Seshadri Ramkumar, Texas Tech University, USA
Globally, nonwoven sector will experience growth. Nonwoven sector is an established sector in developed countries, while some work needs to be done in markets where it is still at infancy.
Affordability and awareness are the two important factors that will push for the exponential growth of this sector. Quantity, consistent quality and price affordability are important for the nonwoven and technical textiles sector to grow in developing markets like India, stated GovindPeriwal, CEO of Dahej, India-based Pioneer Hygiene Products.
On a foggy morning last Friday, having his flight from Dallas delayed by an hour, Periwal visited the Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory in Lubbock, TX, to discuss new applications and opportunities for PE films in hygiene products.
Pioneer Hygiene Products with a current annual capacity of 6,000 metric tons of PE films is India’s largest breathable PE film manufacturer.
In the past five years, many companies are coming-up in India to focus on hygiene products. India has global giants like P&G, KC and Unicharm who are active players in the market. The issue is slow penetration in rural areas, stated GovindPeriwal. When it comes to diapers, pullup pants are gaining momentum, in India.
Hygiene and infrastructural sectors will drive the growth of nonwovens. The single nation-wide taxation policy on goods and services (GST), will help with promoting the nonwovens sector as it will push domestic manufacturing, stated Periwal.
