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Over the last two weeks, Gerber participated in two global industry events, FESPA in Berlin and Texprocess Americas in Atlanta. At the shows, the company demonstrated on-demand manufacturing applications that included its Digital Solutions, integrating data from design to finished product leveraging YuniquePLM and the AccuMark Platform, digital printing technologies from three industry leaders, Gerber’s Z1 single-ply cutter with ContourVision automated scan-to-cut system and both robotic and lean loop sewing operations.
Increasingly in an on-demand world, consumers expect personalisation and immediate delivery when they see what they want. To remain competitive, brands and manufacturers are being compelled to re-examine their processes and find ways to become more agile and remain relevant in a time of ever-changing consumer trends.
“We have been investing in and developing technology to help our customers transform and connect their workflows to meet the needs of an on-demand world, enabling a seamless digital print and automated cutting workflow to work with leaders in digital textile printing,” said Scott Schinlever, President and COO Automation Solutions at Gerber Technology.
“Recently we showcased Gerber’s textile workflow and automated cutting in a variety of micro factories with Kornit, EFI Reggiani and Mimaki. The strong growth trend in digital textile printing can be accelerated by Gerber’s integrated eco-system of software and automated cutting systems, delivering value through connectivity and achieving Industry 4.0 expectations from concept to finished product.”
Adoption of Industry 4.0
Digitalisation and the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles are empowering purchase activated, on-demand manufacturing. Brands and manufacturers are able to respond to demand versus producing to supply. The approach eliminates costly inventory and re-defines just-in-time manufacturing, so production adjusts as demands fluctuate – allowing products to be produced more efficiently and sold at full retail price without heavy discounting.
Gerber says its team is passionate about supporting our customers and their needs as the industry changes. “We are empowering our customers to turn their data into speed, helping them be more agile and get their products to market. We back it up with best in class aftermarket support to ensure maximum productivity and lowest total cost of ownership in the industry,” said Mr Schinlever. “We look forward to continuing to partner with key players in the industry to help our customers compete and win.”
Gerber’s Digital Solutions
Gerber’s Digital Solutions include the newest releases of YuniquePLM product lifecycle management software, as well as AccuMark, the industry-leading pattern design, grading, marker making and production planning software, AccuMark 3D and AccuPlan.
The Digital Solutions architecture incorporates the tenets of Industry 4.0 and uses common file structures. Data can be passed to the cut room where smart machines, like the GERBERspreader XLs Series and the Gerber Paragonline of multi-ply GERBERcutters, can process the order with a simple barcode scan.
Closed-loop, end-to-end Digital Solutions like Gerber’s integrates software and smart machines, allows companies to automate their entire process and streamline data and workflow necessary to provide insight, maximise throughput, minimise errors and reduce labour costs to be competitive in mass production environments.
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China is set to return as a major cotton importer, taking 10 million to 15 million bales (2 million to 3 million tonnes) each year by 2019/20, said Tim Bourgois, head of the cotton platform at major trading house Louis Dreyfus Company.
Imports are expected to be around 5 million bales in 2017/18, he told an industry conference in Harbin on Thursday.
The forecast comes after China’s cotton industry association said earlier this week that Beijing would issue more import quota to boost overseas purchases.
Once the world’s top cotton importer, China has seen its imports shrink from more than 5 million tonnes in 2011/12 to around 1 million tonnes last year, due to its efforts to reduce state stockpiles of the fiber.
Now, after several years of auctions to low state stocks and with demand improving, buyers are expected to return to the market to supplement a production deficit at home.
Domestic cotton usage is expected to increase by 1.5 million bales to 41.5 million bales in 2018/19, said Bourgois.
The group has lobbied the government to increase import quota to meet demand from textile companies, Gao Fang, executive vice-president, China Cotton Association, told Reuters.
Production growth in China has been lean due to limited farmland and high labor costs.
Details on the timing and volume of quota were not known, Fang said, adding that the quota was mainly to meet higher demand.
Market participants said this week the plan was also likely related to pressure from the United States for higher imports of American farm goods.
China has agreed to significantly increase its purchases of American goods and services, and cotton is one of the top agricultural exports of the United States.
The industry is also lobbying for more cotton supplies amid a hike in prices that could drive more manufacturers to use cheaper manmade fibers instead. Production of viscose staple fiber will increase further in 2018, pulling down prices, Zhu Beina, president of the China Cotton Textile Association said. The association expects the cotton textile sector to use 4 million tonnes of viscose fiber by 2019.
The Bangladesh government has provided incentives to the local pharmaceuticals and textile industries by exempting duty on a number of raw materials in the proposed national budget placed before parliament on Thursday.
Finance minister AMA Muhith announced exemption and concessionary rate of duties on some pharmaceuticals raw materials including that for cancer medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
He said Bangladesh produces medicines of world standard as the sector has developed advanced technology in Bangladesh with a stiff growth in medicine exports to 160 countries of the world.
The government also proposed exemption of import duties on textile raw materials including flax fibre
and flax tow as a continuation of the government support to the 100 per cent export-oriented sector.
Besides, the government proposed a reduction in regulatory duty on import of raw materials to keep both the production cost and market price of MS rod low.
As per the incentives, duty levied on import of raw materials of Ferro Alloy was cut to 10 per cent from 15 per cent while specific customs duty on import of Sponge Iron was lowered to Tk 800 a tonne from Tk 1000 a tonne.
The government took the decision after it observed that raw materials import for iron and steel industries decreased that consequently weighed on the revenue collection from this sector, Muhith said.
To facilitate local printing industries, the government proposed a reduction in import duties on their raw materials like flexo and gravure in liquid form to 10 per cent.
On the other hand, it increased supplementary duties on printed leaflet, brochure, printed postcard, printed card, calendar to 25 per cent on import and 20 per cent supplementary duty.
The government also raised import duties on finished mobile battery charger, UPS/IPS, voltage stabiliser to 15 per cent, automatic circuit barkers to 10 per cent and raised supplementary duty on lamp holders to 20 per cent.
It, however, proposed a reduction in import duties on raw materials for electrical goods including carbon rod and formed core at different rates.
Moreover, the government lowered import duty on milk powder to 10 per cent when imported in bulk quantities to make milk powder affordable to the poor.
Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia have allowed incentives on importation of filled milk powder as it can give the similar nutrients to those who cannot afford whole milk powder.
Traders had supported the e-wallet mechanism to battle the crippling liquidity crunch that had set in after GST was imposed
Even as exporters and the government continue to argue over the amount of unpaid refunds under the goods and services tax (GST) regime, the much-awaited e-wallet mechanism remains a non-starter.
Traders had supported the e-wallet mechanism to battle the liquidity crunch that had set in after the GST was introduced.
Subsequently, a decision to adopt it was taken at the 22nd GST Council meet on October 6 last year, with an initial deadline for April 1. However, after the deadline was missed, the government extended the roll-out by six months. Earlier this year, Business Standard was the first to point out that little progress would derail the April 1 deadline. More than two months later, despite multiple meetings between top officials of the Ministries of Commerce and Finance, the progress was slow, sources said.
“We still have enough time before the tentative deadline of October, but work is still pending. A workable model of an online transaction platform is yet to be created. Once that is done, the beta model of the software will have to be tasted in keeping with government regulations on a live platform and that is expected to take some time,” a senior Commerce Ministry official said.
However, procedural glitches arising from converging online operations with offline realities of documentation and background checks would still be left to weed out, he added.
According to sources, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu backs the e-wallet idea and had been instrumental in convincing the Finance Ministry on having a tax refund mechanism for exporters. But back in March, Prabhu had hinted that the proposal was stuck in North Block.
“We are still assessing key aspects of the wallet, especially with regard to digital security,” a revenue department official said. He added a final nod was expected once Arun Jaitley was back at the Finance Ministry after recuperation.
Alternative measures not working
To offset pressure on exporters, the GST Council had in March also extended the tax exemptions on imported goods for six more months beyond March 31.
But exporters say the move hasn’t helped much. Exporters were earlier allowed duty-free imports of goods used for making products for export. With the GST, they have to first pay the duty and later apply for a refund. As a result, their costs have risen by up to 1.25 per cent (freight on board value) since July 1 last year.
While industry estimates peg the amount of unpaid refunds as of June 1 at Rs 200 billion, the government has said the figure is Rs 140 billion. “It should be noted that Rs 140 billion is what has been filed, but they are not taking into account what exporters are not being able to file unless the government modifies its software,” Federation of Indian Export Organisations (Fieo) Director General Ajay Sahai said.
Fieo batted for the idea whereby, based on the preceding year’s exports and an average GST rate, the notional currency would be credited to exporters’ accounts by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. “Like a running account, money may be debited from the e-wallet when duty-paid supplies have to be undertaken and the amount may be credited when the proof of export is made available from Indian Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway (ICEGATE),” Fieo had told the finance ministry.
Panel headed by Chief Secretary to discuss issues
The Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in association with Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation will conduct an awareness programme on export promotion.
Outreach programmes
DGFT officials told federation president G. Sambasiva Rao when he led a team to thank for according permission to them to issue certificate of origin for exports, Deputy DGFT Alok Dwivedi and Assistant DGFT B. Punnam Kumar said the DGFT would associate with them in conducting outreach programmes for entrepreneurs, students and others.
Mr. Dwivedi said the DGFT was acting as a facilitator instead of regulator by identifying each district with export potential of unique products with a view to promoting foreign shipments.
He said a committee would be formed headed by Chief Secretary to discuss all export promotion related issues including logistics to boost the country’s shipments.
GST Commissioner says it is mandatory for inter-State movements of goods
GST Electronic Way Bill (E-way bill) has been made mandatory for inter-State movement of goods of consignment value of more than Rs. 50,000 from June 1, Commissioner, GST, M. Srihari Rao said here on Tuesday.
The E-Way Bill (EWB) should be generated by every registered person who is moving goods whose consignment value is more than Rs. 50,000 who is registered in the GST web portal using their GSTIN in the portal-www.ewaybillgst.gov.in,’’ said Mr. Srihari Rao at a media conference here. The EWB can also be generated through SMS, android app, APIs, GST Suvidha Providers (GSP) etc.
Stating that traders/ transport agencies need to fill two forms-Part A- having the details of consignment, tax (CGST, SGST) and Part B- details of transport vehicle, Mr. Rao said that while data entered in Part A cannot be changed, data entered in Part B can be modified in case there is delay in movement of goods and change of vehicles. For distances of less than 100 km, EWB is valid for a day from the date of generation of bill and for every 100 km thereafter, the validity of EWB would be increased by one more day.
“In case, the consignment is transported without an EWB, a penalty of Rs. 10,000 is levied. The goods exempted from levy of GST are LPG cylinders, kerosene oil for PDS, postal baggage, currency, jewellery, precious stones, corals and used household articles,” he added.
The Commissioner also said that the compliance of traders to the new GST regime has been good in district.
The Guntur Commissionerate which has the districts of Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari, Prakasam and Nellore districts has set up GST Seva Kendras and a special refund fortnight was launched on May 31.
Additional Commissioner V. Nagendra Rao and Assistant Commissioner Pooja Rani were among those present.
The GST Council Secretariat is organising a ‘Refund Fortnight’ campaign that will run till June 14. Those GST payers who had applied through the websitewww.gst.gov.incan get their refund sanction order by submitting the hard copy of the application in Form GST RFD-01A.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy instructed a Garment and Textile Manufacturers’ delegation who visited him today, to provide all facilities and safety measures to garment and textile workers in the state.
CM told the delegation that there are thousands of people, a majority of them women working in Bengaluru and nearby districts in garment and textile manufacturing sector. He instructed them to ensure the welfare of these workers and said adequate security should be provided for the workers who work in night shifts.
The delegation sought all support from the government for the Garment and textile Manufacturing sector and said that the sector provides employment to thousands of women and trains them for employment.
CM assured the delegation members that government will give all due support to the industry and told the delegation to ensure timely payment of due wages to the workers to their accounts.
Government to set up a Committee to probe the issues faced by Taxi-Cab drivers
Responding to the complaints against the app-based cab aggregators that they are giving a raw deal to the cab owner/drivers, Chief Minister H D Kumara Swamy today directed the Transport Commissioner and Principal Secretary of Transport Department to look into the matter immediately.
A delegation from the Taxi drivers/ owners association met the CM today to discuss the problems faced by the drivers engaged by app-based cab service providers. The delegation members pointed told CM that many of the cab owners are struggling to stay in the industry as their income has seen a sharp fall with app- based service providers slashing the incentives and payouts.
The further requested the government to intervene immediately pointing out that the operations by the app-based cab service providers have adversely affected the traditional taxi providers too.
CM said that there are allegations that the app-based cab services pay less to the drivers and are engaged in profiteering, and this issue should be resolved at the earliest. CM directed concerned officials to form a committee to investigate the allegations, and to hold meetings with all stakeholders to address the issues.
The Indian MSME sector has been in the center of attention for economists, advisory council, the Ministry of MSME and multiple other stakeholders.
The Indian MSME sector has been in the center of attention for economists, advisory council, the Ministry of MSME and multiple other stakeholders. This sector alone is responsible for contributing 8% to the nation’s GDP, adding 40% of the country’s total exports and has also witnessed consistent growth of 10% over the past few years as per Planning Commission data. Adding about 45% to the total industrial output of which about 95% is consumed domestically, MSME sector plays a crucial role in the socio-economic transformation of the country and hence calls for investments and interest.
The Government’s ‘Make In India’ project envisions growth and proliferation of this industry in the coming years. Responsible for creating millions of jobs every year, the unorganized sector and the SME sector faces challenges at multiple levels in business processes, amenities and access to good transport systems, credit gaps etc. In the past few years, real estate enterprises have seen increased interest from state governments, industry bodies and the government in setting up designated industrial parks, offering comprehensive facilities capable of scaling as per the size of operations and a gamut of attractive facilities to promote industrial growth.
The MSME owners can now set up their complete infrastructure within industrial parks, having excellent access to transport via the industrial corridor and the network of highways, coupled with state of the art facilities and infrastructure.
The go-to market for industrial outputs is practically everywhere including large metros and clusters of industrial towns scattered across the country. To tap these markets, MSMEs need to be able to reduce operational costs and focus on up scaling.
To provide excellent infrastructure and facilities to the Micro, Small and Medium enterprises around large metros and important freight corridors, large real estate developers have forayed into the development of industrial parks. Addressing the challenges of continuous power and water supply for industrial units, waste and drainage treatment systems, freight elevators, loading unloading bays and adequate lighting, these industrial parks are providing the next phase of support to the smaller enterprises.
Challenges for the MSME sector and for facilitating their growth involves ease of doing business, faster clearances, freedom from red tape regulations and everything that adds sluggishness to the progress. The ‘Make In India’ project has dedicated itself in enabling these opportunities to smaller enterprises to set up and scale their business spanning across sectors such as industrial manufacturing, foundry and electricals, agro and food processing, electronics, chemicals, leather and textile, defense and aviation and many more.
More encouragement needs to be extended to real estate developers in building industrial facilities to support this enormous economic growth engine. The stumbling blocks in unlocking the power of the MSMEs will need adequate support from the state and local authorities by simplifying the complex approval processes and deterrents such as continuously evolving regulations for this segment.
Industrial parks, strategically located to good transport with planned modern layout, the latest technologies along with
infrastructure for warehousing, storage, packaging and service industries within one compound with all possible amenities equip the MSMEs for efficient industrial operation. The time is ripe to recognize these potential growth zones and create an environment conducive to enhancing productivity for the micro, small and medium enterprises that are offered by an industrial park.
“Global warming is the consequence of man’s greed and avarice; it is nature’s answer to the dastardly acts of man. Energy is a critical requisite for economic growth, especially in a developing country like India. As we know, the textile industry is known to be one of the most polluting and energy intensive industries. It comprises a large number of plants, which consume a significant amount of energy,” he said.
On World Environment Day, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) today said a ‘zero-effect, zero-defect’ khadi product was a major agent in humanity’s fight against global warming and climate degradation. KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said for more than 60 years, khadi has been linked with India’s fight for freedom and today it has emerged as one of the most eco-friendly products.
He said that khadi has not only given India a unique identity, rather it also coexists with the most modern spinning and weaving mills and has the potential to make a place to itself in the international textile scene.
“For more than 60 years, khadi has been linked with India’s fight for freedom, but today it is perceived as one of the major agents in our fight against global warming and climate change. We are fighting a war that we ourselves have triggered.
“Global warming is the consequence of man’s greed and avarice; it is nature’s answer to the dastardly acts of man. Energy is a critical requisite for economic growth, especially in a developing country like India. As we know, the textile industry is known to be one of the most polluting and energy intensive industries. It comprises a large number of plants, which consume a significant amount of energy,” he said.
Saxena said that khadi was not a symbol of commercial war but of commercial peace and was popularised by none other than Mahatma Gandhi.
“It has not only spun employment across the nation, rather also weaved prosperity with sustainable growth. Countries around the world are looking for ways and means to reduce the carbon footprint within textile industries and are spending heavily towards low energy alternatives like khadi, which is eco-friendly and handmade,” Saxena said.
