The Indian textiles ministry will release ₹7.8 crore for the construction of a textile tourism complex in Nongpoh in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district within 15 days, said Indian minister of state for textiles Ajay Tamta. The government is seeking a proposal from Meghalaya to set up a cocoon bank there to make raw materials available throughout the year, he said. Adequate funds will be allotted for the cocoon bank, but the proposal has to come from the state government, he said while visiti

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Hub in East Africa is helping companies in the region become more export competitive by helping them obtain Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certifications, a minimum standard for social compliance, as US textile and apparel buyers want to source from ethical and socially compliant companies. From November 2018 to March 2019, the Hub will provide direct support in the audit and WRAP certification process, according to a US

The American apparel and footwear industry is highly tariffed, as per the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). It represents six per cent of all imports, and currently pays 51 per cent of all duties collected by the US government. More tariffs and trade barriers are just not welcome or helpful, said the head of the association. “A tariff is a hidden tax on consumers. Tariffs lead to higher prices, lost sales, and ultimately can result in job losses. The Trump administration's

Courtesy: 3DLook 3DLook, a pioneer of mobile body scanning technology for the apparel industry, has released a massively improved 3D body model generation, SAIA 3D V2.0 for the retailers to compete against Amazon. V2.0 will help online brands and retailers enhance shopping for their customers, solve fit and sizing problems, increase conversion rates, and lower return rates. SAIA 3D instantly generates 3D body models from the two front and side facing photos of consumers, that can be taken by

Courtesy: Pexels Of the surveyed, 75 per cent of the consumers in the United States (US) are value-conscious shoppers as they prefer buying clothes from discount retailers, says a recent study by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Regardless of age or income, virtually everyone wants a bargain whether it’s for everyday necessities or big-ticket splurges. The survey of more than 3,000 US adults found that 89 per cent said they shop at various types of discount retailers. Of those, 58 per c

Courtesy: Eurojersey Eurojersey, the leading manufacturer of warp-knit Sensitive Fabrics headquartered in Italy, has launched a new swimwear collection for 2020, designed to let thoughts flow free and unfetter the imagination. The Spring Summer 2020 season is characterised by original and creative themes, ideal for adding verve to a contemporary concept of femininity. High performing sensitive fabrics give each swimwear garment an impeccable fit along with a high resistance to the effects c

Flipkart’s subsidiary Instakart Services Pvt Ltd will set up a logistics hub at the Haringhata Industrial Park in West Bengal’s Nadia district, according to the state’s finance minister Amit Mitra. The proposed hub, with an investment proposal of around ₹991 crore, would be established within two-and-a-half years, Mitra recently said in Kolkata. To be set up on 100 acres, the project is expected to provide direct employment to more than 18,000, a news agency report quoted the minister

The Indian finance ministry has refuted claims by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) that ₹220 billion worth goods and services tax (GST) refunds is stuck, saying the figure is exaggerated and inaccurate as ₹711.69 billion worth such refunds have been disposed off till now. It asked export bodies to refrain from putting out ‘unsubstantiated’ claims. Refund claims are being cleared expeditiously and such unsubstantiated’ claims are causing ‘needless alarm’ among

Courtesy: EFI Arrow Digital has recently installed the high speed state of the art EFI Reggiani Renoir Next 340 at Macromedia Digital Imaging, Hyderabad. Macromedia has installed the Reggiani to cater the digital soft signage and textile demands of corporates and high profile customers. Macromedia is a leader in providing complete end-to-end out of home (OOH) solutions. “We have added the Reggiani to our portfolio to fulfil the ongoing soft signage demands and to extend our portfolio to exh

Courtesy: Parker Burchfield on Unsplash India’s annual rate of inflation, based on monthly wholesale price index (WPI), stood at 5.13 per cent for the month of September 2018 over same month of last year. The index for apparel declined by 0.4 per cent to 138.6 in September, according to the provisional data released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, ministry of commerce and industry.The official WPI for all commodities (Base: 2011-12 = 100) for the month of September 2018 rose by 0.7 per c