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West Bengal is the birthplace of the 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 a lower cost of business operation. The jute/handloom sector has made a huge contribution to the industrial development of the city. The 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. Kolkata is known for saris, dress material, kids wear, and undergarments. 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 the next few years, and to fulfill this, many new apparel parks are under planning, and policy initiatives are taken by the government.
Garknit–X exhibition has always been playing a key role in spreading the technological revolution in the eastern region of India. This time again, it provided a perfect platform to the participants to gain a 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 centre in the country. The State has a rich heritage of skilful workmanship and artistry in the textile industry. The region is also well-known for its well-developed 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 21st edition of Garknit – X and Yarnfab was held from December 20–22, 2024, at the Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, the world-class exhibition and convention centre in Kolkata. The complex is owned and managed by the West Bengal Trade Promotion Organisation (WBTPO), Government of West Bengal. The three-day event was inaugurated by Chief Guest Sri Nirmal Saraf with the leading industry players. The three-day fair saw a good display of the latest machinery for CAD/CAM, spreading, cutting, sewing, embroidery, laser, finishing, digital & screen printing, knitting, and weaving, along with accessories.
Garknit – X and Yarnfab – TX, organised by Vardaan Events Pvt. Ltd., the exhibition drew a good number of visitors from this region. This year, more than 45 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 the 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 infact, a very good number of on-the-spot orders was placed. The show witnessed a quality of visitors and hosted around 10,000 trade customers from various parts of West Bengal and nearby states. The market here has huge potential for weaving, knitting, printing and embroidery machinery manufacturers due to the presence of the kidswear and sarees segments. In all, the presence of important apparel technology brands with world-class venues has proved it to be a good show,” said B P Mishra, organizer of the show. Overall, the visitors’ turnout and feedback itself indicate the growth of the Kolkata apparel and textile market. Though markets all over India are going through a slowdown, the Kolkata market is also affected. The industry here need to upgrade their factories and should replace their outdated machinery with new technologies to remain competitive.
