Sanjay Desai, Managing Director at True Colors Limited, explains why traditional textile players are making the switch.

With multifaceted benefits on offer, the shift of the textile industry to digital is powering the next wave of growth for stakeholders.

With digitisation silently sweeping the textile industry, conventional production processes have gone for a toss. The shift is mandated by powerful strategic exigencies with changing consumer preferences and high legacy costs being the front-line enablers.  Traditional textile players are transforming their craft, replacing legacy looms, and ushering into a whole new world of Digital. With digital powering creativity and innovation like never before, the entire textile industry ecosystem is set to scale new heights of growth and profitability. How exactly the Digital will catalyse the next-wave of growth, here are the complete details elaborated in the following paragraphs.

Shifting dynamics: Compelling reasons

This shift towards digital printing is facilitated by both strategic necessity and growth opportunity. Traditional businesses with idle machinery and warehouses full of unsold stock are exposed to the weaknesses of lengthy supply chains. There has never been more pressure to become more nimble and efficient, especially when one considers the exponentially rising costs of input materials. The tightening regulatory norms are equally stringent and demand that textile manufacturers adopt greener and more sustainable business practices. No wonder, the collective thrust of all these compelling reasons is pushing the envelope for the textile industry and nudging them to take the “Digital Plunge” without any further delay.

Digital fabric printing: Future is here

Several benefits are catalysing the adoption of digital textile printing, with substantial savings in resources being the greatest merit offered by the switch. Unlike traditional printing, digital printing significantly lowers water and energy usage in printing. The tech enables printing complex designs on fabrics with ease, saving not only crucial manhours but also bringing absolute vibrancy and accuracy to the final print. The digital textile printing also enables firms to fulfil the “On-Demand” requirements to stay agile, nimble, and competitive in their operations. This also reduces waste by scuttling the prospects of overproduction, which is a big step in the direction of a more sustainable model. The “Personalisation” is another crucial benefit of shifting to Digital Textile Printing. Thanks to an array of choices in the digital format, manufacturers can deliver a “Unique & Distinctive” style to individual customers as per their needs and preferences. This, in turn, helps firms in delivering superior value to customers and makes them loyal to the brand.

Shift to Digital: How easy is it?

No doubt, there are difficulties associated with this digital transition. Upskilling the workforce is needed, and the initial investment in digital systems can also turn out to be significant. Especially, importing machines from abroad could significantly raise the cost for manufacturers. The variable cost to run the operations is also high at the start, which further squeezes the margins available in production. While new-age entrepreneurs have the risk-bearing capacity on this front, the legacy business owners largely desist from adopting tech owing to higher costs. The substantial cultural change mandated to make the shift to digital is also a prominent issue that owners often contend with. The resistance to tech is prevalent among employees who perceive the digital as a threat to their jobs and employment. In addition, taking along all stakeholders of the business ecosystem to manage a smooth transition is also a formidable challenge that firms have to face in executing the shift from manual to digital.

Conclusion

There are significant benefits associated with making a shift to digital tools and technologies in the textile industry. Those who are willing to embrace the change will be rewarded with enhanced growth, superior profits, and enriched customer experiences. While it’s true that the artisan's touch cannot be replaced by impersonal machines, digital technologies can enhance the strength and accuracy of that ability. The goal behind integrating tech should be to develop a textile industry that is more inventive, adaptable, and sustainable. In sum, by incorporating digital elements into their legacy, the textile sector can lay the groundwork for a dynamic future for the shared benefits of society as a whole.

Sanjay Desai, a passionate entrepreneur, is Managing Director at True Colors Private Limited. His journey began in 2013 when he envisioned a company that would revolutionise the digital print industry in India. Born and raised in Surat, the textile hub of India, Sanjay has always been fascinated by the textile industry. This interest, combined with his engineering background, led him to explore the potential of digital print technology in textiles.

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