Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel inaugurated a significant expansiont of its manufacturing facility in Chennai, India, on October 14, 2025. The upgrade adds 20,000 square feet of new production space and introduces advanced production lines specifically designed for the Indian apparel market. This strategic investment aims to dramatically reduce lead times and improve the supply of high-quality, locally produced interlinings to serve the rapidly growing apparel sector in India and South Asia.
Located in Weinheim, the company confirmed that the Chennai facility’s manufacturing area has increased from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet. The expansion includes new, specialized lines for producing 100% cotton and 100% polyester interlinings. These new capabilities will enable local manufacturing of polyester bi-elastic shirt and polyester woven interlinings—equivalent in quality to Chinese imports—addressing the increasing demand for premium and innovative materials with quicker delivery times.
The upgraded facility, equipped with cutting-edge technology, enhances both production efficiency and quality control. This investment will reduce the typical 6–8 week lead times for imported products from China to just 1–2 weeks through local production. Customers can also benefit from lower costs compared to duty-paid imports.
CEO Dr. Andreas Raps remarked, “This expansion marks a milestone in our 27-year journey in India and in our role as a trusted partner in our customers’ growth. When our customers gain speed and margin, we all succeed.”
Jonathan Oh, Senior Vice President & General Manager of the Global Apparel Division, added, “This investment reflects our deep commitment to India’s apparel industry. By localizing production of our advanced bi-elastic shirt and polyester woven interlinings, we’re not only improving speed-to-market but also empowering Indian apparel manufacturers to compete more effectively on the global stage.”
Since entering the Indian market in 1998, Freudenberg Apparel has established a strong support network for the country’s textile industry. This includes technical solution studios in Chennai, Bangalore, and Gurgaon, offering technical consultation, solutions, training seminars, mockups, interlining recommendations, trend insights, and fusing press audits. These services complement the company’s expanded production capacity and underline its role as a comprehensive partner to the Indian textile value chain.
The newly introduced production lines expand upon the facility’s existing paste dot, 3P printing, and powder dot printing technologies, enhancing the company’s ability to manufacture a broader range of interlining products locally and efficiently.