Lanka textiles pushing beyond ODM ranks, handlooms on a comeback

• Leading industry players commend Govt.’s duty free yarn facility
• Event to become regional: Rishad
• 22nd national textile show now on
• Event integrates overall spheres of textiles and looms of Sri Lanka

Encouraged by the world’s third largest retailer TESCO’s direct sourcing as well as recent backing from the Government of India for its revival, Sri Lanka’s textile and handloom sphere is now stepping beyond its ‘Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) supplier tag’ in the global market.

“This year is a milestone year for Sri Lanka’s textiles and apparel industries. We already exported $ 2,789 m apparel by last September. I especially commend the successful initiatives of our Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to enlist the support of the Government of India for enhanced market access for our apparel exports. I stress that this national event, the first expanded national textile exhibition in Sri Lanka, is set to grow further towards a regional event in future,” revealed Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday.

Bathiudeen was addressing the inauguration event of the 22nd annual national textile exhibition Ransalu yesterday at the BMICH.

The event, inaugurated by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, was the 22nd in the series by the Industry and Commerce Ministry and this year’s show has been expanded to an all-industry event with the integration of Sri Lanka’s handlooms, textiles, fabrics, and apparel sectors into one event under one roof for the first time.

The colourful event, organised by the Department of Textiles of the Ministry with an outlay of Rs. 5 m and 75 top exhibitors as Colombo enters its Christmas season, will conclude today, 19 December. The exhibition showcased many achievement awards handed out by Minister Rajapaksa to Lankan handloom sector personnel including experienced weavers and designers from well-known handloom regions.

Also present at the event were Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary Anura Siriwardene and top officials of the Ministry, as well as members from diplomatic community and leading apparel and handloom exporters of the country.

Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has progressed from its origins to the ODM stage (Original Design Manufacturing) and is now striving to stamp its seal as an OEM supplier to the world market.

Sri Lanka’s handloom industry is estimated to be around $ 13 m annually, and the high level Textile Taskforce of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is pushing to upgrade the historic segment towards the ODM stage. In 2011, $ 4.17 b garments and textiles exited Sri Lanka as exports (taking 40% share of overall exports from the country), while Lankan woven fabric exports in the same year hit $ 98.18 m.

“This year is a milestone year for Sri Lanka’s textiles and apparel. Our high level national handloom taskforce began its work from this January and is on its way to meet the objectives of reviving our handloom sector and also to popularise the Ceylon Handlooms brand across the competitive global markets. Another focus of the taskforce is to enhance public private partnership in our handlooms, so that the standards are enhanced. I am pleased to note the continued assistance of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to develop our handloom and textile sector by facilitating these informal SME sectors to link with national exports. I especially commend his successful initiatives in enlisting the support of the Government of India this September for enhanced market access to our apparel exporters, by getting to increase the export volumes of our ready-made garment pieces to eight million. Therefore, today’s exhibition is taking place at an important time in the textile history of Sri Lanka. Our apparels are now world famous, being exported across the world, and we partner with globally-reputed brands. From January to September this year, we exported $ 2,789 m of apparel.

This is a 16% increase compared to 2008 exports in the same months.

The world’s third largest retailer TESCO has informed me that they directly purchase US$ 100 million worth of apparel from us annually. As for our handlooms, I am pleased to note that Ceylon Handlooms are now increasingly sold in the export destinations of Italy, Germany, France, UK, Norway, Netherlands, Maldives, and Thailand,” Bathiudeen said.  

Pix by Kithsiri de Mel