Surat: Traditionally famed as the world’s largest man-made fabric (MMF) manufacturing hub, Surat is gradually shifting towards processing cotton fabric, something that is considered to be a forte of weavers in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra and Erode in Tamil Nadu.
A number of textile firms have started processing of cotton fabrics supplied from Bhiwandi and Erode due to cheap cost. The processing includes printing and dyeing of fabrics.
Industry experts say that cotton fabric processing has increased from just about 4 lakh metres per day to 25 lakh metres per day as unfinished fabric from Ichalkaranji and Bhiwandi in Maharashtra is making its way to the textile dyeing and processing mills in Surat.
Most of these fabrics are used in the manufacturing of suiting and shirting and women’s wear including ‘salwar suit’ and other heavy fabrics.
Vice-chairman of Madhusudan Group, a leading textile manufacturer, Girdhar Gopal Mundra said, “The MMF hub is gradually moving towards natural fabrics (cotton).”
Mundra, who is also actively involved in the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) added, “The processing cost in Surat is cheaper compared to other centres in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. It is predicted that cotton manufacturing will capture about 40% share in the MMF centre in the next five years.”
Surat’s MMF sector manufactures 4 crore metre of polyester fabric per day. The industry employs over 10 lakh workers in the manufacturing and processing sectors.
Hiren Nagda, a cotton fabric manufacturer and trader from Bhiwandi told TOI, “Surat's textile processing units are offering more designing options than any other centre. Due to Covid-19, many textile mills in and around Bhiwandi are yet to reopen. Hence, we have started sending our cotton fabric to Surat for processing.”
Jitu Vakharia, president of South Gujarat Textile Processors’ Association (SGTPA) told TOI, “Of the total 350 textile processing mills, about 50 mills are processing cotton fabrics. The per metre cost of processing cotton fabrics is Rs 25, compared to Rs 35 per metre in other centres including Maharashtra and Erode.”
Vakharia added, “At present, the textile mills are processing about 25 lakh metre of cotton fabrics per day.”
Pramod Chaudhary, chairman of Pratibha Textile Group, added, “We are processing about 1 lakh metre of cotton fabrics per day. Majority of the fabric is supplied from Bhiwandi. We also get rayon fabrics from Erode for processing. The cotton and rayon fabrics have to be mercerized with caustic solution to improve their properties.”
Compared to other centres such as Ahmedabad, Surat’s processing mills have more advanced technologies related to the prints and the labour cost is cheaper.
OFF MAIN TRACK
Cotton fabric processing pre-Covid: 4 lakh metres/day
Current production of cotton fabric: 25 lakh metres
Daily production polyester fabrics : 1.5 crore metre
Cost of production of polyester fabric : Rs 20 per metre
Cost of production of cotton fabrics : Rs 30 per metre
High-tech machines that can process synthetic as well as cotton fabric at the same time
Better design options and printing variations
Cheaper production cost
Photo quotes
The supply of cotton fabrics from Maharashtra has increased post lockdown. Surat is offering a wide range of designing options and the production cost is cheap. In the coming days, cotton fabric will consist of about 50% of the production in the textile mills.
Binay Agarwal, textile processor
Surat's textile processing units are offering more designing options than any other centre. Due to Covid-19, many textile mills in and around Bhiwandi are yet to reopen. Hence, we have started sending our cotton fabric to Surat for processing.
Hiren Nagda, a cotton fabric manufacturer Bhiwandi in Maharashtra
The state-of-the-art machinery in Surat not only processes the polyester fabrics but also the cotton fabrics. Covid-19 has given us an opportunity to increase the cotton fabric processing due to our varied design options and cheap production cost.
Pramod Chaudhary, chairman, Pratibha Textile Group