Fibre2Fashion Magazine June 2018 June 2018 | Page 12

Beat
INDIA
Kusters Calico inaugurates
upgraded manufacturing facility to just bring in their machines and start
operations. The sheds will be open to all
kinds of enterprises irrespective of size. 
Most demand for such sheds is from
Ankleshwar, Surat, Bhavnagar, Bardoli
and Kathwada, according to D Thara,
vice chairman and managing director
of Gujarat Industrial Development
Corporation (GIDC).
Inauguration of KCM’s upgraded manufacturing facility. Pic courtesy: KCM DENIM
Directa Plus & Arvind to make
graphene-enhanced denims
Kusters Calico Machinery Pvt Ltd
(KCM), a producer and exporter of open
width wet textile processing machines
for both woven and knitted fabrics,
has recently inaugurated its upgraded
manufacturing facility.
Under the upgradation programme,
KCM has constructed a new 22,000 sq.
feet assembly shed, one double column
4 metre x 1.5 metre 4 axis rotating head
machining centre, converted all lathe
machines to CNC and commissioned
separate blasting and painting booths,
for both MS and SS. Also, successfully
commissioned SAP B1, HRMS and
PLM software. These are just a few of
the more than 100 projects that KCM
has initiated.  
With strong backing of its German
parent, the Jagenberg Group, which
now holds 100 per cent controlling
stake in Kusters Calico since February
2018, KCM started the upgradation
exercise two years back and has
invested close to ₹10 crore, with plans
to invest another ₹5 crore in 2018.
INDUSTRIAL
Gujarat to set up sheds for apparel
units at 12 locations
The Gujarat state government in India
will create industrial sheds for the
apparel industry at 12 locations. A
need for 6.5 million square feet has
been estimated after getting response
to expression of interest issued by the
state government and the Garment
Manufacturers Association of India
(GMAI).
The multi-storey sheds will follow the
‘plug and use’ model, where units have
12  | FIBRE 2 FASHION JUNE 2018
Directa Plus Plc, a leading producer
and supplier of graphene-based
products for use in consumer and
industrial markets, has entered into an
exclusive collaboration agreement with
Arvind Limited, India’s leading textile-
to-retail-and-brands conglomerate, to
infuse the high-performance benefits
of Directa Plus’ G+ graphene-based
products into denim fabrics.
Directa’s graphene-based products
can be used in a variety of ways to alter or
enhance the properties of conventional
denim fabrics, and to produce ‘smart’
clothing for different purposes and
environments. By incorporating G+
products within fabrics and textiles,
end-users benefit from the thermal and
electrical conductivity and bacteriostatic
properties of G+, such as thermal
regulation, heat dissipation, energy
harvesting, data transmission and no
odour effect.
APPAREL
Kitex to invest `400 crore in two
new subsidiaries
Kitex Garments will invest ₹200 crore
each in two of its new wholly-owned
subsidiary companies. The two facilities
will help to increase the manufacturing
capacities of the company to meet
rising future demand.
Kitex, which produces garments for
just-borns to babies up to the age of
24 months, will invest in the facilities
from borrowings and internal accruals,
the company said in a filing with the
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
Kitex Garments exports about 95 per
cent of infant wear to the US and the
rest to Europe.
IOA partners with Li-Ning till Tokyo
2020 Olympic Games
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
has made sports apparel brand Li-Ning
as Indian team’s official sports apparel
partner till Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Li-Ning will provide Indian athletes and
officials sports competition and training
apparel, leisure wear and footwear for
the Asian Games 2018, 2018 Summer
Olympic Youth Games and Tokyo 2020
Olympic Games. 
RETAIL
Walmart India plans to open 50 new
stores in 5 years
Interior of a Walmart India Best Price store. Pic courtesy: Walmart India
Walmart is looking forward to
expanding its business in various parts
of India with the opening of 50 new
stores in next 4-5 years. At present,
Walmart is operating in nine states and
19 cities, its cash-and-carry business.  
“We expect to open five stores in the
current year and then pick up pace and
eventually start opening 12-15 stores
a year,” Walmart India president and
chief executive officer Krish Iyer told
mediapersons while talking about the
company’s deal with Flipkart.
Walmart is planning to spread across
the country with major focus on Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana, said Iyer.
PrettySecrets to double offline
retail distribution
Indian fashion lingerie brand
PrettySecrets plans to more than
double its offline retail distribution to
60 exclusive stores and over 600 retail
counters by the end of 2018, according
to founder-