Digitally Printed Home Textiles - A India Perspective
1. Leading the industry towards Innovation in Inkjet
Digitally Printed Home Textiles
- A India perspective
Aditya Chandavarkar
Founder & CEO
Inkjet Forum India
1
Digital textile printing industry is currently at a tipping point
Companies with Entry Level printers are investing in Production Level Printers. Composite mills budgeting for DTP in next F.Y
(Around 30 machines – Reggiani, MS JP5 Evo, MS JP6, MS JP7, VEGA Kyocera)
Top Installed – Mimaki, MS, La Meccanica, Atexco
Rest – KM, Regianni, DGI, Kornit, Ichinose, Zimmer, Durst
New Entrants: ITE, Durst, Konica Minolta Nassenger Series
Pricing will depend on policies by companies
New companies entering India – Solunaris, Dystar
Local Dye/pigment manufacturers in various stages of developments for inks.
We feel that ink prices will be stable in this year owing to increase is cost of raw materials & labour.
Additionally continuous development of the printing machines leads to ink companies investing in R & D to manufacture inks which are compatible with the printing speeds.
All these factors However we will always see a range of ink products depending on the budget of the end user as we see in all technologies across industries. We at Inkjet Forum India feel that the price of inks should not be the real motivator for growth of the Digital Textile Printing Industry.
Companies taking first steps.
Marketing structure and mindset needs to be correct
Smaller scale companies more enterprising in digital due to speed to market and less fixed costs
The top 5 companies in India have not moved into digital yet.
Companies in India are targeting niche lines with designers and retailers e.g Walmart, Ikea, etc
With the recent evolution of retail and the needs of new designs faster. Diverse designs are required for the same amount of run lengths as before. The lead times from manufacturer to retail have also reduced. For above the scenario the screen cost will make it quite un-attractive and digital will be a very lucrative opportunity.
The marketing and design teams in a digital textile printing based companies have to work harder compared to companies doing conventional printing as there is a need to cater to a larger customer base as you have to work with shorter run lengths. The conventional 80 – 20 business model will not work in this case.
Recently the consumers and brands are demanding for Mass customised products and with the advent of e-retail a completely new revenue streams can be developed by companies.
The business strategies have to be tailor made for the digital business and cannot be adapted from old business models.
- Ink cost needs to reach a viable pricing with good ink quality.
- 5 – 10 times growth potential
- Cache 22 for the ink cost
Support is an issue and lack of local OEMs and inks
Tier II & III cities in India are showing interest in modern designs and purchasing power has increased with favourable demographics.
Perfect vehicle for small /mid sized companies to capitalise on flexibility and adopt speed of change.
Overall product cost is still lower compared to USA or Europe in India (Production + Stitching + Packaging).
3rd Largest Curtain and upholstery manufacturer in the world
Fully Robotized Warehousing: Comprises everything from stocking to packaging to dispatch. It is the first of its kind in the textile industry in India.
Wider Width Capability, Own brand, strong marketing strategy which is digital specific, Brand recall
This marketing strategy as made Ddecor a household name in India with great brand recall. Their B2C approach compared to the B2B approach by their competitors has kept their profitability considerably higher. The brand roped in tinsel town’s most talked about couple, Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri, as its brand endorsers. Further, the focus of the communication is on the woman of the house, whose decision reigns supreme when it comes to decorating her house, even if the husband is a superstar like Khan. From an insignificant presence in the Indian home décor space to a strong brand name, upholstery fabrics and curtains manufacturer, D Décor has come a long way.
The company is vertically integrated, having a factory area, inclusive of storage of raw material, dyeing and manufacturing facilities, packaging and material handling space, of more than 1.6 million sq.ft.