Hugo Boss looks at India for sourcing textiles

Bangalore: German interest in the Indian textile industry seems to be picking up, with companies looking at India as a potential sourcing and manufacturing base.

Hugo Boss is in early stages of discussions with a few Indian companies, including Raymond, for supplying suit fabric, said Mr Joachim Hensch, Head Designer, Hugo Boss.

“The suit business requires heritage and culture, which takes time to build. In India, it is still new and will take time to evolve. But I see lot of potential in India in suit fabric manufacturing,” said Mr Hensch, who was in the city in connection with the Kufner-IACDE (International Association of Clothing Designers & Engineers) Summit 2007.

“Unlike in China, India does not have the problem of language. Trials are already on with Raymond. Of course, it is still in the early stage.”

Currently, most of Hugo Boss’s suit requirements are taken care of locally – in Germany.

About three per cent of the suit sourcing comes from China.

Hugo Boss is also in early stages of talks with Gokaldas Exports for supply of readymade garments – namely womenswear and sportswear, said Mr Hensch.

Hugo Boss also sources leather garments from Indian players.

Meanwhile, the Munich-headquartered Kufner Textiles, an MNC in the business of manufacturing and exporting interlining fabrics, is setting up a component manufacturing unit in Bangalore.

The unit will produce chest pieces and sleeve heads for suits and waist bands for trousers.

“Production is expected to start in the first quarter of 2008. Initially, the unit will produce 250,000 pairs of chest pieces and sleeve heads each a year. Production of trouser waist bands will be threefold,” said Mr C. Sukesh Kumar, Managing Director, South-East Asia, Kufner International.

“The Chinese market is saturated. There is an exodus of business from China to India. Many American buyers are interested in India,” said Mr Kumar, who was also a participant at the summit.

The company also has plans to set up a production facility in India for interlining fabrics by 2008-end/early 2009.

(Kufner has already established a distribution set-up and technical studio in Bangalore at an investment of $1 million.)