Textile Industry Gears Up for Growth at ATEXCON 2025

The 12th edition of the Asian Textile Conference (ATEXCON 2025), organized by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), successfully concluded at the Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai. The event saw the participation of global industry leaders, policymakers, and experts, with Gherzi serving as the official knowledge partner.

Asia remains the backbone of the global textile and apparel industry, contributing 63% of the world’s total cotton production and 90% of the world’s man-made fiber (MMF) production. With 90% of global spinning capacity and 85% of global knitting capacity, the region plays a pivotal role in the sector’s future.

Key Highlights of ATEXCON 2025

• Strategic Vision for Asia: Shri Rakesh Mehra, Chairman of CITI, emphasized that Asia must focus on high-value product exports to enhance unit value realization (UVR).
• Launch of Industry Reports:
  • 5-Point Agenda for the Indian T&A Industry (2025-26): A roadmap to achieving India’s textile export target for 2025-26 and a vision for US$ 100 billion exports by 2030.
  • Code of Conduct for Prevention of Child & Forced Labour in the Indian Textile Industry: A commitment to ethical practices, endorsed by AEPC, ITTA, SIMA, TEA, CMAI, MATEXCIL, PDEXCIL, and TEXPROCIL.

Key Sessions at ATEXCON 2025

1. Theme Session: Asia Steering Global Growth Set the tone for the conference, highlighting Asia’s strategic position in global textile markets and the need for collaborative growth.
2. Session 1: Strategies for Changing Landscape – Trade Dynamics & Policy Shifts Moderated by Mr. David Uricoli, Partner, Gherzi USA, this session explored how evolving trade policies and geopolitical shifts are reshaping supply chains and competitiveness in the region.
3. Session 2: Trade Dynamics & Policy Shifts Moderated by Dr. Siddharth Rajagopal, Executive Director, Texprocil, the session brought together industry leaders to discuss emerging trade trends, policy challenges, and strategies for enhancing Asia’s competitiveness in the global textile market.
4. Session 3: Technological Disruptions & Digitization Led by Mr. Suryadeb Mukherjee, Principal Consultant, Gherzi Consulting, the discussion focused on the transformative impact of AI, automation, and digital tools on textile manufacturing and sustainability.
5. Session 4: Technical Textiles Expansion Moderated by Dr. SK Sundararaman, SIMA Chairman, explored growth opportunities in medical, automotive and geotextiles
6. Session 5: Future of Fashion & Consumer Trends Moderated by Mr. Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), this session examined shifting consumer preferences, the rise of circular fashion, and how brands can adapt to meet new demands.

Conclusion

ATEXCON 2025 provided valuable insights and strategic discussions that will shape the future of the textile industry in Asia. As the industry navigates changing trade dynamics, sustainability imperatives, and technological disruptions, such dialogues will play a critical role in ensuring Asia’s continued leadership in the global textile space.

For further details, visit www.citiindia.org.