhanced strength contamination free premium quality yarn meant for high-end apparel and clothing segment.
GHCL’s experience with U.S. cotton has been exemplary in all these years in the areas of quality, delivery and service. GHCL gained prominence both in domestic and international market as a reliable supplier of quality contamination free yarn and bed linen supplier having a wide product range suited to specific customer needs.
Customer confidence on GHCL’s products made out of U.S. cotton is phenomenal that results into a continuous business relationship with leading global brands and retailers over the years.
COVID Impact
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company foresees some changes in sourcing such as:-
a. The company expects discretionary spending to remain muted for at least two quarters. However, demand for low priced products may start reviving fast after a quarter, the uncertainty and slow growth may impede a quick recovery for the next two quarters.
b. Cotton sourcing has come to a standstill during Covid pandemic due to complete shutdown of manufacturing activities. After the lockdown was lifted in a phased manner, the activity is back on track and mills have started sourcing the cotton in a calculated manner.
c. Even though global brands and retailers are severely impacted, their preference for quality, reliability and sustainability has not changed. In fact, they are paying much more attention if we put the economic factors aside.
d. This Pandemic has presented an opportunity to brands & retailers to define themselves as leaders in the space and to address the ever-increasing consumer demand for sustainable products.
e. The initiative of U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a welcome sign and hope it will address this change.
f. The positive impact that this pandemic has had on our environment will last. This crisis will pass, and we may witness many positive social, economic and technological developments all over the world.
g. We now realized that our health comes first. Increased spending on hygiene & health care product will happen. Replacement tendency in hospitality sector and healthcare sector will be very high.
The company feels that India has the capacity and competence to increase its share in the core cotton based categories. The consumption in the first two quarters will be less due to lockdown however, cotton consumption may steadily increase in the third quarter. Demand for textile and apparel in the US turned positive for the first time in the month of July. The company does not see major changes in the product mix for the year 2021-22.
Expectations post COVID
With respect to product innovation and the company’s future relationship with U.S. cotton industry, GHCL expects the following :-
a. As the industry is slowly moving back to normal, less priority is given to product innovation at the moment in spinning sector. However, in health and hygiene products a lot of innovation is taking place like cotton based functional performance and outwear apparel other than cotton masks with high filtration efficiency, cotton rolls etc.
b. Highest level of microbial resistance will become a norm in the coming years.
c. Sustainably grown cotton usage can be a big opportunity moving forward. And lot of focus on using sustainable cotton in the textiles sector will take place, as consumers will be willing to buy products that are more sustainable and environment friendly.
d. GHCL’s relationship with U.S. cotton Industry is good. High transparency in quality and trade is a hallmark that encourages continuous buying of U.S. cotton.