As Chinese goods are prohibited from importing up to 200 tonnes, Surat –based manufacturers are planning to produce the fabric used in the IPL players’ T-shirts. There are 150 factories in the city that have around 3,000 machines for circular knitted polyester fabrics. In comparison to normal fabrics, the labor cost of producing these fabrics is only 50 paises per meter, and demand on the local market is very high. For its multi-purpose uses, including the making of shoes, suitcases, baby frocks, swimming costumes, leggings and T-shirts, polyester fabrics developed by the circular knitting industry are in demand.
Prior to the pandemic, Surat imported from China 800 tonnes, which has now dropped to 200 tons. Polyester knitted fabrics. Surat factories, by contrast, produce an estimated 4.5 lakh k g / day in more than 5.5 crore value of textiles. Around 80% of this fabric that is used in the country is manufactured in Surat, while 20% in Arab States.
