The Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) is to organize a technical workshop on Italian technology for Automotive Engineering Innovative Materials in India. Business Co-Ordination House (BCH) will be the co-organizer of the symposium. The event is to take place in New Delhi, on 22 January, 2009.

The Indian textile industry is one of the leading world producers and exporters of textiles and clothing and therefore one of the most important potential markets for textile machinery. In recent years India has also grown as a producer of textiles for technical end-uses and nonwovens. Amongst the different end user markets for technical and innovative textiles, the automotive industry is fast gaining recognition as one of the most dynamic. Large infrastructure projects underway in India combined with favourable Government policies will drive growth in the automotive sector over the next few years and subsequently there will be a further boost in the demand of automotive textiles.

At the technological meeting some Italian manufacturers of machinery for technical textiles and nonwovens will introduce their updated technologies and exchange views and ideas on technology and holding trade talks with local textile operators.

In 2007 Italian sales to India were Euros 135 million, confirming India as one of the leading foreign markets and in the first half of 2008 Italian sales in the Indian market reached a value of Euro 67 million. The most popular Italian machinery was spinning machinery (33% of the total exports to India), followed by weaving machines (24%) and finishing machines (23%). In 2007 three hundred Italian companies with 20,000 employees produced machinery to the value of approximately Euros 2,400 million.

According to ACIMIT the quality of Italian textile technology is confirmed by the high number of Countries where the Italian machinery is sold, about 130. In 2007 exports represented 78% of total sales. Asia (with a share of 43%) is the main destination for Italian sector exports, followed by Europe (38%), Latin America (9%), North America (5%) and Africa (5%).

ACIMIT estimates that about 100 of its member companies are involved in the production of machinery for technical textiles or nonwovens. This sector is seeing a steadily growing turnover, accounting for 10% of the total turnover of Italian textile machinery industry.

The workshop in New Delhi is part of ACIMIT and Italian Institute for Foreign Trade promotional programme for the technical textiles and nonwovens sector, which in 2009, also includes a ‘Meeting Point Italia’ at Techtextil Frankfurt, two workshops in China, one workshop in the United States and other activities focussed on the Brazilian market.