Just as the global Covid-19 pandemic struck a complete structural disruption around the world throughout 2020-21. The current fiscal year too started on a gloomy note when the second wave of the deadly disease broke out across the globe causing fresh havoc. It appeared that the renewed lockdown measures to contain mass population, industry and the institution from contracting the pandemic didn’t yield much result as there were mixed reactions from different quarters of the polity, community and decision makers globally on the issues of sustaining lives versus economies. While the developed countries including India were successful in developing the Covid-19 vaccine and initiating the mass vaccination programs, the rate of inoculating the populace proved insufficient.

However, just like the bouncing back of the Indian Textile Engineering Industry (TEI) in Q3, Q4 of the 2020-21, the Indian TEI rose to the occasion again right after the wash out of business in Q1 2021-22. As reported earlier by TMMA(I), the Indian TEI managed to reduce its annual production losses in the year 2020-21 by -5% only to Rs. 5093 crores from Rs. 5355 crores in 2019-20. Whereas, the reported figures as on date have already surpassed an estimated production figure of about Rs. 8000crores. The chart below substantiates the claim here.

The estimated production, export and import figures above signals a sharp rise in production by +52% (INR 8056 crores), in exports by +70% (INR 5250 crores) by scaling up its peak figures in 2017-18 of INR 6900 crores and in 2018-19 of INR 3665 crores respectively. Whereas the imports may also scale up its peak to INR 11500 crores in the current fiscal as against INR 10834 crores in 2018-19. Most interestingly, the exports by the Indian TEI have risen from 37% of the domestic production in 2016-17 to 65% in 2021-22 (Est.), whereas the imports by the Indian TEI have marginally come down from 152% of the domestic production during the same time period to 143%. The domestic demand met by the indigenous production could be seen rising to 22% in 2021-22 (est.) from 20% in 2020-21.

Production figures of Textile Spares and Accessories:

While delving more into details on the value-wise overall production data of different categories of the industry during the last 6 years including the estimated figures for 2021-22 as on date; the spares and the accessories segment also has topped its consumption level. While the 2020-21 reflected the lowest production of INR 777 crores, the current year may witness it rising to INR 1229 crores, a rise of +58%.

CATEGORY2016-172017-18 2018-192019-202020-212021-22 Est.
SPINNING & ALLIED MACHINES (8444 & 8445)3615.0038153625254525225000
SYNTHETIC FILAMENT YARN MACHINES (8445)400.00385400350278200
WEAVING & ALLIED MACHINES (8446)900.00885890715454600
PROCESSING MACHINES (8445, 8448 & 8451)635.00650750655884900
MISC. (SPINNING, WEAVING & PROCESSING, JUTE) MACHINES (8448)30.00352530292
TEXTILE TESTING & MEASURING INSTRUMENTS (9024)100.0013016516510075
HOSIERY MACHINES/ HOSIERY NEEDLES (8447, 8448)65.008085805250
TOTAL OF MACHINERY5745.005980.005940.004540.0043186827
SPARES & ACCESSORIES (8448)905.009209258157771229
GRAND TOTAL6650.006900.006865.005355.0050958056
% INCREASE/DECREASE1%4%-1%-22%-5%58%

Export figures of Textile Spares and Accessories:

It is estimated that the export of the spares and accessories will rise by 55% to INR 1600 crore in 2021-22 as compared to INR 1029 crores in 2020-21.

Import figures of Textile Spares and Accessories:

Similarly, it is estimated that the import of the spares and accessories will rise by 33% to INR 2500 crore in 2021-22 as compared to INR 1881 crores in 2020-21.

Description 2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-22 Est.
844454.8535.0331.840.1852.6770
84451243.21645.42165.71293.21189.132200
8446212.51208.29270.2232.56240.81500
844729.7319.6817.0631.831.8550
8448886.751008.21267.41060.61029.561600
84491.812.3931.954.5111.0130
8451352.97477.77593.64463.89542.2800
Total Export2781.83396.84377.73126.73097.235250

Description 2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-22 Est.
8444154884807.52305.05210.75500
8445246724212446.91580.41117.82200
844629643501321026511887.742600
8447274029381830.71879.31385.652000
8448226525052776.12446.11881.952500
8449249182242.6654.78488.54500
8451160514901792.41430.51123.871200
Total Import124441392113106109478096.311500

Conclusion:

The resilience shown by the industry could perhaps be due to ‘the pent-up demand’ during the lockdown periods of 2020-21 and 2021-22 or the ‘fear of missing out (FOMO)’ of the business opportunities thrown-in by the liquidity pumped in the market by the federal governments across the world or ‘the revenge buying of the end customer’ or else, the fact is the entire industry is alive and kicking back robustly. The discussions among the industry leaders (read spinning) have confirmed that they are full with orders till entire 2023 and they have stopped taking fresh orders. Though the other segments such as weaving & processing have still not picked up in proportion to the spinning segments, the percolation of the business opportunities down the value chain seems eventual. Therefore, if one is to coin a term for the state of the Indian TEI in the current times, ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ would be the most appropriate one.