These small exporters are penetrating markets where once China was a leading player in fabric exports. PHOTO: FILE
FAISALABAD:
As demand continues to grow, Crescent Cotton Mills has started helping small loom owners increase their capacity in an effort to fulfil international market requirements.
The management at Crescent Cotton Mills is providing technological up gradation to small factory owners of Faisalabad along with easy access to export orders from the international market.
In Faisalabad, there are over 250,000 power looms, most of which are home-based industries with very limited capital or awareness of the market. These small millers, who were only producing fabrics for local consumption, are now becoming exporters with the support of the textile tycoon.
Crescent Cotton Mills is working with these businesses to help them build contacts in the international market as well, said Naveed Gulzar, Executive Director at Crescent Cotton Mills Limited, while giving an interview to The Express Tribune.
“It was my idea to enable at least 100 small millers to become exporters,” said Gulzar. According to him, local markets do not offer good returns that can be gained by becoming a player, even of a small scale, in the international market.
He added that these millers are now installing auto looms, which make the grey cloth according to the international standard, and then export it. He added that with the strengthening of the weaving sector, according to international standard, we will definitely bring more foreign exchange to the country.
Tanveer Iqbal, who once ran a small power loom factory, now has a good setup to export the fabric to international market. Iqbal said that Crescent was helping small business increase their production by upgrading their machines. These small exporters are penetrating markets where once China was a leading player in fabric exports. China has now moved to value addition areas and is earning more profits.
Iqbal said that because he dealt exclusively in the local market for decades, he was not aware of the requirements of the international market. After support from Crescent extended during the last year, Iqbal was able to expand his production capacity.
He added that after the closure of weaving factories in China due to expensive labour and expensive raw material, the buyers were moving to the regional countries for the import of grey cloth.
Pakistan is one of the major exporters of grey fabric after Chinese exporters opted out. Faisalabad has a large number of weaving factories but, unfortunately, most of them are producing grey fabric according to local requirements. They are not aware of the international market requirements.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.
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NAVEED GULZAR having huge knowledge and experience about export , he wants international standard in Pakistan also wish improvement in this work day by day , it is good to take small industries on this way . it will be chance for them in world run . there is lot of potential in Pakistan at low level business mans just like Tanveer Iqbal which is growing in business under naveed gulzar he is a technical person no and knows about fabrics better . every big exporter think about it. it all is better in development of Pakistan .