Manufacturing

Potential and
Capabilities of Indian
Mills
Dr. R.P.Nachane
Principal Scientist and Head, Quality Evaluation &
Improvement Division, Central Institute for
Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai 400 019.
Indian Textile Industry
• One of the oldest
• Consists of sector such as
1. Hand spinning and hand
weaving
2. Power loom
3. Knitting
4. Highly sophisticated mills
Indian Textile Industry
Uses natural fibres –
• Cotton
• Jute
• Silk
• Wool
• Ramie
Indian Textile Industry
Uses synthetic fibres –
• Polyester
• Viscose
• Nylon
• Acrylic
• Polypropylene
Indian Textile Industry
• The only industry in India with self
reliant and complete value chain –
right from raw materials, i.e., from
fibres to their convergence into
yarns, then to fabrics, which is
processed chemically and bio-
chemically and then converted into
garments and made ups.
 Textile sector as such
contributes
• About 4% to the gross domestic
product
• About 14% to the total industrial
production
• About 20% of the work force/
employment
• About 17% of the gross export
earnings
 In Indian textiles cotton
dominates.
• About 60% of the fibre used is cotton.
• About 70% of the spun yarn produced
is 100% cotton yarn.
• About 18% of the spun yarn has
cotton as one component.
 In exports
• More than 50% of the export earnings
come from garments which are almost
entirely made up from cotton fabrics.
• Of the 243 lakh bales produced during
2005-06 season, 46 lakh bales have
been exported.
• Of the 270 lakh bales and above
production expected during present
season, more than 50 lakh bales are
likely to be exported.
 Installed capacity in 2005

Spindles 37.5 million

Rotors 0.5 million
Organised sector
0.1 million
looms
Power looms 1.9 million
Handlooms 3.9 million
 Production in 2005

Cotton yarn 2.3 million tons

Cotton blended
0.6 million ton
yarn
20.6 billion sq
Cotton fabric
meter
Blended fabric 6.0 billion sq meter
 Consumption of cotton yarn
(2005)
Handlooms 0.4 million ton

Powerlooms/hosier
1.2 million ton
y

Textile mills 0.3 million ton

• Capacity utilisation in yarn production
is 87%.
• Capacity utilisation of looms in textile
mills is 58%.
• Spindles and rotors are equivalent to
those available in any developed
country.
• Looms in mills are also state of the
art.
• The same can not be said about
decentralised sector of powerloom
and handloom.
• According to the International Cotton
Advisory Committee 35% of the
cotton produced in India during the
last season was organically grown.
• If the trend continues, even without
increase in percentage, this year
about 90 lakh bales will belong to
organic cotton.
• In the year 2010, we can expect to
have about 120 lakh bales of organic
cotton.
• At present about 200 lakh bales are
used by spinning mills and composite
mills.
• As the world cotton production is less
than consumption cotton is exported
in large quantities.
• This trend may continue for some
more time till we are able to increase
our spinning capacity to match the
production.
Organic cotton
• Organic cotton does not require
separate type of treatment for
ginning and pressing.
• Similarly, spinning can be easily
carried out on it without affecting its
organic nature.
• For knitting also, organic nature
does not get affected.
 Organic
cotton
• During weaving, sizing is generally
required to be done for warp threads.
• Normal sizing material, i.e., starch
keeps the organic character intact for
woven fabric.
• Biological methods are available for
desizing and dewaxing.
• However, if mercerisation is required
to be done, inorganic chemicals come
into play.
 Organic
cotton
• If dyeing can be done without
mercerisation, use of natural dyes
can maintain the organic character
of cotton. This is possible.
• However, we lack in finishing of
textiles.
• Maximum value addition takes place
in finishing.
 Finishing of
textiles
• If we do not develop this sector of
processing, we will be producing
organic cotton for conversion into
fabric and garments by other
countries, mostly, China.
• Governmental initiative with
private sector participation in
developing chemical processing in
general and biochemical
processing in particular will go a
long way in improving the national
income from textiles and more so
from organic cotton production.

• In addition, it will be eco friendly.