BEYOND COTTON: INDIA'S TOUGH TEXTILE CHALLENGE

As the world shifts from cotton to man-made fibres, India's textile industry faces an uphill task

- N. Madhavan

It was early June 2021. Businesses were reopening after the deadly covid-19 pandemic's second wave. Sunil J hunjhunwala, managing director of Tiruppur-based Techno Sportswear Pvt. Ltd, India's largest homegrown active-wear textile brand, noticed an unusual spike in the demand for his company's 'round-neck full-sleeved, polyester T-shirts from retailers in Pondicherry. He increased the supply, but it was sold out in no time. He realized that the T-shirts were in high demand from one cohort of consumers-fishermen. The price of cotton apparels had risen during the pandemic, and the fishermen switched to polyester clothing. Besides being cheaper, they dried quickly. Techno Sportswear's T-shirts, particularly, offered better ultraviolet ray protection, and its antimicrobial properties ensured that the shirts did not stink even when they were at sea for days. The word spread. "Today, one out of three fishermen, anywhere between Kanyakumari and Chennai, use our brand," Jhunjhunwala claimed. In the world of textiles, such polyester T-shirts, or those made with viscose or a blend of synthetic fibres, are technically called man-made fibres (MMF ). Unlike the fishermen, other Indian consumers have been slow to use them. India remains predominantly a cotton market-over 60% ofthe domestic demand is for cotton textiles. But globally, it is a different story. According to the International Cotton Advisory Committee, the share of cotton in the world textile fibre consumption in 1960 was 68%. Textile Exchange, a US-based non-profit, puts cotton's share in 2023 at just 20%. MMF accounts for 74% ofthe consumption. "Consumers, world over, have moved to functional clothing and cotton is not able to meet their expectations. MMF offers the versatility they seek, " said J hunjhunwala. "Demand for cotton apparel will continue to decline," he predicted. Functional clothing refers to clothes used for specific use cases, such as gym or office. The problem? In the export market, India remain