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Japanese importers place large order for Tirupur garments

M. Gunasekaran

It is a trial purchase and the foreign buyers are likely to source more volumes in the days to come

A NEW START: Garment importers from Japan negotiating with an exporter from Tirupur at a stall in the India Knit Fair on Wednesday. — Photo: M. Balaji

Tirupur: For the enterprising exporting community of Tirupur, which is aiming for Rs.10,000 crore exports this year, the visit of an importer from Japan who placed a large order, came as a pleasant surprise.

A team led by Nitta Kenchi, president of Adventure International from Japan - a company that has a turnover of US $ 280 million - visited Tirupur after a gap of over a decade.

After going round the India Knit Fair on the inaugural day on Wednesday and looking at the wide range of collections exhibited by around 50 leading export houses, the visitors placed orders across the table with a local firm, to buy 75,000 pieces of ladies' tops in 15 styles.

An official from the Japanese company says that the quality and capacity of Tirupur garment manufacturers had grown over the years. He says that it was a trial order and they were likely to source more volumes in future. The company has been sourcing high fashion garments from Jaipur and Chennai, besides home textiles from Karur.

"It is a good sign for us. Normally the Japanese prefer Chinese manufacturers. Though a few exporters have been dealing with the Japanese, the size is negligible. It opens up a new avenue for us,'' points out G. Karthikeyan, secretary of Tirupur Exporters' Association.

R. Durai of Dhanam's Knit Garments, who bagged the order, said that it would help them understand Japan's fashion trends and market better.

He added that the goods would be delivered in February. Cost competitiveness was an area for concern.

The three-day knit fair saw a flow of visitors on the first day from Malaysia, Germany and the Gulf countries.

The organisers said that apart from regular visitors, buyers from new countries had started turning up for the event.

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