Gartex Texprocess India organisers tie up with CITI for maiden hybrid edition

In a bid to provide strong business push to the textile and apparel sector, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has signed an MoU with Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions, organisers of Gartex Texprocess India, one of the leading fairs on textile and garment machinery & accessories in India. The strategic partnership aims at reconnecting the textile and apparel value chain for business at the first hybrid edition of the show by enabling every domestic and international buyer through the show’s new multimodal format and supporting the sector to recover from the pandemic slowdown.

At the signing of the MoU, Dr S Sunanda, Secretary General, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) shared, “India has shown that it is innovative and self-reliant when it comes to the textile sector, and as the sector is gearing up to demonstrate value added benefits of Indian products, we are happy to partner with Gartex Texprocess India, which has proven to be a credible platform for business. We are confident that with the organisers’ vision and the platform’s hybrid format, we can facilitate the growth, development and business collaborations within the industry.”

Gaurav Juneja, Director, MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, said, “By partnering with CITI, we intend to bring greater participation and product showcases on the show floors of Gartex Texprocess India. The support and reach of CITI will go a long way in bringing the industry together and creating opportunities for trade and investment.” As the organisers have announced that the expo will now be held from December 3 – 5 2021, instead of its originally planned schedule in August 2021, this move ensures better planning flexibility for exhibitors and will render a stronger B2B engagement experience through its physical and virtual platforms.

Commenting on the developments, Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, mentioned, “We are glad to join hands with the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and believe that the support and reach of CITI will bring in strong value to the fabric segment of our trade fair while opening doors to lucrative business engagements for the industry.”

On the decision to host the expo in December, Manek continued, “We are optimistic that the increasing roll out of COVID-19 vaccination and setting up of vaccination drives will help in stabilising the socio-economic scenario and provide a healthy business environment to host the fair. It will also give exhibitors more time to prepare for the hybrid edition and bring their best product showcases on stage. However, until the exhibition goes live, we aim to keep the textile and garment industry professionals engaged with crucial learning.”

Being one of the leading industry chambers of the textile and clothing sector of India, CITI represents the major leading regional & industry associations and 18 major corporate members, thus, covering the entire textile value chain from farm to garments & made-ups and the textile machinery industry. It is the only national association in India that covers the entire spectrum of the T&C Industry spanning both the domestic and export markets.

Launch of digital symposium series

The organisers have set to host a digital symposium series on crucial industry topics until the hybrid edition. The symposium will play a significant role in highlighting the emerging trends and keeping business players engaged in the field of textile and garment manufacturing so that they can prepare themselves according to the changing dynamics of the industry.

Given that the landscape of textile & apparel manufacturing is changing with more focus and demand for ‘sustainable solutions’ and circular economy, a wide set of industry topics will be addressed at the symposium series, covering the changing trends across global fibre & yarn business, benefits of recycling in textile and retail segments, denim design, as well as insights depicting the way forward for garment wet processing manufacturers.

Raj Manek explained that the aim of these periodic digital knowledge sessions is to keep the industry closely connected and provide stakeholders with crucial insights to strengthen their knowledge base and channel it towards optimising their business.

While both the physical and virtual platforms will showcase a plethora of products with live demonstrations, it is important to note that the physical show will be divided into major zones—Embroidery Zone, Garmenting and Apparel Machinery, Digitex Show, Denim Show, India Laundry Show and Fabrics & Trims Show. The virtual show on the other hand, will place emphasis on product showcases as well as exhibitor search. Both the segments will be driven by an ‘AI matchmaking tool’, enabling visitors to connect with the exhibitors based on their individual product requirements.

With the strategic support of CITI, Gartex Texprocess India aims at reuniting the entire textile and apparel value chain and exploring business opportunities that can make way for faster recovery from pandemic loss and overall growth of the industry.