The exhibitors say that they held between 40 and 100 discussions with customers on each of the three days of the fair. This was the fifth time that the industry association, together with the umbrella organisation textil&mode, had provided facilities in Mumbai for textile manufacturers.

One of the largest textile producers in the world, India also benefits from a steadily growing domestic market. The Indian government is supporting development through programmes such as Skill India and Make in India. Despite the current macroeconomic situation, Indian economists estimate that GDP will grow by up to 8 Prozent in the period 2015/2016. Amalgamations of businesses into public private partnerships (PPPs), on the lines of those promoted by the EU Commission, should provide additional impetus. And the planned reduction in corporation tax from 30 percent to 25 percent is expected to add to the country’s attraction for foreign investors.

The new government intends to make a targeted effort to tackle what is still a substantial infrastructure problem. Plans include the expansion of the world’s second largest road and rail network, under the slogan ‘New Materials and Technologies’. The first projects for multi-lane highways, extending for more than 700 km across four federal states, were commissioned in March by a panel of experts under the control of the prime minister. The focus of interest for visitors to the fair reflected this, being directed above all at the geo-tech and build-tech sectors, and within those at the machinery required, the necessary coating systems and high-tech products from textiles manufacturers.

At the German-Indian Symposium in New Delhi held in conjunction with the trade fair, requirements relating to testing procedures, norms and standards were discussed. The Geotextiles Standards Committee, on which IVGT member companies from the specialist technical textiles field have been working together for many years, was involved in this, as was the German certification body TÜV Rheinland.

This time, in addition to clothing and home textiles applications, the trade will be paying even more attention to machines for non-woven fabrics, composites and technical textiles. The individual tailoring of existing equipment demands new approaches to ancillary machinery which hitherto have not always met machine builders standards.

In the light of the EU`s Energy Efficiency Directive and the associated discussions on sustainability, this is a subject area of major interest to German visitors. It is expected that future investments will significantly reduce energy consumption with new electric drive units, thermal systems and intelligent control. The industry is hoping that new technical innovations, in finishing lines for example, will further reduce the volumes of fresh water required and quantities of waste water produced. In the field of emissions handling, new engineering ideas are desperately needed so that textile manufacturers can meet the requirements of even stricter environmental laws at a reasonable cost.

The importance of the fair as a contact platform is being enhanced with a special exhibition area for Research and Innovation, so that current developments can be put on display and discussed on site. The response already received from the membership raises expectations of a high degree of participation from German companies.

IVGT 2015 events in November and December

4 November:

- Weaving technical committee

- Association of German worsted yarn spinning mills

- German Wool Federation

5 November:

- Textiles chain working group

- IVGT general meeting

- Binding and braiding specialist group

- Finishing specialist group

17 November: ETT Club at ITMA

25 November: FKT experts' brunch in Aachen

5 December: VAE technical textiles market survey