The inaugural Intex Sri Lanka 2024 event got underway with a fantastic lineup of trade representatives, international dignitaries, and industry experts. The show’s prominence in Sri Lanka as a top global sourcing venue for the textile and clothing industries was demonstrated at the grand opening ceremony.
Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Economic Counselors, as well as senior officials and representatives from trade offices and government agencies from 14 countries, graced the grand opening ceremony of the Intex & InMac Showcase. In the presence of KOTRA, JETRO, TEXPROCIL representatives, senior officials, members of business chambers, and industry associations, Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Deputy High Commissioner of India in Colombo, Dr. Kingsley Bernard, Chairman & Chief Executive, Sri Lanka Export Development Board (Guest of Honour), and Mr. Yohan Lawrence, Secretary General, Joint Apparel Association Forum of Sri Lanka (Special Guest), officially opened the show.
More than 175 exhibitors exhibited the newest natural and MMF fibers & yarns, textiles & fabrics, trims & accessories, dyes & chemicals, and software solutions. The exhibitors came from 12 countries, including Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, China, Thailand, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and the USA. Together with Intex Sri Lanka, this year saw the successful launch of the InMac – International Garment Machinery and Technology showcase, where more than 30 brands from more than 15 countries displayed products ranging from AI-based sewing and embroidery machines to new technology knitting, bonding machines, and pad printing technology, as well as machine spare parts and accessories. In addition to generating quality leads and business inquiries, over 85% of the exhibitors also received orders from buyers who visited them during the event.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Yohan Lawrence, Secretary General, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) said, “Intex has always been a really good show for the industry which brings together international suppliers of yarns and fabrics and this year, they have introduced InMac to showcase new technology and machinery as well. The show is extremely popular amongst the larger as well as smaller companies as the show enables all to meet and find new suppliers closer to the markets. We are very happy to be present here and support the show”.
Over 6000 trade visitors from 20 countries visited the show over 3 days. More than 200 overseas buyers including two hosted buyers’ delegations from Russian Fashion Industry Association (RAFI) and South India Garment Manufacturers Association (SIGMA) attended the show to fulfil their sourcing requirements. Other international buyers from Mexico, India, Japan, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Indonesia, Maldives, Seychelles, Thailand, UAE, UK and USA connected with participating exhibitors through one-on-one meetings organised at Intex Sri Lanka.
Ms. Natalia Bnatova, Development Director, Russian Association of Fashion Industry (RAFI), was delighted to be present at Intex. She said that we came to Intex with a delegation of Russian buyers to explore the markets and opportunities in the region. It’s our first time in Sri Lanka at Intex and our buyers are really finding interesting suppliers and value partners for their wholesale and brand businesses in Russia and CIS countries. We are very enthusiastic about our future, and we look forward to working with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Indian companies in the future.
The renowned Interactive Business Forum (IBF) Seminar Series hosted two panel discussions on ‘Prospects & Challenges for Sri Lanka in the Global Readymade Garment Arena’ and ‘the Growing Trend in Synthetic Knit Fabric Business in Sri Lanka’ as well as two industry presentations were made by representatives of The Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) and The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL).
Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Asanka Wimalratna, CEO, Knit Apparel, Brandix Apparel Solution, Sri Lanka, said that it’s a fantastic event and forum bringing the industry and community together, because it was a great opportunity for engagement and dialogue as well as to showcase all the capabilities that are available in the industry as well as across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka which is a great eye opener for the Sri Lankan industry. I congratulate the organising committee for holding this insightful forum in Sri Lank and I hope we will see more of these events in future.
This year, one of the major highlights at Intex Sri Lanka was the India – Sri Lanka Textile Forum that was jointly organised by The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) along with the Joint Apparel Association Forum of Sri Lanka (JAAF) on 8th August 2024 at BMICH followed by a networking dinner. The forum brought together industry leaders and stakeholders from both nations to foster collaboration, explore new opportunities, and strengthen the textile and apparel trade between India and Sri Lanka. More importantly, the forum endeavoured to identify Sri Lankan and Indian industry requirements through focused discussions to bridge the gaps, streamline procurement processes and build stronger partnerships which would lead to the creation of a robust ecosystem benefitting both Indian and Sri Lankan stakeholders.
Overall, Intex has proved to be the most relevant international textile sourcing platform in Sri Lanka as well as the premier annual industry event for the textiles and apparel industry of Sri Lanka.
