LEED certified Green (gold) factory, Green Smart Shirt Ltd (GSSL), a sister concern of PDS Multinational company, is one of the top sustainable and innovative product manufacturers in Bangladesh.
Team Textile Focus recently talked with Fateh Ul Islam, Managing Director and CEO of Green Smart Shirt Ltd (GSSL). The conversation is drafted below.
Textile Focus: How are you observing post-pandemic scenarios in the textile and apparel industry?
Fateh Ul Islam :Pandemic has become part of life, So this is no more an exception. This has become our regular item of day-to-day life. We have to take it as a new rule of life. We have to find new ways to fit the new normal. In our business, we need continuous communication with our customers for the purpose of marketing and development. In my opinion, Pandemic has made this communication very easier.
Before the pandemic, we had to wait until the buyer come and give feedback. But, now we are meeting customers every day through virtual arrangements. Honestly, this communication has become much much super-fast. The technical problem is also being solved by just a video call. We are showing our development virtually and getting acceptance so easily. Costing, negotiation, and marketing have also become smoother than earlier. Pandemic has added tremendous speed to the business. Actually, business is coming back and growing exponentially. We are overbooked with new orders. I don’t find any negative impact on business
Textile Focus: How are you observing the woven order trend?
Fateh Ul Islam: Due to the pandemic, the woven sector was pretty slow. Order was so little, as people couldn’t move outside, that time knit market was in demand, however, we have started getting new woven orders.
Textile Focus: What are the Specialties of Green Smart Shirt Ltd?
Fateh Ul Islam: We are specially producing Formal shirts, casual shirts from basic to value-added. We are also focusing on Ladies tops, blouses, and other fashionable items as well. We are very strong in design compared to other manufacturers in BD.
We are a part of globally reputed company PDS multinational. We have almost 150 + designers working all over the world like in London, Paris, Shanghai, Italy, Hongkong Portugal etc. We support the customer with our own innovative design so that we get negotiation advances with the customer.
Textile Focus: What are the challenges you are facing?
Fateh Ul Islam: During pandemic, supply chain is the main challenge. As the freight cost is too high, Raw materials for fashionable products are mainly sourced from China, in china we have our own production unit, so sourcing is not the main challenge, but getting the material herein Bangladesh at the right time is challenging. However, every challenge has some opportunities.
Textile Focus : Any Future Plan for GSSL?
Fateh Ul Islam: We have our team in Portugal working on some special fabrics focusing on product diversification. When we will get the order for such special fabrics, we will be the only option in Bangladesh for such kinds of products. Moreover, In our Green Smart Shirts Ltd, we are planning to set up a 500 KW solar panel. Our whole industry will be run by fully renewable energy. After using, if we can save, we will sell it to national grid. In another phase we have plan for a washing plant.
Textile Focus: Any message to the industry?
Fateh Ul Islam: My only advice to entire industry- “Choose customer carefully”. In this Pandemic, many company lost their money just because of buyers who got bankrupt. Fortunately, we didn’t face such situation as we started business every time after analyzing buyers credit risk. Supermarket based buyers didn’t loose their business,
So we, the manufacturers who works with such supermarket based customer was in good position during entire pandemic. Another thing, I would like to share that, I open insurance for every product so that, if any calamities happens, I will get my money. This is practiced by only 1-2% manufacturers in Bangladesh I guess. So my Message to industry is that we should choose our customer after 100% risk analysis.
