Date:28/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/05/28/stories/2005052800900400.htm

Back Textile mills opt for Chinese machineries

L.N. Revathy

Coimbatore , May 27

TEXTILE mills are preferring Chinese spinning and weaving machineries rather than wait for the long delivery schedule quoted by domestic manufacturers.

A couple of mills in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Madurai and a few others such as Nagarika Exports and Navamaharashtra in Western India have taken the lead by erecting some carding, blow-room and simplex machines (in the pre-spinning stage). Successful trial runs have enthused buyers to place repeat orders. The situation is likely to trigger Chinese textile machinery import in the coming months.

Having overcome the initial concern about the quality of Chinese textile machinery, the mill sector is now confident of exploring options for purchase of processing and weaving machinery too.

Industry sources attribute this shift to the long delivery schedules of local textile machinery manufacturers, which ranged between 12 and 24 months.

Industry sources, while stating that they did not have to wait for more than three months the date of Letter of Credit for taking delivery of the Chinese machinery, also point out that these machines were cheaper by at least 20 to 30 per cent, technically advanced and maintenance free.

A cross-section of mill owners did not hesitate to add that they would even consider a 100 per cent replacement if the going was good.