Garknit-X Kolkata received encouraging response from the industry

West Bengal is the birth place of hosiery industry in India and has been maintaining its position as the hub of hosiery goods manufacturing and trade. The textile industry of Kolkata plays a significant role in the economy of the capital city of the State of West Bengal. Apart from that this industry even contributes to the industrial output, export and employment sectors of the city. As compared to the other metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata has got a lower cost of business operation. Apart from that what make the city’s textile industry flourish are easy access to profuse natural resources and suitable climatic conditions. The jute/ handloom sector has got a huge contribution to the industrial development of the city. Cotton industry, apart from contributing to the textile industry of Kolkata, has been playing an important role in the employment of the skilled and semi skilled personnel of the city. Kolkota is known for saris, dress material, kids wear and under garments. The State Government envisages developing West Bengal as a competitive textile hub by increasing its share from the current 6% to at least 12% in next few years and to fulfill this, many new apparel parks are under planning and policies initiatives are taken by the Govt.

Garknit – X has always been playing a key role in spreading the technological revolution in Eastern region of India. This time again, it provided a perfect platform to the participants, to gain foothold in the fast growing market, as Kolkata is witnessing improvements in manufacturing capacities along with huge investments. The industry here is growing every year and plays a very important role in the economy of the capital city of the State of West Bengal. West Bengal has the potential to emerge as a major textile center in the country. The State has a rich heritage of skillful workmanship and artistry in the textile industry. The region is also well-known for its well-developed hosiery knitting and garment industry. More than 2 mn people are directly employed by the region’s textile industry and another half a mn indirectly.

The 20th edition of Garknit – X and Yarnfab – TX Kolkata was held from January 05 – 07, 2024, at the Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan formerly known as Milan Mela, is the world-class exhibition and convention centre in Kolkata. The complex is owned and managed by the West Bengal Trade Promotion Organization (WBTPO), Government of West Bengal. The three-day event was inaugurated by Chief Guest, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, MP Floor Leader of LokSabha, AITMC and the Guest of Honour Ashok Kumar Sipani, President of Orissa Textile Merchant Association, Cuttack (Odisha) with the leading industry players. The three-day fair saw a good display of latest machinery for readymade garments like cad/cam, spreading, cutting, sewing, embroidery, lazer, finishing, digital & screen printing, knitting, weaving along with accessories.

Garknit – X and Yarnfab – TX organised by Vardaan Events Pvt. Ltd., the exhibition drew a large number of visitors from this region. This year, more than 50 exhibitors representing more than 100+ brands including both international and domestic participated in the fair. The expo was attended by eminent professionals, senior corporate executives and industry decision makers. It featured live demonstrations to help visitors to know about the latest technology developments in this sector. The show has brought many new innovative technologies to the doorsteps of manufacturers in West Bengal who are unable to compete in international market, so that they could install these machines and upgrade their factories. The show had good visitor response and facilities.

“The show generated a lot of enquiries for the new products on display and in fact very good number of on-the-spot orders was placed. The show witnessed quality of visitors and hosted around 10,500 trade customers from various parts of West Bengal and nearby states. West Bengal textile industry is witnessing a lot of improvement and is on the path of becoming the next textile exporting hub of India. The market has huge potential for printing and embroidery machinery manufacturers due to presence of kidswear and sarees segment. In all, the presence of important apparel and knitting technology brands with world-class venue the show has proved it to be a good show” said B P Mishra, organizer of the show.

Overall, the visitors’ turnout and feedback itself indicates the growth of the Kolkata apparel and textile market. Though markets all over India are going through slowdown but Kolkata market is showing steady growth as most of the players in the region are upgrading their factories and replacing their existing outdated machineries with new innovative technologies. The next edition of Garknit-X Kolkata will be organised at the same venue from December 20 – 22, 2024.