February 06, 2025, Remscheid By the end of January 2025, Oerlikon Manmade Fibres Solutions had its much awaited Innovation and Technology Day at the Deltin Hotel in Daman. More than 300 people attended the event, including partners, stakeholders, and industry experts, to learn about the newest developments and trends in India’s manufactured fibres sector.
More than 300 participants listened attentively throughout the day and were impressed by the technology solutions presented by the Oerlikon experts.
Debabrata Ghosh, Head of Sales at Oerlikon Textile India, and Wolfgang Ernst, Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at Oerlikon Manmade Fibres Solutions, gave a hearty welcome and introduction to kick off the Innovation and Technology Day. They gave a summary of the difficulties facing the Indian market. “The Indian textile industry is undergoing tremendous expansion and change, especially in the chemical fibre sector. Ghosh stated that a change in global consumer patterns, strategic investments, and expanding production capacity are the main drivers of this transformation. India produces 4.8 million tonnes of polyester filament yarn annually, demonstrating the strength of its manufactured fibre (MMF) industry.
Experts from Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven, as well as from BB Engineering, Luwa, IGH/IGA and Thema presented the latest technology developments in the field of manmade fibers production to over 300 participants.
(PFY), 25 thousand tonnes of acrylic, 1.7 million tonnes of Polyester Staple Fibre (PSF), 0.7 million tonnes of viscose, and 0.2 million tonnes of Polyamide 6 (PA 6). The nation also has significant PET bottle and film capacity, with annual growth rates of 7% and 15%, respectively. With large projects being carried out by Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL, MCPI, Reliance Industries, and the Adani-Indorama joint venture, the PTA (purified terephthalic acid) capacity in the Indian market is expanding significantly. By 2030, the PTA’s capacity is expected to have grown from its present 6.296 million tonnes to over 14 million tonnes thanks to these developments.
Market Dynamics and strategic investments
“The global consumption landscape is shifting towards India and emerging Asia, driven by rising incomes and changing demographics. By 2050, India and emerging Asia are expected to account for 30% of global consumption at purchasing-power parity (PPP), up from 12% in 1997. This shift underscores the growing importance of these regions in the global economic landscape”, Ghosh continuous. Significant investments are being made to enhance production capacities and integrate advanced technologies. Indian Oil Corporation, in a joint venture with MCPI, is establishing a 900 TPD continuous polymerization unit in Odisha, supported by substantial government subsidies. Similarly, the Adani Group, in partnership with Indorama, is entering the petrochemical sector with a $3 billion PTA plant in Maharashtra.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the positive outlook, the industry faces challenges such as ensuring cost efficiency, scalability, and the seamless integration of new technologies into existing production processes. However, the sector is optimistic about improving profitability, driven by favorable supply-demand dynamics and strategic investments. “The Indian textile and chemical fiber industry is poised for significant growth, supported by strategic investments, capacity expansions, and a favorable global consumption shift. These developments position India as a key player in the global textile market, driving towards a sustainable and prosperous future”, said Ernst.
After the introduction about the current market situation, the event continued with numerous technical presentations in which Oerlikon and its partners presented their technological and solution expertise along the textile value production chain “From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwovens”.
“To spin an excellent yarn, you need the prefect melt”, said Moderator André Wissenberg, Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Public Affairs at Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions. How this can be produced using extrusion or continuous polycondensation technology was demonstrated by the keynote speakers Sven Streiber, Regional Sales Director at Oerlikon Barmag, Deepak Lokre, Head of Engineering at Oerlikon Textile India, and Matthias Schmitz, Head of Engineering Recycling Technology at BB Engineering (BBE).
The second session focused on Oerlikons technology partner for manmade fiber spinning mills. Presentations covered topics such as enhancing manmade fiber production with innovative air engineering, automatic handling solutions and quality inspections, as well as air texturizing solutions. Notable speakers included Praveen Kumar Singh, Managing Director of Luwa India, and Luca Lacitignola, Sales Director at Irico Gualchierani Handling (IGH), Simone Ducceschi, Sales & Project Manager at Thema Systems, as well as Ralf Morgenroth, Head of Engineering Textile Machinery at BBE.
The third session delved into solutions for producing the perfect fibers and yarns, with a focus on Oerlikon Barmag POY/DTY, FDY, IDY technologies as well as Oerlikon Neumag BCF and staple fiber line plants. Presentations were delivered by Philip Jungbecker, Head of R&D, and Guido Dresen, Regional Sales Director, both at Oerlikon Barmag, as well Chetan Bhagat, General Manager Sales, and Sameer Mehrotra, General Manager Service at Oerlikon Textile India. Ralf Morgenroth added further insights of the compact spinning solution VarioFil from BBE.
Environmentally friendly recycling solutions
The fourth session highlighted environmentally friendly recycling solutions, featuring insights from Sven Streiber and Sudipto Mandal, Sales and Marketing Manager at Oerlikon Textile India, and again Matthias Schmitz, BBE. They provided a detailed portfolio overview in the field of mechanical and chemical recycling. The new partnership between Oerlikon Barmag and Evonik was also presented to the audience. Finally, this was followed by a session on customer services and digital solutions, where Michael Ruebenhagen, Head of Global Service Sales and Ivan Gallo, Digital Solutions, both at Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions discussed current upgrade and retrofit options, the Digital Academy, and the future of digitalization in manmade fiber spinning mills. Shared Kulkarnie, General Manager Service Sales & Workshops, as well as Chandru Gurbaxani, Digital Solutions, performed together with their German colleagues.
The event concluded with closing remarks again from Wolfgang Ernst, who provided a global market overview and outlook for 2025. Final remarks were given by Atul Vaidya, Managing Director of Oerlikon Textile India. Finaly the event ended with a gala evening with more than 500 participants featuring a fashion show, music, dancing, and excellent food, supported by Decathlon and Garden Vareli.
The Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions Innovation and Technology Day 2025 was a resounding success, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry leaders and setting the stage for future advancements in the manmade fibers sector. Participants had the opportunity to network during the event, engaging with experts from Oerlikon, Luwa, IGA/IGH, Thema, and BBE at various marketplaces.