Cotton: The White Gold (April 2021)

COTTON: THE WHITE GOLD
APRIL 2021
www.textilevaluechain.in
V O L U M E 9 | I S S U E N O . 4 | R S 1 0 0 | P a g e s 6 6
I S S N N O : 2 2 7 8 - 8 9 7 2 | R N I N O : M A H E N G / 2 0 1 2 / 4 3 7 0 7
Postal registration No. MNE/346/2021-23, posted at Mumbai Patrika
Channel sorting office, Pantnagar, Ghatkopar( East), Mumbai - 400075
Posting date is end of month ( 29th/ 30th / 31st )

2
C O V E R S T O R Y
M A R C H 2 0 2 1

3
C O V E R S T O R Y
M A R C H 2 0 2 1

4
C O V E R S T O R Y
M A R C H 2 0 2 1

CONTENTS
ADVERTISER INDEX
Back Page: Raymond
Back Inside: Savio
Front Inside: Rimtex
Page 3: LRT
Page 4: Malegaon Conference, Textile Value Chain
A P R I L 2 0 2 1
35Entwining for Eco-friendly Garms: Lenzing
with Florian Heubrandner and Tricia Carey
PEER REVIEWED PAPER
39 Property Enhancement of Cotton Nonwovens
using Ecofriendly Bioactive Terminalia Chebulla
by Dr. A. J. Shukla and Prof. (Dr) M. D. Teli
In Conversation with Atul Ganatra
10
07 Sculpting Impeccability with Arup Rakshit
INTERVIEW
12 The Training History and Variety of Cotton
by Kshipra Gadey
COVER STORY
Organic Cotton: Need of the Hour
by Kumari Nayantara Singh
15
Antibacterial Finished Cotton by Aishwarya
Gavade and Sandeep Vishwakarma
25
Cotton- The Indian Heritage Textiles
by Annu Jain
23
16
Sustainable Agriculture for Benefiting
Environment, Economy and Industry
by Manish Daga
18 Tale of the Indian White Gold
by Kshipra Gadey
Non-woven Cotton Textile
by Khyati Sutaria
21
30 Clothing from Qmonos Fibres by
Dr. N. N. Mahapatra
SUSTAINABLE FIBRE
32
PROJECT
Outline of a New $30 MLN Project by
Munish Tyagi
50 Yarn Export Up 79PC in March, Cotton Takes
Lead by Nitin Madkaikar
YARN REPORT
57 US Knitted and Woven Apparel Imports
by Radhika Boddu
53
MARKET REPORT
An Overview of Mitumba Market in Kenya
between 2016-20 by Kshipra Gadey and
Radhika Boddu
51 Fibre Prices Ease in April, but Showed Signs
of Stabilizing
FIBRE REPORT
45 Textile Sector has immense opportunity in India;
Experts from Taiwan addressed in a webinar
organized by TAITRA
60 NNF Fashion Trends 2021-22
HR FOCUS
49 Self-awareness: The First Step in Becoming
an Effective Leader by Rajiv Misra
47 Career Scope in Textile Engineering by
Sathish Veeraraghavan
CAREER GUIDANCE
53
FASHION UPDATE
Fashion Shift: Clothing Reimagined by
Thomas. O. S. Ong
The Natural Tinge by Kinjal Rate
43 DYES AND CHEMICALS
29“VINIRMAH-2K21” FASHION SHOW- VIRTUAL
Nilit Launches
Sustainable Fiber
43
09 NEWS
Cotton Utilization
22
Kelheim Fibers joins
the ZDHC “Guide to
Zero” Program
22
Maire Techni-
mont Awarded
EPCC Contract
48
Fibertex to
extend European
Tasks
52
Cone Denim to
Produce Nearly 3
Million
EVENT UPDATE

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
Cotton, a natural fibre, farmer’s white gold ! The wonder of
a blooming flower that gives rise to a fruit, that matures to
burst open to a fluffy ball of seed hair, Cotton fibres!. Truly
one of Nature’s wonders !!! Such is the quality of fibres, that
can be spun into yarns, woven or knitted to fabric to clothe
mankind in all seasons! Evolution of human clothing itself is
quite inspiring. From Tree leaves to animal skins, to spun,
woven to stitched garments. Discovery of fibres from plants
like cotton has played an important role in the evolution of
cotton textiles. Probably, Cotton was the first fibre made from
plants, so it is used as a generic name for any fibre. Cotton, a
commodity, a fibre, a flower, a fruit, a cloth, a garment, feed
for animals … one name with many benefits.
India’s geographical location and climatic conditions are the
important reasons why agriculture is a major occupation in
this country. Cotton cultivation is a major occupation. India
remains a significant producer and exporter of Cotton. The
journey of cotton as a fibre, started in India from the han-
dloom sector. Cotton spinning started with Charkha, popu-
larised during the Swadeshi Movement. Hand spun cotton
to handloom technology. Advances in spinning cotton with
technology in each stage like picking, sorting, ginning, spin-
ning led to a fruitful journey. Quality, cost and yield of cot-
ton grown by different countries the world over is subject of
research. Long staple Cotton fibre will give the highest good
quality Cotton and has better spin-ability. India lacks suffi-
cient long staple fibre production due to the non-availability
of seeds. India produces Cotton of staple length around 28-29
mm length of cotton, while many advanced countries of the
world produce 30 mm to 35 mm cotton. Indian cotton of 30
mm quality is branded “Kasturi Cotton” which caters to only
5% of the production.
Naturally coloured Cotton is quite exciting and is in trend;
as it will be purely in its organic form, no dyes and chemicals
are used for colouration. The World is moving towards sus-
tainability, vegan, saving of planet movement. There is grow-
ing awareness of harmful substances created by humans that
are affecting the planet. World is moving from where it start-
ed from the root to advances and back to the root. Organic
to Organic Journey ! Organic Coloured Cotton has a lot of
potential, Industry can explore opportunities in furthering
research and develop new products! Indian enterprises have
a great chance to fill in void Indian Cotton business sectors!!
We wish you Cool Summers !!!
E D I T O R I A L
JIGNA SHAH
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
All rights reserved Worldwide; Reproduction of any of the content from this
issue is prohibited without explicit written permission of the publisher.
Every effort has been made to ensure and present factual and accurate
information. The views expressed in the articles published in this magazine
are that of the respective authors and not necessarily that of the publisher.
Textile Value chain is not responsible for any unlikely errors that might
occur or any steps taken based in the information provided herewith.
REGISTERED OFFICE
Innovative Media and
Information Company
189/5263, Sanmati, Pantnagar,
Ghatkopar (East), Mumbai 400075.
Maharashtra, INDIA.
Cell: +91-9769442239 /
+91. 9860634305
Email: info@textilevaluechain.com
innovativemedia012@gmail.com
Web: www.textilevaluechain.com
OWNER, PUBLISHER,
PRINTER AND EDITOR -MS.
JIGNA SHAH Printed and
Processed by her at, Impression
Graphics,
Gala no.13, Shivai Industrial
Estate, Andheri Kurla Road,
Sakinaka, Andheri (East),
Mumbai 400072,
Maharashtra, India.
SUBSCRIPTION
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Ms. Jigna Shah
Digital + Print Copy issue
1 Year : 12 issues : Rs. 800
2 Years : 24 issues : Rs. 1500
3 years : 36 issues : Rs. 2100
Online Registration
https://textilevaluechain.in/subscription/
Subscription Enquiry
+91. 9869634305 ; marketing@textilevaluechain.com
Marketing and Advertising enquiry
Mohammad Tanweer
+91-9167986305 ; sales@textilevaluechain.com
Radhika Boddu
+91-9867127598 ; events@textilevaluechain.com
Cotton Saga:
Organic Journey !
CREATIVE DESIGNER
Ms. Kshipra Gadey
EDITORIAL
6

7
A P R I L 2 0 2 1
I N T E R V I E W
SCULPTING IMPECCABILITY
ARUP RAKSHIT
Textile Expert
Share your Education and Profession-
al Journey
I started my professional life with cot-
ton spinning mill after graduation from
University of Calcutta. After a few
years I switched to higher studies and
started my first academic assignment
with Government Central Textile In-
stitute (currently UPTTI), Kanpur. Af-
ter completing Ph.D. from IIT Delhi, I
joined VJTI, Mumbai in 1989, to begin
with my academic career. I continued
with VJTI till 1997. At this juncture,
it was felt that only classroom teach-
ing and in-house research will not be
enough to understand the requirement
of the industry, both for the present
and future.
I joined SASMIRA (Synthetic & Art
Silk Mills’ Research Association, Wor-
li, Mumbai) in 1997, a leading Textile
Research Organization in Mumbai to
pursue a career in research adminis-
tration. That remains instrumental
in popularising the then emerging
field of ‘Technical Textiles’ in India.
A proposal for introduction of techni-
cal textiles in India was prepared for
‘Empowered Committee on Technical
Textiles (ECTT)’ and submitted to Min-
istry of Textiles, Govt. of India for con-
sideration. It later translated into the
National programme and is a mission
today. A concerted effort introduced
by the Ministry of Textiles, gradually
helped establish ‘Centre of Excellences’
in technical textiles across the country.
I had managed more than 60 research
projects sponsored by various agencies
viz. Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of
Defence, DST and Industry with the
help of a pool of qualified Scientists.
Besides large numbers of publications,
I obtained one Patent in my credit.
The research career offered ample op-
portunities like sourcing and handling
projects, consultation with industry,
development of laboratories through
outside funding, image building exer-
cises for the organisation, strategiz-
ing internal engagement and develop-
ment of scientist group, developing and
manufacturing of textile testing instru-
ments etc. Another opportunity was to
be associated with top ranking inter-
national financial agencies to prepare
Technical Viability study reports under
Debt Restructuring Package (GOI) for
four companies those were referred to
The Board for Industrial and Finan-
cial Reconstruction (BIFR). The Power
loom Service Centre (PSC) in Bhiwandi
was also under my fold. This being one
of the largest power loom cluster in In-
dia and being at the vicinity of office of
Textile Commissioner, Mumbai; it used
to be the platform for launching many
schemes for the unorganised sector of
Textile Industry in India.
I served as an Editor for Man Made
Textiles in India; a leading textile jour-
nal published by SASMIRA for more
than a year. I am a Peer Reviewer for
Textile Research Journal (TRJ), USA
and Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile
Research (IJFTR), published by CSIR,
India.
In collaboration with FICCI, mono-
graph series on different fields of tech-
nical textiles have been published.
More than a dozen seminars, symposi-
ums, conferences, colloquium, training
programme and interactive talks were
organised to support textile industry
for diversification or to encourage part
investment to technical products.
In 2008 VJTI management invited me
to re-join and continue the legacy of
the oldest Department of the institute.
I was placed in different capacities e.g.,
as Professor, Head of Department and
Dean R&D. My active areas of inter-
est were nonwovens, technical textiles,
sports textiles, geotech, lean manufac-
turing, management of textile industry
etc. My diverse experience helped me
to set a time bound plan and strategic
development of the department and
the Institute (VJTI) in general.
Academic development activities like
the introduction of new courses and
electives (industry relevant specific
subject), MOU with other institutions,
Collaborative research projects, ac-
creditation of courses, industry spon-
sored laboratory development, custom-
ised corporate training programme,
higher internal revenue generation
through commercial testing services,
tactical way to improved pay package
for students, mobilisation of alumni as-
sociation for department development
and students’ placement etc. All these
had been over and above the routine
administrative activities of managing
the department, addressing students’
grievances and counselling.
Being an educationist, what was your
journey in industry and interaction
During the early 2000s, FICCI used
to render technical support to specific
group of industries. I was Consult-
ant to Federation of Indian Chamber

8
A P R I L 2 0 2 1
I N T E R V I E W
of Commerce & Industries – FICCI’s
Western Regional Council for Textile
Industry. I had a lengthy association
with BIS and was member of various
committees’ viz technical textiles, geo-
textiles, fabric forming etc.
It was a pride and pleasure to be associ-
ated with Research Advisory Commit-
tee (RAC) of Bombay Textile Research
Association (BTRA) and Wool Research
Association (WRA). Their annual meet-
ings were to set a pathway for the re-
search projects and new developments
of the year. Textile Machinery Manu-
facturers Association (TMMA) Mumbai
used to offer award to best performing
Member Company for their in-house
technical development or commerciali-
sation of new machinery. For nearly a
decade I was member of their Research
Awards Committee along with stal-
warts from industry and academia.
I was associated with Department of
Science and Technology (DST) for eval-
uation of two schemes viz. Special As-
sistance Programme (SAP) and project
proposals for Instrument Development
Programme (IDP). For AICTE also I
had contributed towards examining
proposals for various schemes in re-
search, faculty visit abroad etc.
Opportunity came in to travel overseas
with various assignments like training,
University Collaboration, Research
Collaboration etc. to UK in 2001, Eu-
rope (Germany, France & Netherland)
in 2008 and Czech Republic, Austria in
2011; Mauritius & South Africa (Dur-
ban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth & Jo-
hannesburg) in 2013.
I was Ph.D. Examiner for many Uni-
versities and Institutes of national im-
portance of which IIT Delhi, IIT Bom-
bay, NIT Jalandhar, SNDT Women’s
University, Mumbai, M.S.University,
Vadodara etc. are to name a few. I was
invited to be the search committee
member for SVITS, Indore.
Through this journey of academic and
research career, lot of support from
different quarters, made me learn the
art of managing and negotiating with
agencies that led to the development
of the organisations I served. Research
and academic process offer a plethora
of opportunities and professional en-
gagement, one can enjoy working with.
Being in the industry for quite a long
time and now as College Principal,
how different is the feeling and expe-
rience?
Starting as a classroom teacher to
managing research centre, project, con-
sultancyy and then as Professor, Head
and Dean of a prominent institute, it
was a progressive career. Each phase
made me learn different skill sets, that
are useful to contribute completeness
in the organisation as a whole or the
department. Collaboration with other
institutions (both in India and abroad)
and agencies including corporate train-
ing is an exemplary experience.
As Principal, it is an extension of ser-
vice in the career spanning over the
decades. From a textile background I
took over the charge of a College that
runs UG programmes in mechanical,
electrical, electronics, civil engineering,
and computer science courses. Strate-
gic approach for institution building,
student centric developments, welfare
measures on all fronts, faculty develop-
ment schemes, satisfying requirements
of approving or affiliating authorities
(AICTE/University) etc are the key
activities as the Principal. Complete
managerial and financial decisions are
key issues to be addressed. Besides,
stakeholders’ response and queries are
to be handled diligently. At every stage,
to adopt innovative and creative ap-
proach in strategy and planning works
best; to build confidence among the
faculty and students, promotion of re-
search culture, grooming and motivat-
ing faculty members towards research
was a task.
As a Mentor, what qualities, capabili-
ties do you see in your Ph.D students
Universities in India choose two
schemes for the PhD students. One,
full time students with scholarship and
the other as part-time sponsored candi-
date (QIP etc.). Students with an urge
to learn, to truly enrich their academic
credentials and research, do not bother
about the financial loss or gain, join full
time. The topics and the content deliv-
ered by these students towards their
doctoral programme contain a certain
level of quality as compared to the part
timers. The education system has a
set of career development programmes
and all QIP candidates wait eagerly to
get their turn. Moreover, the govern-
ment pays them a stipend for the du-
ration of Ph.D programme; which is
over and above the salary they receives
from their institution. Therefore, their
goals are to somehow obtain the degree
and acquire promotion. Therefore, it
is apt to consider candidate who has a
true zeal to excel in his own field, work
independently, confident and possess
certain skill sets like communication,
whether it is in written form or oral
presentation.
The Education industry has changed
by 360 degrees from classroom to
online teaching-learning, what is the
trouble faced by professors / teach-
ers and students.
Any change in the conventional process
should have a resistance… and the cur-
rent scenario is not an exception. It
is true that the trainer and trainees’
physical presence and interaction gives
the best result, but if the situation does
not permit, one has to adopt a new sys-
tem. In the beginning of the pandemic,
last year, things had almost collapsed.
Then digital delivery process came into
being and now it is a way of life. Ex-
cept for practical classes where a stu-
dent needs to handle some equipment,
instruments or chemicals, majority of
the experiments went in demo mode
and examination and evaluation pro-
cess changed accordingly. In future the
education system would continue in
mixed mode, partially physical and the
remaining virtual. Let us take an ex-
ample, those who have learnt driving
in an advanced training school; ibeing
exposed to simulators in the beginning
and then take them to the vehicle or
as it happens for pilot training in avia-
tion industry. Our systems and process
would also adopt the same in future.
In classroom teaching, which was more
one way delivery from the teacher,
the teacher could examine the level of
learning in students through their ges-
tures and class interaction, the online
delivery is more based on feedback and
short assessments after every module
to ensure that requisite level of learn-
ing has taken place. Here lies the con-

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
9
I N T E R V I E W
trast. The teaching process has been
upgraded to teaching-learning process,
where students’ participation and feed-
back are equally important, even if
the learning is done either in objective
mode or exhaustively in an open book
manner.
Just look at the format coaching class-
es have adopted. Within a year’s time,
they have gone online or ‘through app’
delivery. A central classroom studio
caters to the nationwide micro class-
rooms. We need to respect and adopt
the new system, there is no respite.
Share your opinion on Future of Edu-
cation as an Industry, its opportunity,
and threats
Education is the fundamental need to
build a nation; therefore, it can never
die; only issue is how much priority
it receives from the government. In
India, at the school level, different
boards are prevailing and the process
of course delivery is equally diverse.
Therefore, the students’ understand-
ing, and maturity level varies. At the
secondary and tertiary level of educa-
tion the students are unable to cope up
with the challenges. Homogeneity is
required. However, Indian students are
very competitive on the international
platform. It is an opportunity for our
education system to recognise the gaps
and fulfil the same with a fresh Policy.
Indian schooling and higher education
system need to be overhauled to fill the
same. Besides, threat from the over-
seas is obvious. And the approaches of
the New Education Policy (NEP) is to
combat the problem and to rationalise
the entire education system; not only
intra and inter board, but to be at par
with international standards.
N E W S
Cotton utilization is required to drop by
somewhat more than 8% because of the
current Covid-19 wave and resulting
lockdowns in a few states, as indicated
by India's top cotton crop appraisal or-
ganization.
Cotton utilization for season 2020-21
(October to September) has been de-
creased by the Union Ministry of Tex-
tiles' Committee on Cotton Production
and Consumption (COCPC) from 330
lakh bundles (every one of 170 kg) to
303 lakh parcels, attributable to the
ebb and flow lockdowns as the limit
second rush of Covid has grasped the
whole country.
The anticipated cotton shutting stock
has been raised from 98.79 lakh par-
cels to 118.79 lakh bunches toward the
finish of the period on September 30,
2021, as indicated by the COCPC meet-
ing hung on April 30.
Fares are required to endure a mishap
The COCPC, which took over from the
previous Cotton Advisory Board (CAB)
in September 2020, has additionally
decreased the conjecture cotton crea-
tion for the season from 371 lakh bun-
dles to 360 lakh bunches.
In spite of the fact that cotton imports
are relied upon to stay level at 11 lakh
bundles for the year, trades are re-
quired to drop from 75 lakh parcels to
70 lakh bunches, contrasted with prior
assessments of 75 lakh bundles.
"The planting space of Indian cot-
ton has been raised from 133.73 lakh
hectares to 134.77 lakh hectares. The
greatest shift was in Punjab, where
planting was diminished from 3.92
lakh hectares to 2.48 lakh hectares,
while it rose from 6.37 lakh hectares
to 8.17 lakh hectares in Karnataka, as
per COCPC.
The general cotton creation for the
year 2020-21, which started on Octo-
ber 1, 2020, is relied upon to be 491.79
lakh parcels, with a surmised opening
supply of 120.79 lakh bundles. This in-
corporates 360 lakh parcels of harvest
and 11 lakh bundles of imports not-
withstanding the initial stock.
"The planting space of Indian cot-
ton has been raised from 133.73 lakh
hectares to 134.77 lakh hectares. The
greatest shift was in Punjab, where
planting was diminished from 3.92
lakh hectares to 2.48 lakh hectares,
while it rose from 6.37 lakh hectares
to 8.17 lakh hectares in Karnataka, as
per COCPC.
The general cotton creation for the
year 2020-21, which started on October
1, 2020, is required to be 491.79 lakh
parcels, with an inexact opening load of
120.79 lakh bunches. This incorporates
360 lakh parcels of yield and 11 lakh
bundles of imports notwithstanding
the initial stock.
Complete interest is required to be 373
lakh parcels, with 303 lakh bundles
devoured locally and 70 lakh bunches
sent out. Cotton exchange body Cotton
Association of India (CAI) has assessed
India's cotton creation for the year at
360 lakh parcels, which is equivalent
to COCPC's projection. Nonetheless,
net interest is relied upon to be 330
lakh parcels this year, leaving an end
load of 106 lakh bundles.
COTTON UTILIZATION TO DROP BY 8% BECAUSE
OF CURRENT COVID-19 WAVE

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
10 I N T E R V I E W
ATUL GANATRA
IN CONVERSATION WITH...
Journey of CAI Presidentship
I am serving my 4th year as an Elect-
ed President in CAI. The journey has
been enriching with good learning ex-
perience. I am extremely glad and hon-
oured to be the President of this huge
pres-tigious association. Our Associa-
tion is now entered into its 100th year.
Association has started in year 1922
with the name of East India Cotton
association. We have all cotton value
chain as our members like farmers,
ginners, spinners, brokers, traders, ex-
porters and Govt agencies.
During my Presidentship tenure, we
have done a lot of good work for cotton
industry. We have organised 4 domes-
tic conferences and one International
conference. Recently, we have started
farmers training school in our cotton
exchange building. Our cotton testing
lab has been enhanced. We have pur-
chased 2 new cotton testing machines.
Our association has cotton testing lab
in al-most all cotton growing states
and our testing charges are very nomi-
nal compared to private test-ing labs;
as an Association we want to serve to
the trade.
Cotton Industry Update
This year as per CAI the size of Indian
crop is 360 lakh bales and per CAB,
371 lakh bales out of this (upto 25th
April) around 337 lakh bales have ar-
rived. Now approximately 25-30 lakh
bales cotton on all India level is lying
unsold with the farmers. But due to
increase in covid 19 cases most of the
ginning factories in India are closed so
the farmers have to wait to sell.
Indian markets are steady at Rs. 42000
to Rs.47000 / bale spot price according
to the quality. But if there is a strict
lockdown, like last year, then the price
of cotton will reduce because as of to-
day, there is no buying at all from In-
dian spinning mills. As mills have
covered cotton for 3 to 4 months and
now mills want to wait and watch to
see how their production will be, in the
coming months and also in India is a
big amount of unsold cotton stock lying
with government agencies, ginners,
traders and MNCs.
Price on 1st October 2020 for cotton
variety of 29 mm was Rs. 40,000 per
candy. Slowly the de-mand picked up,
and the rate has increased to 46,000
spot, also International cotton market
has gone up 73 cents to 88 cents at the
same time.
Future of cotton growing farmers
Future of cotton looks very bright. Be-
cause GOI every year has been increas-
ing Minimum Support Price (MSP) of
cotton, which as on 30th April, 2021
is 5825 per quintal. And MSP likely
to in-crease 3-4 percent in June 2021.
Govt. agency like CCI and Maharash-
tra Federation is buying around 100
lakhs from last 2 years from farmer on
MSP rate. So, farmers are feeling very
secure by growing cotton in India. due
to increase in MSP price and govern-
ment’s purchase of cotton at MSP price
from farmers.
In India, near future cotton prices
are likely to maintain in between Rs.
42,000 to 48000 per candy as per qual-
ity. At present, Shakar 6 cotton with 29
mm 75 RD rate is Rs. 46,000 per candy.
Cotton Association is occupied with giving a wide scope of administrations
to the whole cotton value chain since its fuse in 1921.
All fragments of the cotton exchange and material industry of the nation
including Mill Buyers, Growers and Growers Co-agents, Ginners, Brokers,
Merchants, Importers and Exporters, and so forth are addressed in CAI.
17 Regional Cotton Associations and 4 Co-employable Marketing Societies
addressing all heartland cotton creating areas of the Country are subsidi-
ary with CAI and addressed on its Board as Associate Directors.
Addressed on different International Cotton Fora for example ICAC, ICA,
CICCA, IFCP, ITMF and a few other International Cotton Associations.

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
11
I N T E R V I E W
Cotton developing ranchers saved dur-
ing lockdown time in a year ago 2020
because of government office nonstop
acquisition of cotton on MSP rate.
Effect of Covid 19 on Cotton Ginning
and Spinning industry
Definitely, there has been a great effect
seen of covid 19 pandemic on both this
industryies. Actu-ally last year 2020
cotton ginning factories were almost
closed from April to July 2020. The In-
di-an spinning mills have also suffered
huge production loss. The consumption
of cotton by spinning mills in India re-
duced from 330 lakh bales to 250 lakh
bales. Also last year cotton prices were
dropped from Rs. 42,000 to Rs. 32,000
per bale due to lockdown.
Cotton Brokers also had a very tough
time during lock down, entire busi-
ness was closed. But once covid ef-
fect reduced, business for traders and
brokers improved, as cotton demand
increased and India and international
markets. Last year from 25th March to
25th July exports shipment was shut
down.
The last 6 months was a very good pe-
riod for Indian spinning mills, because
there was a huge shortage of cotton
yarn, due to last year’s lockdown and
big demand of yarn has come from In-
dian and international markets. So,
spinning mills have performed well.
From Sept. to March 2020 as pandemic
was under control, ginning and spin-
ning performed very good but again
from April 2021 due to second wave of
covid 19, Now, most of the State gin-
ning factory are closed, spinning mills
production reduced to 10 percent to 50
percent State-wise due to migration of
the labourand fear of strict lockdown
like last year in the coming days. If
the labours go back to their houses,
then spinning mill production will be
hit and the consumption of cotton will
also reduce. Last year, Indian cotton
consumption was reduced by 80 lakh
bales from 330 lakh bales to 250 lakh
bales with the same reason of lockdown
so everyone in the trade have to keep a
watch over the pandamic.
Views on fluctuation of Indian Cotton
yarn prices
Cotton yarn price was Rs. 170 per kg
for 30’s hosiery count in June 2020 but
after lockdown, the demand of yarn
has been increased and price has slow-
ly increased and touched to Rs. 280
per kg. As Demand came from domes-
tic and International and yarn market
has gone up by 45-50 percent during
Sept. 2020 to March 2021. Spinning
mill has made losses in lockdown but
luckily recov-ered losses of lock down
period during last 6 months. It was a
good time for the entire industry like
ginning. spinning, weaving and gar-
menting. Cotton yarn prices also was
up from Rs. 34,000/ Pc on 1st August
which is increased to Rs. 48,000 on
31st March 2021.
Update on "Kasturi Cotton India"
brand made for Indian Cotton
The Brand is still at beginning stage,
at present brand is only considered for
variety of 30 mm cot-ton, which has
only 5 % production in India. CAI has
suggested to the textile ministry and
GOI to add 29 mm product variety also
in this brand which is catering to 75
percentage of cotton variety produced
in India.
Update on ELS (Extra Long Staple) Fib-
ers
Indian spinning mills required 15 lakh
-18 lakh bales of ELS cotton every year.
ELS cotton has 33 mm to 35 mm va-
riety of cotton. Currently, India is pro-
ducing around 5 lac bales of this type
of cotton. We are importing from USA,
Egypt and Australia.
On import of ELS cotton we are spend-
ing our hard-earned foreign exchange.
In order to increase ELS production in
India, Cotton Association of India has
given suggestions to agriculture and
tex-tile ministry as under:
1) Farmer are not getting good quality
of ELS cotton seed for sowing in India;
so duty free import of good quality cot-
ton sowing seed for ELS should be al-
lowed for farmers.
2) To encourage Indian farmers to grow
ELS cotton our MSP price should be
announced at higher rate at Rs. 9000
per quintal, before the new season cot-
ton sowing starts.
3) With higher MSP of Rs. 8000 to Rs.
9000 per quintal, Government agency
like CCI has to buy cotton from farmer.
If above recommendations are imple-
mented, then we can save on foreign
exchange by importing ELS cotton.
Around 9 countries including Bangla-
desh has put a ban on India. What will
be the effect on cotton export and
how how much export do we do to
Bangladesh?
Yes, the news has come that many
countries have put a ban on India due
to the rise in corona cas-es. But we
have to confirm that this ban is only
for travel ban or on goods as well which
includes cotton and cotton yarn. We ex-
port 40% of our total export of 60 lakh
bales to Bangladesh which is 25-30
lakh bales in a year.
There is uncertainty on the cotton
market, what is your view on cotton
prices in the coming days?
As far as cotton prices are concerned,
India always follows USA ICE prices
and as of now ICE is 88/89 cent which
was 78 cent last month. ICE has gone
up because there is less rain in Texas
area.
As the foreign markets are strong, our
markets are also steady at present. But
we must wait and watch and have to
monitor how the spinning mill produc-
tion will be and how the corona cases
will be in the coming days. Everything
will depend on this for the ups and
downs of the market.
Future Projects of CAI
We have many projects to do in future,
we are planning to celebrate the 100th
year of our Associa-tion. We want
to increase activity in farmer train-
ing school, increase on cotton testing
laboratories in India and many more
projects. Once we will come out of pan-
demic, we will complete our all-pend-
ing projects.

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
C O V E R S T O R Y
12
Cotton (Gossypium sp.) is perhaps the
most significant and soonest trained
non-food crops on the planet. Uti-
lized basically for its fiber, cotton was
trained autonomously in both the Old
and New Universes. "Cotton" started
from the Arabic expression al qutn,
which became in Spanish algodón and
cotton in English.
Essentially all the cotton delivered
on the planet today is the New World
species Gossypium hirsutum, however
before the nineteenth century, a few
animal varieties were developed on
various mainlands. The four tamed
Gossypium types of the Malvaceae
family are G. arboreum L., trained in
the Indus Valley of Pakistan and India;
G. herbaceum L. from Arabia and Syr-
ia; G. hirsutum from Mesoamerica; and
G. barbadense from South America.
Every one of the four homegrown spe-
cies and their wild family members are
bushes or little trees that are customar-
ily developed as summer crops; trained
renditions are exceptionally dry season
and salt-open minded harvests that fill
well in minor, parched conditions. Old
World cotton has short, coarse, frail
strands that are today principally uti-
lized for stuffing and blanket making.
New World cotton has higher creation
requests however gives longer and
more grounded filaments and better
returns.
There are three unique types of cotton
used to make the items we know and
love. The most well-known sort is Up-
land cotton, containing almost 90% of
all cotton created all throughout the
planet. The excess 10% comprises two
greater cottons — Egyptian cotton and
THE TRAINING HISTORY AND
VARIETY OF COTTON
KSHIPRA GADEY
pima cotton.
Making Cotton
Wild cotton plants start to sprout when
the day length arrives at a specific
point. Wild cotton plants are lasting,
and their structure is rambling. Home-
grown renditions are short, smaller
yearly bushes which do not react to
changes in day length. That is a ben-
efit, if the plant develops in places with
cool winters on the grounds that both
wild and homegrown sorts of cotton are
ice narrow minded.
Cotton organic products are cases or
bolls, which contain a few seeds cov-
ered by two sorts of fiber: short ones
called fluff and long ones called build
up. Just the buildup strands are valu-
able for making materials, and the
homegrown plants have bigger seeds
covered with nearly plentiful build up.
Cotton is generally collected by hand,
and afterward the cotton is ginned -
handled to isolate the seeds from the
fiber.
After the ginning interaction, the cot-
ton filaments are batted with a wooden
bow to make them more adaptable and
checked with a hand brush to isolate
the strands prior to turning. Turn-
ing turns the individual strands into
a yarn, which can be finished by hand
with a shaft and axle whorl (in the New
World) or with a turning wheel (creat-
ed in the Old World).
Old World Cotton
Cotton was first tamed in the Old World
around 7,000 years prior; the earliest
archeological proof for cotton use is
from the Neolithic control of Mehrgarh,
in the Kachi Plain of Balochistan, Pa-
kistan, in the 6000 BC. Development of
G. arboreum started in the Indus Val-
ley of India and Pakistan, and after-
ward ultimately spread over Africa and
Asia, though G. herbaceum was first
developed in Arabia and Syria.
The two primary species, G. arboreum
and G. herbaceum, are hereditarily
totally different and most likely wan-
dered a long time before taming. Ex-
perts concur that the wild ancestor of
G. herbaceum was an African species,
though the predecessor of G. arboreum
is at this point unclear. Districts of the
conceivable beginning of the G. arbore-
um wild ancestor are likely Madagas-
car or the Indus Valley, where the old-
est proof for developed cotton has been
found.
Gossypium Arboreum
Plentiful archeological proof exists for
the underlying training and utilization
of G. arboreum, by the Harappan (oth-
erwise known as Indus Valley) human
advancement in Pakistan. Mehrgarh,
the most punctual horticultural town
in the Indus Valley, holds various lines
of proof of cotton seeds and strands
starting around 6000 BP. At Mohenjo-
Daro, sections of material and cotton
materials have been dated to the fourth
thousand years BCE, and archeologists
concur that a large portion of the ex-
change that caused the city to develop
depended on cotton exportation.
Crude material and completed fab-
ric were sent out from South Asia
into Dhuweila in Eastern Jordan by
6450–5000 years prior, and to Maikop
(Majkop or Maykop) in the northern
Textile Value Chain

13
A P R I L 2 0 2 1
C O V E R S T O R Y
Caucasus by 6000 BP. Cotton texture
has been found at Nimrud in Iraq
(eight-seven hundreds of years BCE),
Arjan in Iran (late seventh, mid sixth
hundreds of years BCE) and Keramei-
kos in Greece (fifth century BCE). As
per Assyrian records of Sennacherib
(705–681 BCE), cotton was filled in the
imperial greenhouses at Nineveh, yet
cool winters there would have made
enormous scope creation inconceivable.
Since G. arboreum is a tropical and
subtropical plant, cotton farming did
not spread outside the Indian subcon-
tinent until millennia after its taming.
Cotton development is first found in
the Persian Bay at Qal'at al-Bahrain
(ca 600–400 BCE), and in North Afri-
ca at Qasr Ibrim, Kellis and al-Zerqa
between the first and fourth hundreds
of years CE. Late examinations at Ka-
ratepe in Uzbekistan have discovered
cotton creation dated between ca. 300–
500 CE.
G. arboreum is thought to have been
brought into China as a decorative
plant around 1,000 years prior. Cotton
may have been filled in the Xinjiang
(China) area urban areas of Turfan
and Khotan by the eighth century CE.
Cotton was at long last adjusted to fill
in more calm environments by the Is-
lamic Rural Insurgency, and between
900–1000 CE, a blast in cotton creation
spread into Persia, Southwest Asia,
North Africa, and the Mediterranean
Bowl.
Gossypium Herbaceum
G. herbaceum is significantly less no-
table than G. arboreum. Generally, it
is known to fill in African open tim-
berlands and meadows. Qualities of
its wild species are a taller plant, con-
trasted with the trained bushes, more
modest organic product, and thicker
seed coats. Tragically, no unmistakable
tamed remaining parts of G. herba-
ceum have been recuperated from ar-
cheological settings. Be that as it may,
the appropriation of its nearest wild
ancestor recommends a toward the
north dispersion toward North Africa,
and the Close to East.
New World Cotton
Among the American species, G. hir-
sutum was evidently developed first
in Mexico, and G. barbadense later in
Peru. In any case, a minority of ana-
lysts accept, on the other hand, that
the most punctual kind of cotton was
brought into Mesoamerica as an all-
around tamed type of G. barbadense
from seaside Ecuador and Peru.
Whichever story winds up to be right,
cotton was one of the main non-food
plants tamed by the ancient occupants
of the Americas. In the Focal Andes,
particularly in the north and focal
banks of Peru, cotton was essential for
a fishing economy and a marine-based
way of life. Individuals utilized cotton
to make fishing nets and different ma-
terials. Cotton remains have been re-
cuperated in numerous locales on the
coast particularly in private middens.
Gossypium Hirsutum (Upland Cotton)
The most seasoned proof of Gossypium
hirsutum in Mesoamerica comes from
the Tehuacan valley and has been dat-
ed somewhere in the range of 3400 and
2300 BCE. In various caverns of the
area, archeologists partnered to the
undertaking of Richard MacNeish dis-
covered remaining parts of completely
tamed instances of this cotton.
Ongoing examinations have thought
about bolls and cotton seeds recovered
from unearthings in Guila Naquitz
Cavern, Oaxaca, with living instances
of wild and developed G. hirsutum
punctatum developing along the east
bank of Mexico. Extra hereditary in-
vestigations (Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge
and Lacape 2014) support the prior
outcomes, demonstrating that G. hir-
sutum was likely initially tamed in the
Yucatán Promontory. Another conceiv-
able focal point of taming for G. hirsu-
tum is the Caribbean.
In various times and among various
Mesoamerican societies, cotton was a
profoundly requested great and a valu-
able trade thing. Maya and Aztec deal-
ers exchanged cotton for other extrava-
gance things, and aristocrats decorated
themselves with woven and colored
mantles of the valuable material. Aztec
lords frequently offered cotton items to
respectable guests as blessings and to
armed force pioneers as installment.
Gossypium Barbadense (Pima Cot-
ton)
G. barbadense cultivars are known for
their creation of excellent fiber and
called differently Pima, Egyptian, or
Ocean Island cotton. The main obvious
proof of tamed Pima cotton comes from
the Ancón-Chillón space of the focal
shore of Peru. The locales in this space
show the training cycle started during
the Preceramic time frame, starting
around 2500 BCE. By 1000 BCE the
size and state of Peruvian cotton bolls
were indistinct from the present cur-
rent cultivars of G. barbadense.
Cotton creation started on the coasts
yet at last moved inland, worked with
by the development of the waterway
water system. By the Underlying Time
frame, locales, for example, Huaca
Prieta contained homegrown cotton
1,500 to 1,000 years before ceramics
and maize development. Not at all like
in the old world, cotton in Peru was
at first a piece of resource rehearsal,
utilized for fishing and chasing nets,
just as materials, attire, and capacity
packs.
Varieties of Cotton
Egyptian Cotton
Figure 1 Egyptian Cotton
Egyptian cotton is a fine, sparkling cot-
ton that has long more slender strands.
This is the most well-known cotton
that is utilized to make bed sheets, pad
covers and so forth It is light earthy
colored in shading and is reasonable
for solid yarns.
Sea Island Cotton
Sea Island cotton is a costly one, as
its development and handling takes
a great deal of endeavors and cost. It
is perhaps the best cotton present in
the realm of cotton and is frequently
blended in with silk. The garments
made from this assortment of cotton

14 C O V E R S T O R Y
A P R I L 2 0 2 1
are costly for the purchaser, in view of
the significant expense of creation.
Pima Cotton
Pima cotton has long and smooth fila-
This kind of cotton can be found in In-
dia, China and close to Eastern locales.
It has brutal and coarse filaments and
is appropriate to make covers, chan-
nels, coarse garments, and cushioning
materials.
American Upland Cotton
Figure 2 Sea Island Cotton
Figure 3 Pima Cotton
ments and falls in the class of Extra
Long Staple (ELS) kinds of cotton. Like
the Egyptian cotton regarding quality,
it is a solid, delicate, and sturdy ma-
terial, which makes it quite possibly
the most renowned and famous cotton
types to be utilized for apparel, towels,
and sheets.
Asiatic Cotton
Figure 6 Natural Cotton
Figure 5 American Upland Cotton
Figure 4 Asiatic Cotton
American Upland cotton is quite pos-
sibly the most regularly utilized cot-
ton and is more affordable too. It is of
a fundamental quality and is utilized
to make a few textures. The cotton is
of a very adaptable nature and can be
utilized to make costly shirts and den-
ims too.
Natural Cotton
It is more earnestly than the typical
cottons and is not effectively accessi-
ble in regular retail shops, nor are the
textures made out of this cotton are ef-
fectively accessible. Natural cotton is
less any sorts of synthetic substances
and pesticides that are for the most
part utilized in the creation of different
kinds of cottons. Indeed, even the gar-
ments produced out of this cotton are
not presented to the ecologically harm-
ful synthetic substances that different
materials are utilized to.
Reference
1.https://www.thoughtco.com/do-
mestication-history-of-cotton-gossypi-
um-170429
2.https://certipik.com/2020/05/what-is-
pima-cotton/
3.http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/
lounge/types-of-cotton-8837.html
4. Figure 1: https://www.kingofcotton.
com/blog/egyptian-cotton-vs-pima-
cotton/
5. Figure 2: https://www.bing.com/im-
ages/search
6.Figure3:https://certipik.com/2020/05/
what-is-pima-cotton/
7. Figure 4: www.asianscientist.com
8. Figure 5: https://www.linenslimited.
com/blog/what-is-the-difference-be-
tween-egyptian-cotton-regular-cot-
ton-bed-linen-2577/
9. Figure 6: https://www.bing.com/im-
ages/search?view

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
15
C O V E R S T O R Y
ORGANIC COTTON: NEED OF
THE HOUR
KUMARI NAYAN TARA SINGH
Nowadays global warming, diseases
like growing cancer rates and poverty
and increasing chemical sensitivities
are something which concerns most of
us. But our clothes can be a villain too,
and quite significant.
When we think of cotton, what image
comes to our mind is white, pure, fluffy,
natural and pure fabric. Cotton is a
versatile and globally important fiber
which is used for various purposes like
making clothes, food products, acces-
sories, etc. because of its various uses,
softness, breathability, absorbency,
year round comfort, performance and
durability it is one of the most widely
traded commodities on earth. Cotton
is a part of our day-to-day lives be it
drying our faces on soft cotton towel in
the morning or sliding over fresh cotton
sheets at night. It has hundreds of uses
from a shirt to shoe strings.
Historically, India held world monopoly
in the production and manufacturing
of cotton textiles for almost about 3000
years from around 1500 B.C. to around
1500 A.D. During the middle ages, In-
dian cotton textile products were in
great demand, mostly in the Europe-
an markets. Chintz of Masulipatnam,
muslin of Dhaka, calico of Calicut and
gold-wrought cotton piece goods of
Burhanpur, Ahmedabad and Vadodara
acquired a worldwide recognition be-
cause of their quality and design.
Today, cotton regains its importance
and is preferred for household items.
The Textile industry today continues
to be the second largest industry after
agriculture, in India. It provides em-
ployment to 20 million people and con-
tributes nearly 38 percent to the total
value of exports. This industry has wit-
nessed a significant growth during the
last four decades. Cotton Textile indus-
try in India is linked with agriculture
and provides living to farmers, cotton
ball pluckers, workers engaged in gin-
ning, spinning and weaving the fib-
ers produced, then dyeing, designing,
packaging, tailoring and sewing. This
industry indirectly supports many oth-
er industries like chemicals, dyes, mill
stores, and engineering works. Along
with this handspun khadi provides
large scale employment to weavers en-
gaged in cottage industry. Cotton tex-
tile goods are also exported to U.S.A.,
U.K., Russia, France, East European
countries, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lan-
ka, and African countries.
Growing conventional cotton is one of
the most chemical-intensive process,
and one of the most widely grown crops
in the world. The chemicals involved in
production of these crops have tremen-
dous harmful impact on the air, water
and soil and impacts harshly to the
health of the people associated in grow-
ing these crops. These are amongst
the most toxic chemicals, as said by
the Environmental Protection Agency.
The problem in developing countries is
even worse, as in addition to destroy-
ing the land, it also affects thousands
of farmers exposed to these chemicals
every year.
Thus, we can say that organic cotton is
the need of the hour as it is grown us-
ing methods and materials which are
more sustainable and has less impact
on the environment. Today organic
food is something which is most talked
about and cherished. Likewise organic
cotton is as important and essential as
that of organic foods.
Today because of involvement of brands
and retailers and their successful mar-
keting has resulted in high demand for
organic cotton products and thus avail-
able to customers in the usual points of
purchase for textiles and clothing. To-
day organic cotton items are found in
regular sales channels like department
stores, supermarkets and even in high
street fashion shops. Increase in the
use of organic cotton by large fashion
brands and retailers has resulted in
generating much attention from other
parts of textile industry, designers and
the media. This further results in cus-
tomer’s interest in demand for organic
cotton textiles and clothing and their
willingness to purchase.
Caring for people around and associat-
ed with us is a life choice and choosing
organic cotton over conventional one is
part of such choice. By purchasing or-
ganic over conventional, we have the
power to influence brands, manufac-
turers, and even farmers. So let us join
our hands together for this change and
build a world more sustainable and
more breathable.
Assisstant Professor, NIFT, Srinagar

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
Organic Cotton: Golden opportunity
for India
Would you believe if I said, “There is
shortage of cotton in India?” You would
immediately retort back with a curt
reply, “You must be kidding”. You will
most certainly corroborate your re-
sponse with logical facts like
• India is the largest producer of cotton
• India is amongst Top 3 exporter of
cotton
• Since last many years, India has re-
mained a ‘Cotton surplus’
• Top consumer of cotton
• India is most likely to have it’s high-
est carry over stock this year.
While all of these is true, we fail to re-
alise “What does India’s Textile Indus-
try actually need?” The fact remains
that India is facing acute shortage of 2
types of cotton
1.Organic cotton
2.ELS cotton
Your obvious argument will be that
India is the world’s largest supplier of
organic cotton in the world. Close to
240,000 metric tons of global organic
cotton were produced in 2019 and out
of this India holds a 51 % share. The
second position is occupied by China
with a distant 17 %, followed by Kyr-
gyzstan and Turkey at 10 % each.
Growing Demand
Data shows that the demand for or-
ganic cotton has seen exponential
growth over the years. According to the
Organic Trade Association, there has
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOR
BENEFITTING ENVIRONMENT,
ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
‘Tsunami’ hitting the Organic cotton
industry
An investigation by the Global Organic
Textile Standard (GOTS) identified
20,000 metric tonnes of cotton that was
wrongly certified as organic. GOTS has
since instructed its approved bodies to
cancel all upstream transactions cer-
tificates based on these wrongly issued
documents in order to prevent affected
goods being sold with the GOTS label.
Effects of ‘Tsunami’
The effect was drastic and dramatic.
Shipped/ unshipped cotton was under
scrutiny hampering the supply chain,
supply was choked, contracts were ei-
ther cancelled or unhonoured, there
was uncertainty and extraordinary de-
lay in transaction certificates. In short,
there was complete chaos amongst the
stake holders. As a result, the premium
of Organic certified cotton in India sky-
rocketed by about 20%.
After effects of this ‘Tsunami’
Most of the organic supply chains stand
fractured and fragile following scrutiny
and decertification. There will remain
an element of doubt for all suppliers
of cotton and value added products till
they provide fool-proof documents and
certificates.
Solution
We need to build a robust and traceable
supply chain for organic cotton. This
Tsunami is an opportunity in disguise
for stake holders to build their “very
own Organic cotton supply chain”.
Cottonguru® is assisting many such
Textile Corporates and Brands to build
MANISH DAGA
been 31% growth in the organic cot-
ton industry, in the past one year. It
is expected to see a rise of 10% during
2021. The whole world is witnessing
the remarkable benefits of the produc-
tion of organic cotton, be it clothing
demand or employment opportunities.
Pre-COVID estimates showed that
global organic cotton production will
grow by a further 10 % by 2020-2021.
But things have changed drastically in
2020.
Shrinking Supply
Most of the countries were struggling to
increase their market share in Organic
cotton. The world started depending on
India for sourcing Organic cotton. Till
2019-20, India ‘used to’ grow about 5-6
million bales of Organic cotton. 50%
of this was exported and the rest 50%
was converted in value added products
such as yarn and garments which were
majorly exported. Both, India and the
world were comfortable with this ar-
rangement till a ‘Tsunami’ hit the Tex-
tile industry last year.
Source: Textile Exchange

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
17
C O V E R S T O R Y
Organic agriculture has the potential
to help reduce carbon emissions, en-
hance soil fertility and improve climate
resilience. Government can promote
sustainable agriculture only by creat-
ing policies that integrate social, envi-
ronmental, and economic interests of
all stake holders.
Therefore, Cottonguru® strongly rec-
ommends to the Government that:
1. Organic agriculture must be de-
clared as an effective strategy to reduce
greenhouse gases and carbon emission.
2. National mission on Organic Agri-
culture with research and extension
services specific to organic production
for climate resilient agriculture
3. Special MSP for Organic cotton. This
is most important to retain farmers in
organic production.
Sustainable agriculture, management
of natural resources and building ro-
bust supply chains is the key to pros-
perity for all stake holders of cotton
textile industry.
in increasing employment, decreasing
the cost and improving the income of
farmers.
3. Environment: We all know that or-
ganic cotton is non-genetically engi-
neered cotton grown without using
hazardous chemicals like pesticides
and fertilizers. Increase in organic pro-
duction is directly proportional to the
reduction of carbon emission in the
atmosphere. Thus organic cotton can
help mitigate climate change.
While many see these as a disadvan-
tage, Cottonguru® utilises the follow-
ing factors of Indian agriculture as an
asset in Organic cotton projects with
complete focus on the challenges of re-
tention and sustainability:
1. Small holder farmers
2. Rainfed agriculture
3. Availability of land
4. Minimum use of pesticides (simply
because many farmers cannot afford it)
5. Climate change
robust, sustainable, traceable, and
profitable supply chains. Cottonguru®
undertakes projects for Organic, BCI
and conventional cotton and contami-
nation-controlled cotton for it’s custom-
ers based on professional turnkey basis
backed by it’s expertise and experience
of over 100 years.
Cottonguru’s inherent strength lies
in it’s strong network of over 100,000
cotton farmers across India. With the
‘trust relationship’ built over years of
association, training and handhold-
ing, Cottonguru® organises the farm-
ers into clusters as per the need of the
project.
3-Way benefit of Organic projects:
1. Textile Industry: Projects undertak-
en by Cottonguru® have immensely
benefitted it’s customers in sourcing
cotton of their choice with increase in
productivity and profits. It is also use-
ful in reducing carbon footprint and
capturing the huge space in “Genuine-
ly certified Organic product’ segment.
2. Farmers: These projects have helped
C o r e P u r p o s e a n d M i s s i o n
V i s i o n
The company runs on clear mission to assist farmers in improving yield and quality. It strives to help cotton users in locating regu-
lar sources of sustainable and contamination-free cotton at nominal prices. It aim to prevent the arbitrary use of plastic and paper
objects and replace it with cotton-based products which are ‘natural, eco-friendly renewable resource’ (E. g. cotton handkerchief v/s
tissue paper, cotton bags v/s plastic or paper bags) thereby, helping save the environment.
Unlocking the socio-economic potential of agriculture for global prosperity.
C o r e P u r p o s e a n d M i s s i o n
Cottonguru® is the leader in agriculture and textile advisory services across the country. It is in cotton industry since 1903 and
have strived hard to reach this leading position. It has vast experience of working with the smallest of farmers and topmost con-
sumers, DNA of technical and Marketing expertise and impeccable Brand image has given it a clear edge over our competitors.
Cottonguru® wishes to and will continue to contribute to the value addition of cotton and agriculture in every possible manner.
Change is the only thing that is constant in the world. Cottonguru® Group has survived for over 100 years uninterrupted overcom-
ing all calamities mainly because of deep rooted ethical values and ability to adapt to the changes. With a unique blend of tradition
and technology, we have reached the coveted stage of "Think Cotton – Think Cottonguru®"

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
Abstract
India is one of the leading cultivators
of cotton due to its climatic conditions
and geographical location. Use of cot-
ton in India dates to the ancient times
and its production was progressed ma-
jorly during the 1st World War. Cot-
ton production contributes a lot to the
Indian economy. There are various
advancements occurring in the cotton
industry and Naturally Colored Cotton
is one of them.
Introduction
India has always been one of the lead-
ing cotton producing nations in the
world. Cotton was much more than just
a fiber or a fabric. It was a symbol of
patriotism during the ‘Swadeshi Move-
ment’, an emotion of warmth of your
grandmother’s saree, it is an elegant
intricacy of ‘Chikankari’, and a lot more
than just a fiber. It is the livelihood of
millions of people employed across the
country including farmers who culti-
vate this non-edible crop. Cotton is not
just a fiber, it is the white gold that is
used for weaving tales, histories, and
development in India.
Cotton is a Kharif crop that requires
6-8 months to develop. The gathering
and planting season of harvests con-
trast in various districts, contingent
on the environment conditions. It is
planted in April-May and reaped in De-
cember-January before the colder time
of year. For planting, it requires high-
temperature soil.
The cotton area in India is viewed as
the second most created area in the
material business (after man-made
filaments). At 18% of the worldwide
aggregate, India is the world's biggest
maker of cotton. It additionally has the
biggest territory under cotton develop-
ment on the planet, addressing about
25% of the world's region under devel-
opment. The provinces of Gujarat, Ma-
harashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana,
Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the
significant cotton producing territories
in India.
Why is India among the top produc-
ers of cotton in the world?
India’s geographical location is one of
the important reasons why agriculture
is a major occupation in this country.
Weather conditions and soil are per-
fect for crop cultivation throughout the
country. India is accepted to be the first
home of the cotton plant. Presently,
Cotton possesses about 4.7 percent of
the absolute edited region in the coun-
try.
Cotton has a wide scope of soil transfor-
mation and is developed on incredibly
assorted soil types. Notwithstanding, a
profound (>60 cm), friable, all around
depleted and fruitful soil is generally
reasonable. Silty earth to mud soils is
awesome. Accordingly, the best return
of cotton is generally acquired on al-
luvial soils. Soils in the pH goes from
5 to 8 and CaCO3 substances of under
10% in the pull zone are appropriate
for cotton development. Exceptionally
calcareous soils with more than 30 %
free CaCO3 may cause phosphorus ob-
session and micronutrient inadequacy.
It is by and large considered as genu-
inely lenient to saltiness.
Being a profound established harvest,
soil profundity is additionally a signifi-
cant factor and shallow soils are not
appropriate in vertosols and related
soil areas. It is raised primarily as
a rainfed crop in the dark cotton and
medium soils and as a flooded yield in
the alluvial soils. Alluvial soils (over-
KSHIPRA GADEY
TALE OF THE INDIAN WHITE GOLD
Textile Value Chain

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
19
C O V E R S T O R Y
whelming in the northern territories of
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh), Red sandy topsoils to topsoil
(found in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mad-
hya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kar-
nataka and Tamil Nadu) and Laterite
soils (found in pieces of Assam, Tamil
Nadu and Kerala) are a portion of the
dominating kinds of soil on which the
yield is developed. Cotton is a tropi-
cal or sub-tropical yield filled in semi-
parched spaces of the country (funda-
mentally in the Deccan Level).
Hard ice is damaging to cotton develop-
ment and it needs in any event 210 ice
free days. Just light precipitation (50
to 100 centimeters) is liked. Cotton can
likewise be developed under flooded
conditions. It requires high tempera-
ture and brilliant daylight for its de-
velopment. Cotton requires a reason-
able sky during the blooming stage. A
light very much depleted soil equipped
for holding dampness is obviously ap-
propriate for the development of the
yield. Dark cotton soil is liked. India’s
geographical location meets all the re-
quirements mentioned above. Cotton is
also a drought resistant crop; thus, it is
majorly cultivated in India (1).
What is Naturally Colored Cotton?
Cotton that has been developed to
have colors other than the yellowish
off-white typical of current commercial
cotton fibers AZ is known as naturally
colored cotton. Red, green, and various
shades of brown are among the colors
that can be found. The natural color
of the cotton does not fade. Yields are
usually smaller, and the fiber is short-
er and thinner than the more widely
available "white" cotton, but it has a
smoother feel.
This type of cotton is often smoother
on the skin (this is a subjective asser-
tion that needs to be verified) and has
a good odor. Natural colored cotton is
still uncommon since it needs advanced
harvesting techniques and equipment,
which makes it more costly to harvest
than white cotton. Most colored cotton
landraces or cultivars grown in Africa,
Asia, Central and South America had
been replaced by all-white commercial
varieties by the 1990s. Cotton with
natural colors is thought to have origi-
nated in the Andes about 5000 years
ago.
The Old World Asiatic diploid cottons
are attempted to begin sooner than
New World allotetraploid cottons. Hued
assortments were known in diploid cot-
tons and were under development in
Asia, especially Indian subcontinent,
China, and Focal Asian Republics of
previous Soviet Association since long.
In India, earthy colored linted assort-
ments of tree cotton (G. arboreum L.)
to be specific Cocanada 1, Cocanada 2
and Red Northerns were under busi-
ness development basically on dark
soils under rainfed condition in pieces
of Andhra Pradesh. Red linted types
were overwhelming and high in inter-
est for their better coloring character-
istics and shading speed. Nonetheless,
the circumstance has changed with the
progression and normalization of color-
ing methods. Development of shaded
cotton was debilitated and nearly de-
serted in the last 50% of this century.
Shaded lint assortments couldn't stay
well known with cultivators, princi-
pally due to low efficiency per unit
territory, poor fiber qualities and non-
consistency of shadings. Need of great
importance was to expand cotton crea-
tion to meet the essential prerequisites
of truly expanding the populace for ap-
parel.
With the headway of turning and pre-
paring innovations, ease in bestowing
fluctuated medicines of shades and
tones during handling uniquely with
the coming of engineered colors, more
prominent accentuation was given un-
derway of high yielding cotton with
prevalent fiber quality, which brought
about the substitution of hued cotton
by white linted types. However, devel-
opment of shaded cottons proceeded
in segregated pockets as curiosity spe-
cialty cotton and for tasteful reason. As
of late shaded cottons are accepting ex-
panding significance considering their
eco-friendly character. The mindful-
ness about the harmfulness and con-
tamination brought about by manufac-
tured colors have restored the interest
in development of natural cotton. The
inclination for eco-accommodating cot-
ton must be satisfied ideally by natu-
rally developed hued cotton, adminis-
tering unsafe synthetics in the process.
Benefits of Naturally Colored Cotton
There are a few benefits of normally
shaded over the white cotton assort-
ments. These are momentarily exam-
ined underneath:
Impact on Human Wellbeing
Cotton textures with counterfeit colors
have been accounted for, to effect sly
affect the skin and human wellbe-
ing. Fake colors have an antagonistic
impact on their wellbeing. There is a
hazard of skin disease among the peo-
ple who consistently interact with fake
colors. The majority of colors utilized
in material businesses are cancer-
causing. Counterfeit colors cause hy-
persensitivity and tingling on the skin
and in some cases may cause skin ma-
lignant growth. In cotton processes, a
few workers interact with counterfeit
colors. The texture arranged from nor-
mally shaded cotton build up, is liber-
ated from such antagonistic impacts.
There is no need of utilizing counter-
feit colors when the texture is produced
from normally shaded cotton. Such tex-
ture can be securely utilized even by
those having delicate skin. Hence, tex-
ture made from hued cotton has been
discovered to be an awesome human
wellbeing.
Impact on Climate
Different counterfeit colors are being
utilized for coloring of fabric produced
from the white buildup. After coloring,
the substance deposits through color-
ing or completing affluents are tossed
in close by waterway tainting water
and soil. This structure is a significant
wellspring of ecological contamination.
At the point when the texture is pro-
duced from normally shaded build up,
there is no need for counterfeit colors.
In this manner utilization of normally
shaded cotton helps in diminishing eco-
logical contamination brought about by
fake colors.
Impact on cost of texture creation
The coloring cycle adds to the expense
of creation of texture. The coloring in-
teraction is excluded when normally
hued build up is utilized for assembling
of the texture. Along these lines the
expense of creation of texture can be
diminished somewhat using normally

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
hued cotton. On the off chance that
the hued cotton is followed through on
greater expense than white cotton, at
that point the decrease in the expense
of creation of texture brought about by
overlooking coloring measure is repaid
by exorbitant cost of shaded cotton tex-
ture.
Impediments of shaded cotton, nor-
mally hued cottons have some natural
downsides. These are: low yield poten-
tial, poor fiber properties, restricted
tones, flimsiness of shadings, defile-
ment of white cotton, low market re-
quest, and absence of promoting offices
according to Specialized Release from
CICR (www.cicr.org.in) 8 Normally
Hued Cotton.
Low Yield Potential
The yield capability of right now acces-
sible shaded cotton genotypes is low.
The yield potential is practically 50% of
the white linted assortments. In light
of low yield potential, normally shad-
ed cotton could not get mainstream
for business development. At the end
of the day, low yield capability of nor-
mally shaded cotton has gone about as
an obstruction in the development of
its development. Its development has
been restricted to little pockets in an-
cestral territories as it were.
Helpless Fiber properties
The fiber of normally hued cotton geno-
types, contrasted and white cotton, is
of very inferior quality. Normally hued
cottons are generally more limited
in staple length, more fragile in fiber
strength and have low micronaire es-
teem. They likewise have low fiber de-
velopment compared to white cottons.
There is a need to improve fiber proper-
ties of hued cotton, especially fiber soli-
darity to make it appropriate for high
velocity turning.
Restricted Tones
Normally hued cotton genotypes at
present accessible in the germplasm
have restricted build up colors. There
are just two tones for example earthy
colored in different shades and green.
With just two colors, normally hued
cotton cannot contend with white cot-
ton as shifted medicines of tones and
shades can be effectively granted to
white cotton.
Shakiness of tones
The shade of normally hued cotton is
not steady and enduring. In daylight,
the green shading blurs more rapidly
than the earthy colored tone. Earthy
colored tone likewise blurs yet at a le-
thargic rate. The green build up, which
is presented to daylight turns out to be
nearly white and the bit which is cov-
ered with the pod ( at the lower part of
the locule) stays dull green.
Tainting
Common build up shading is repre-
sented by predominant/inadequate
prevailing qualities. The green shad-
ing is constrained by one quality and
earthy colored tone with at least two
qualities. Cotton is a regularly cross-
pollinated crop. In common conditions,
cross fertilization happens to reach out
of 5-20 percent. Developing hued and
white cotton in the area will upgrade
the opportunity of tainting of white
linted genotypes with shaded geno-
types and the other way around.
Tainting may happen in three differ-
ent ways, viz. (1) through common out-
crossing with white cotton, (2) during
ginning, and (3) during delinting. De-
veloping of white cotton in the field in
which shaded cotton was filled in the
earlier year may likewise prompt taint-
ing through volunteers. Consequently,
development of hued cotton ought to
be confined to little zones as it were.
Besides, research work on hued cotton
ought to be confined to just hardly any
examination communities to stay away
from defilement of white cotton.
Low Market Interest
There is exceptionally restricted inter-
est in normally hued cottons in India.
In the last not so long time, the interest
of normally hued cotton has expanded
in some European nations, which is
around 5-6 lakh parcels for each an-
num. Hoping to low interest, it is allur-
ing to limit development of shaded cot-
tons to restricted zones and to enrolled
cultivators as it were. This will serve to
Specialized Announcement from CICR
(www.cicr.org.in) 9 Normally Hued Cot-
ton deflect the conceivable misfortune
to the cultivators, perhaps because of
its over creation and exceptionally less
or no market interest.
Absence of Advertising Offices
There is absence of appropriate show-
casing for the offer of normally shaded
cotton. It is important to create ad-
vertising offices prior to beginning de-
velopment of hued cotton on business
scale. There ought to be a composed ar-
rangement between the buyer and the
maker for creation of normally shaded
cotton (4).
Limitations of Naturally Colored Cot-
ton
The normally hued cotton has a little
fiber and is not appropriate for weighty
machine turning. The green and
earthy colored cotton plants yielded too
little buildup that was too short in sta-
ple length. Because of more modest fib-
er, it becomes unconventional to utilize
normally hued cotton for attire produc-
ers. Yet, presently, hued cotton is in a
real sense pressed in with the tradi-
tional white cotton to make its fiber
longer and more grounded than other
normally shaded cotton to be utilized
in commonplace weavers. Since this
mixture cotton fiber is more grounded,
it is being utilized by Levi's, L.L. Bean,
Eileen Fisher, and Fieldcrest for gar-
ments like khakis (3).
References
• https://www.agricultureinindia.net/
cultivation/cotton-cultivation/cotton-
cultivation-how-to-cultivate-cotton-in-
india-a-guide-for-farmers/19726
• https://www.investindia.gov.in/team-
india-blogs/cotton-textile-industry-
india#:~:text=The%20first%20cot-
ton%20mill%20in%20India%20was%20
established,and%20was%20named%20
Bombay%20Spinning%20and%20Weav-
ing%20Company.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturally_
colored_cotton
• http://www.cicr.org.in/pdf/naturally_
colored_cotton.pdf

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
C O V E R S T O R Y 21
Abstract
Cotton fibre is well-known as a pri-
mary clothing fabric. Nonwovens have
become increasingly relevant in the
medical field in recent years. There
are, however, some materials that can
be reused for a limited amount of time.
Cotton improves the functionality and
marketability of the nonwovens. The
growing nonwovens category would
help the cotton industry as well as non-
wovens producers who choose to use
cotton fibre in their products. Cotton
nonwovens are known for their excel-
lent absorption and release properties,
as well as their comfort and softness.
Key words: Cotton, Knitting, Non-Wo-
ven, Non-woven cotton,
Introduction
Cotton fiber is notable as an essential
attire material, but its properties make
it suitable for nonwovens like diapers,
baby towels, feminine grooming, and
adult incontinence items. With growing
questions about synthetic fibres' envi-
ronmental effects, cotton provides a
flushable, compostable, and convenient
substitute. Cotton's natural absorben-
cy and hypoallergenic properties make
it a practical and convenient choice as
well.
For industrial applications, nonwoven
fabric and compounded materials are
commonly used. Nonwovens are eve-
rywhere around us. The structure of
knitted fabric is breathable as well as
compact. It is used in the design of a
mask which is used in our day to day
life. Nonwoven fabrics are widely used
in furniture and bedding. Nonwovens
can be used in the sofa one sits on, the
carpet one walks on, and the mattress
one sleeps on.
Cotton-based nonwovens manufactur-
ers and brands may be eligible to use
the well-known Seal of Cotton trade-
mark for marketing purposes. Con-
sumers recognize the Cotton Seal of
Quality at an average of 80% or higher
year after year. The Seal also serves as
a visual indication that the commodity
includes cotton, and customers consist-
ently prefer cotton for personal care
items when offered the choice.
Characteristics
Cotton nonwovens have superb absorp-
tion and release characteristics, as well
as outstanding comfort and softness.
To grow cotton nonwoven fabrics with
unique beneficial properties, a number
of fabric treatment options are possi-
ble. This may include the following:
● Anti-microbial/Anti-bacterial: An an-
timicrobial is a substance that destroys
or inhibits the development of microor-
ganisms.
● Antistatic: reduces, removes, or pre-
vents static electricity buildup.
● Biodegradable: able to decompose in
the presence of bacteria or other living
species, preventing contamination.
● Custom Machined Colors: Using pig-
ments instead of dyes to print textiles
saves a lot of water.
● Dry Cleaning Resistance: fast to
clean.
● Flame Retardant: Self-extinguishing.
● Hydrophilic: Cotton cellulose has
what are known as hydrophilic proper-
ties in chemistry.
What is it about non-woven cotton
that makes it so special?
The cotton industry, as well as non-
wovens manufacturers who want to
use cotton fibre in their products, will
benefit from the growing nonwovens
segment. Cotton's natural structure
and characteristics have practical and
marketable advantages for residential,
institutional, and industrial goods.
Cotton fibre is having a positive effect
on industries as diverse as consumer
goods, hospitals, and automobiles.
Cotton, for example, has proven to be
a valuable raw material for wipes in
the personal care industry because it
works better than synthetics and ap-
peals to customers.
Nonwoven Fabrics in consumer prod-
ucts
Have you ever used a dryer sheet to
NON-WOVEN COTTON TEXTILE
KHYATI SUTARIA
PG Department of Textile Science and Apparel Design,
SNDT University, Juhu, Mumbai

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
soften your clothes? Nonwoven fabrics
are a part of your everyday life. In the
consumer goods industry, nonwovens
have several benefits. Nonwovens are
suitable for tea bags and single-serving
coffee bags because they have no odour
or taste and are incredibly solid when
wet, meaning no tea leaves or coffee
grounds can float in your drink.
Dry floor cloths are both practical and
efficient. These nonwoven sheets are
thick enough to adhere to any surface,
trapping dust, dirt, and hair more ef-
fectively. You have already used a dryer
sheet at least once in your life. These
anti-static sheets are constructed of a
durable nonwoven cloth that can with-
stand high dryer temperatures. Dryer
sheets may also be made to emit scents
and softeners gradually through the
drying process
Other Nonwovens in Consumer Prod-
ucts
• Scouring pads and towels
• Baby bibs
• Cheese wrap
• Coffee and tea bags Filters
• Floor dusting cloths
• Laundry dryer sheets
• Reusable bags
• Cosmetic applicators and removers
• Envelopes, stickers and marks
• Vacuum, laundry, and dress bags
Conclusion
Year after year, consumers remember
the Cotton Seal of Quality is higher. A
variety of fabric treatment choices are
available to produce cotton nonwoven
fabrics with specific beneficial proper-
ties. Cotton nonwovens are disposable,
compostable, and convenient alterna-
N E W S
tives to synthetic fibres. Nonwovens
cotton is a practical and convenient al-
ternative because of its inherent absor-
bency and hypoallergenic properties.
Reference
• https://www.wptnonwovens.com/
blog/nonwoven-cotton-all-natural-
nonwoven-fiber/
• https://www.fibre2fashion.com/indus-
try-article/7285/applications-for-non-
wovens-in-technical-textiles
• https://www.cottoninc.com/quality-
products/nonwovens/why-cotton/
• https://www.wptnonwovens.com/non-
woven-cotton/
• https://www.inda.org/about-nonwo-
vens/nonwoven-markets/consumer-
products/
• https://www.cottoninc.com/quality-
products/nonwovens/
KELHEIM, Germany - The Bavarian thick strength fib-
er maker Kelheim Fibers has joined the ZDHC program
"Guide to Zero."
The non-benefit association with in excess of 160 givers
worldwide has laid out itself the objective of totally tak-
ing out destructive substances from the material worth
chain. The ZDHC rules give makers of Man-made Cel-
lulosic Fibers (MMCF) with uniform standards for es-
timating pointers like wastewater, air emanations and
other interaction related boundaries. The deliberate in-
formation is freely observed and distributed.
Kelheim Fibers, the world's first EMAS-approved thick
fiber maker, considers its To be contributorship as anoth-
er structure block headed straight toward significantly
more feasible fiber creation. "We need to build up our in-
dustry with our skill towards a greener future. Manage-
ability is a basic piece of our corporate way of thinking
and methodology. We completely support ZDHC's vision
of a broad execution of manageable science, driving ad-
Kelheim Fibers joins the ZDHC
"Guide to Zero" Program
vancements and best practices in material, clothing and
footwear enterprises to secure shoppers, laborers and the
climate," said Craig Barker, CEO at Kelheim Fibers.
"ZDHC gives us admittance to a scope of best practices
in compound administration and offers us the chance to
arrange and gain from one another with similar industry
accomplices. ZDHC's shared methodology will speed up
the shift to a more capable industry and we need to add
to that."

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
23
C O V E R S T O R Y
Introduction
COTTON - THE INDIAN
HERITAGE TEXTILE
ANNU JAIN
Faculty, Department of Textiles and Apparel Designing, Sir Vithaldas
Thackersey College of Home Science (Autonomous), SNDT Women’s
University, Mumbai.
Image no. 1 Cotton Plant
Amongst the different types of fabrics
available in India—chiefly wool, jute,
hemp, silk and cotton—it is cotton that
offers the richest styles of expression.
While other fabrics have a distinct
quality in texture, cotton being rela-
tively flat has been explored most in-
geniously by Indian weavers in terms
of colours and designs to create strik-
ing results [3].
TRADITIONAL TEXTILES USING COTTON
that, according to some Buddhist texts,
goes back to 500 BCE. [4]
Image no. 3 Kalamkari on Cotton Fabric
Image no. 2 Jamdani Weave on Cot-
ton Fabric
India has been well known for textile
since very ancient times. The origin
of Indian textiles can be traced to the
Indus valley civilization as early as
5th millennium BC. The people of that
civilization used homespun cotton for
weaving their garments and used in-
digo to color their fabric [1].
Clothes are one of the most creative
ways of expressing individuality, life-
style and culture. Every community,
region and culture has its own distinct
way of dressing and clothing. India has
a rich heritage of art and crafts which
is reflected in its textiles and fabrics.
The art of weaving and dyeing of fab-
rics was practiced in India from very
ancient times. Cotton in particular was
core to Indian textiles and has been
cultivated here since ancient times.
Ancient travelers described cotton cul-
tivation as sheep growing on trees, for
they only knew white wool, which was
taken from sheep. The centres known
for very finely woven cotton were in
Bengal, Varanasi, Chanderi and in
the towns of Uppada, Mangalagiri and
Venkatagiri of Andhra Pradesh and
many more [2].
Jamdani
Jamdani means a vase of flowers. Saris
are woven using this method are called
as terchha. [1] Made with handspun
and handwoven cotton, Jamdani uses
the extra-weft technique where the
weaver manually introduces opaque
motifs on a base of translucent cotton
while weaving. The test of a true Jam-
dani, it is said, lies in submerging the
fabric in water. The fine muslin base
should all but disappear, and the mo-
tifs appear to float freely. [4]
Punja Durries
Before the Mughals introduced Persian
carpets to India in the 16th century, we
had durries. Woven from cotton, wool
and even camel hair, India had a rich
tradition of weaving floor-coverings
Kalamkari
Kalamkari is an ancient style of hand
painting done on cotton or silk fabric
with a tamarind pen, using natural
dyes. The word Kalamkari is derived
from a Persian word where ‘kalam‘
means pen and ‘kari‘ refers to crafts-
manship. There are two identifiable
styles of Kalamkari art in India – Sri-
kalahasti style and Machilipatnam
style [5].
Ikat
Craftsmen have devised different
design and weaving methods, chief
amongst them being bandhani, kal-
amkari, block print and ikat. Ikat is
the most intricate and elaborate of all
these methods involving resist dye as
well as weaving of loose threads post
the dyeing. If both warp and weft are
resist dyed the resultant weave is
called ‘double ikat’ which is primarily
associated with the patola ikats of Pa-
tan, in Gujrat (Figure 1). And if either
the weft or the warp yarn alone is dyed,
the weave is termed ‘single ikat’, more
widely produced in Odisha [3].
Kota Doria
Kota Doria fabric has a square weave
pattern which makes it one of the fin-
est open weave fabric .The cotton, silk

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
and zari (fine metal threads) yarns are
woven on the pit loom that produces
these patterns. The cotton yarn pro-
vides stiffness and silk provides lustre
to the fabric.
Kunbi Sari
Kunbi is a cotton chequered sari in red
and white with a sturdy weave good
enough to be worn for farming. It has
a dobby border, which is essentially a
silken flat inset.
Ilkal Sari
With its origin in the Ilkal town of
Karnataka, Ilkal is woven using cot-
ton warp on the body and art silk warp
for border and silk warp for the pallu
portion of the saree. Pallu and body are
joined with kondi technique. red and
white are the main colors.
Mangalgiri
It is a fabric in prominently cotton with
a zari border. Main body which is to-
tally plain and zari border are in con-
trasting colours.
Sanganeri Print
Sanganeri printing gained high popu-
larity in the 16th and 17th centuries in
all European countries with its Calico
prints and became one of the major ex-
ports of the East India Company. San-
ganer motifs are mostly floral based
and intricate detailing.
Chanderi
A beautiful blend of Cotton, Silk thread
and zari results in Chanderi fabric.
Traditional looms are used as a prima-
ry means of production. These include
Dobby & Jacquard Looms. Most
Chanderis have a rich gold border and
butis all over fabric. Some have gold
checks or little motifs (known as butis).
Bandhani
Dyed in tie & dye style, the art of band-
hani is a highly skilled process. In this
the fabric is tied into small points with
threads and when dyed, the knotted
parts remain uncoloured. Different
types of tying methods are leheriya,
,mothda,ekdali, trikundi, chaubandi,
etc. It is also known as Bandhej, and
is made on superfine cotton, mulmul,
muslin, etc [1].
Conclusion
Cotton is an age old textile, which has
been used in Indian Textiles. The tra-
ditional Indian Textiles are majorly
made using Cotton due to its availabil-
ity, comfort, cost, dyeing, care and vari-
ous other properties. Although the use
of these traditional textiles have re-
duced due to the advent of Fast fashion
and Western influence, these textiles
and Cotton being the Heritage fabric of
India is surviving in these conditions.
Recently due to more knowledge and
publicity the Traditional Textiles are
being revived and the younger genera-
tion is accepting these textiles in new
garment designs.
References
1. Noopur, S. (2018, March 17). Textiles of In-
dia. Retrieved from
https://medium.com/@noopurshalini/tex-
tiles-of-india-d9f5e5310dc6
2. Artistic Heritage in Indian Textiles, (2008,
September). Retrieved from https://www.
fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/3660/
artistic-heritage-in-indian-textiles 3. Meher, S.
(2017, November 6). The Sambalpuri Ikat of
Odisha : History, Symbolism and Contempo-
rary Trends. Retrieved from
https://www.sahapedia.org/the-sambalpu-
ri-ikat-of-odisha-history-symbolism-and-con-
temp orary-t rends
4. Rana, V. (2019, November 8). 10 Fabrics
that are a Reflection of Indian Heritage. Re-
trieved from
https://www.cosmopolitan.in/fashion/fea-
tures/g18932/10-fabrics-are-reflection-indi-
an-her itage#s lide-17
5. Kalamkari. Retrieved from
https://www.utsavpedia.com/motifs-em-
broideries/kalamkari-art/
Image References
Image no. 1 Cotton - https://denimhunters.
com/denim-wiki/denim-explained/cotton/
Image no 2 Jamdani Weave on Cotton Fab-
ric -
https://www.unnatisilks.com/blog/jamdani-
a-fine-art-weave-attachment-on-fabrics-
part-i/
Image no. 3 Kalamkari on Cotton -
https://www.luxeva.com/2019/07/craft-re-
vival-an-ode-to-the-glorious-fading-textile-
form-of-kal amkari/
Israel's producer of nylon 6.6 strands, Nilit has dispatched manageable nylon fiber Sensil BioCare. Created to help the mate-
rial and clothing industry address ecological difficulties, for example, water utilization and its effect on the climate, the fiber
separates quicker in seawater and landfills.
Assembling as per Nilit's Total Product Sustainability (TPS) standards, Sensil BioCare is upgraded with an extraordinary
innovation that keeps it from wearing out and meddling with other execution added substances, completes or colors.
The fiber was tried in both landfill soil and seawater reenactments to comprehend its likely effect on the two environments.
It showed crumbling in both reproduced conditions during the trials in contrast with nylon fiber that does exclude the ex-
traordinary innovation, the delivery added.
The fiber has been tried by ASTM D6691 Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials
in the Marine Environment and ASTM D5511 Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic
Materials Under High-Solids Anaerobic-Digestion Conditions. These show that Sensil BioCare yarns will separate more
quickly than regular nylon. These discoveries highlight decreased waste aggregation in the two seas and landfills.
N E W S NILIT LAUNCHES SUSTAINABLE NYLON FIBER

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
25
C O V E R S T O R Y
Abstract
An ecofriendly herbal antibacterial fin-
ish has been prepared from the plant
extracts for textile utility. Microbial
increase on a fabric cloth causes lack
of strength and elongation, discol-
oration, and changes in appearance.
The antibacterial finishing agents ex-
tracted from nettle plant leaf are ac-
customed impart finish to the cotton
cloth through the use of the Pad-Dry-
Cure utility technique. Herbal extracts
from Ocimum sanctum (tulsi leaf) and
rind of pomegranate (pomegranate) are
carried out to cotton cloth through the
strategy of direct application, micro-
encapsulation, resin cross-linking and
their combinations. All the treatments
display good antibacterial properties
for the fabric. Except the tactic of direct
application, all different treatments
show proper washing durability up to
15 washes. The surface morphological
studies the use of SEM display the sur-
face coating, microcapsules and a few
fibrillation. The antibacterial activity
of Aloe Vera finished fabric were quali-
tatively evaluated through AATCC-147
technique sixteen and scanning elec-
tron microscope (SEM) technique.
It were observed that aloe vera gel
finished cloth has much less bacte-
rial adhesion. Evaluations of physical
properties of the treated fabrics were
done through monitoring the tensile
strength, elongation, roughness, water
absorbency (wettability). Finally, the
treated fabrics were evaluated as an-
timicrobial and characterized through
the mean of Scanning electron micro-
scope (SEM).
Keyword: Antibacterial, Cotton, Herb-
al, Textile Finishing, Medical Textile
Introduction
Natural cotton means cotton that is
grown without using any agriculture
chemicals or any pesticides. This cot-
ton is easily attacked by microorgan-
isms, it causes the strength of the fiber,
and elongation of the fiber looses and
also changes in fiber appearance. Some
treatments are done on textile mate-
rial to improve the looks and quality of
fabric that means finishing , but to im-
prove the appearance, feel of the fabric
and also make germ free fabric. Exam-
ple -Waterproof, bullet proof, fireproof
crease residents, antibacterial etc. Reg-
ular cotton is not clean and sometimes,
it causes fungal infection on the human
skin like rashes and skin disease. Due
to this we can use antibacterial fin-
ishing agents. Antibacterial finishing
agent means natural or synthetic sub-
stance that kills or inhibits the growth
of microorganisms such as fungi, bac-
teria and algae. Antibacterial finished
agent resistance against the positive
gram bacteria, negative germ bacte-
ria and mist. Some substance slowly
release iodine like phenols and thio-
phenols, antibiotics, heterocyclic and
anionic groups and related compounds,
formaldehyde derivatives, and amines.
These chemicals do not easily degrade
in the environment, some of these are
toxic to human. These chemicals cause
cancer and other side effects. Use of
synthetic product is quite risky and be-
coming problematic. So there is great
demand antibacterial finishing agent
based on eco-friendly, which reduce the
ill effect of bacterial growth on textile
material. Antibacterial finished cot-
ton is used in medical application and
hygiene products, air filters, ventila-
tor, food packaging, water-purification.
Nowdays, safety being very important,
germ-free and bacteria-free clothes are
the need of human beings. Antibacte-
rial finishing agent can be applied by
physical and chemical method and by
adding functional agent on the fabric.
Functional finish are two main type i.e.
temporary antibacterial finish and du-
rable antibacterial finish. Temporary
antibacterial finish lose when it comes
in contact with skin and body fluid
or washing process, because of weak
bonding of finishing agent with the sur-
face of fabric. Durable finish achieved
by adding antibacterial finishing agent
into fiber in wet processing.
Synthetic finishing agents are Tri-
closan, metal and their salts, phenols,
quaternary ammonium compounds, or-
ganometallics. Metal oxides like copper
ANTIBACTERIAL FINISHED COTTON
AISHWARYA GAVADE SANDEEP VISHWAKARMA
M. Tech. (Textile Technology)
D.K.T.E Society’s Textile & Engineering Institute
M. Tech. (Textile Technology)
D.K.T.E Society’s Textile & Engineering Institute

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
and zinc, titanium, magnesium, silver
and gold. Natural Antibacterial Agents
are sourced from Neem extract, Tulsi
leaves, Aloe Vera Sericin, Chitosan,
Tea tree, Cinnamon, Pomegranate
rind, Eucalyptus, Periwinkle, Henna
leaves. Others Sources of Eco-friendly
Antibacterial Agents are Chitosan,
Sericin, Tea-Leaves, Eucalyptus, Clove
oil, Onion skin or pulp, Adzuki beans
etc. These are the different natural
source of antibacterial finishing agent.
Regular uses of Cotton
a) Making yarns, Beds, Apparel Ma-
terials like T-Shirt, Suits and Cotton
Sarees etc.
b) It is used to make wick.
C) For Decorations, Making Doll, Home
Appliances.
d) For Making Cotton Paper, Bookbind-
ing, and Cotton Seed Oil.
Need of Anti-bacterial Finished
• To avoid the Infection by harmful Mi-
croorganisms.
• To control and kill the microbes.
• To arrest metabolism in microorgan-
isms in order to reduce the formation
of odor.
• To increase the strength, quality of
fiber and also increase the elongation
of the fiber.
• To improve the shine of the cotton.
• For making safe fabric.
For protection of cotton fabric there are
many natural finishes are applied to
cotton fabric these are listed below:
1. Aloe-Vera Finish
2. Neem Extract
3. Tulsi Leaves
Aloe-Vera Finish
To produce eco-friendly and natural
finish from Aloe-Vera extract for dif-
ferent textile materials. Citric acid and
methanol are used application of Aloe-
Vera finish to textile material. Concen-
tration of antibacterial agent are 1, 2,
3, 4 and 5 gpl. Fabric treated with con-
centration 5 gpl Aloe-Vera extraction
are excellent. Reduction of bacteria in
this case up to 99%. Finish durability
to washing of antibacterial property
treated sample was 98% after 50 wash-
ing.
Neem Finish
To control the growth of bacteria and
their negative effect like odors, stain
etc. This finish is applied to fabric by
two methods exhaust technique and
pad-dry-cure method. The concentra-
tion of neem extract is 3gpl and 5gpl.
As concentration of extract increase
bacterial reduction also increase. The
antibacterial effect on neem treated
wool fabric was durable after 20 wash-
ing.
Tulsi Finish
Tulsi belongs to Labiates family. It
consistuent are eugenol 70%, methyl
eugenol 20%, carvacrol 3%, Caryophy-
lin etc. It exhibited bacterial reduction
of 73% in challenge test. Tulsi oil have
the properties to resist the growth of
bacteria. This oil is added into the size
paste as preservative size for applica-
tion of cotton yarn in lea form.
Antibacterial Finishing Methodologies
• Exhaust technique
• Spray technique
• Pad-dry-cure method
• Microencapsulation
• Coating technique
• Nano encapsulation
Exhaust Technique
This method is for application of reac-
tive dyes as it is resistance to small
changes of system variables. It involves
two steps: Exhaustion and Fixation.
During exhaustion dyes are exhausted
from dye bath and come into the fiber
phase. High electrolyte concentration
is required to have adequate exhaus-
tion of the dye. In presence of an alkali
fixation of dye takes place. After the
addition of the alkali, the migration of
the dyes ceases and they start reacting
either with the fiber or also with water
molecules. After the fixation the treat-
ed fabric is thoroughly rinsed to wash
off the loose unfixed dyes from the fab-
ric materials.
Pad-dry-cure Method
The use of structure with a minimum
of one dimension of nanometer size for
the development of materials, device or
system significantly improved proper-
ties due to their Nano size. Nano par-
ticles are mostly used in commercial
products in the range of 1-100 nm.
They have unique physical and chemi-
cal properties. Silver Nano particles
(AgNPs) shows strong inhibitory and
antibacterial effects. Normally prepa-
ration of AgNPs using synthetic reduc-
ing agent associated with environmen-
tal toxicity.
Figure No 1. Padding Mangle
Coating Technique
In this method the polymetic layer is
Appling on one or both sides of the fab-
ric. Different types of techniques are
used for textile coating such as spray
technique, application of nanotechnol-
ogy, biotechnology, plasma technology
etc. Coating enhance and extend the
range of functional performance prop-
erties of textile.
Figure No. 2 Coating Technique
Spray Technique
Spray technique is that the polymer
applied by spray on the fabric. This
method is similar as coating technique.
In modern spray dryers the viscosity of
the solutions to be sprayed can be as
high as 300 mPa.
Figure No. 3 Spray Technique
Microencapsulation

A P R I L 2 0 2 1
27
C O V E R S T O R Y
In this process, tiny particles or drop-
lets are surrounded by coating to give
small capsules with useful properties.
Most microcapsules have pores with
diameters between a few nanometers
and a few micrometers. Coating mate-
rials are gum, carbohydrates, cellulose,
lipids and protein.
Figure No. 4 Microencapsulation
Nano-encapsulation
The technology of packaging nanopar-
ticles of solid, liquid, or gas, also known
as the core or active, within a second-
ary material, named as the matrix or
shell, to form Nano capsules.
Figure No. 5 Nano-Encapsulation
Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity
Table No 1.Evaluation of Antibacterial
Activity
Qualitative Quantitative
Parallel Streakmethod Bacterial reductionmethod
(AATCC 147-2004) (AATCC 100-2004)
Agar diffusionplate method
(ISO 20645)
Parallel streak method
This method tests the ability of the
treated textile to inhibit the growth
of microorganisms. This is quick and
easily executed qualitative method. It
determines the antibacterial activity of
diffusible antibacterial agent treated
on textile material. This method is not
suitable for samples that encapsulate
and prevent the diffusion of the anti-
bacterial agent or contain antibacteri-
al-neutralizing substances.
Method
A small piece of specimen is taken.
Sterilized nutrient agar is poured into
petri dish and allow to solidify. 24 hrs.
old broth culture mixed with sterile
distilled water. Gently press the speci-
men transversely across the streak.
The streak lines should be continues
without any break. Load one full loop
full on diluted inoculum and mark the
streak. Incubate at 37° - 2°C for 18-24
hrs.
Agar diffusion plate method
From this method, we can determined
the effects of antibacterial agent ap-
plied on textile materials. This method
is suitable for only diffusive test mate-
rials. It is easy to perform and simple.
Method
Figure No. 6 Agar Diffusion plate method
The test specimen cut into the circu-
lar manner. Placed in pre-conditioning
zone at room temperature for 12-24
hrs. Standard cotton fabric with no
antibacterial activity used as nega-
tive control. Pour prepared petri dish
and allow to solidify. Inoculate sterile
molten nutrient agar with bacterial
culture (upper layer). Sterilized nutri-
ent agar is poured into sterilized petri
dish and allow to solidify (lower layer).
Press the test specimen on the agar
surface. Incubate at 37°C for 18-24 hrs.
The presence of antimicrobial activity
is indicated by the absence of bacterial
growth directly below the test sample.
Figure No.7 Agar Plate
Bacterial reduction method
The ability of fabric or textile material
to inhibit the growth of microorgan-
isms or kill them, over a 24 hour’s pe-
riod of contact. The assessment of an-
tibacterial finishes on textile materials
and fabric finish is determined by the
degree of antibacterial activity. This
method is used to demonstrate antimi-
crobial performance against standard
bacteria. The standard microorgan-
isms tested are Staphylococcus aur-
ous and Klebsiella pneumonia. The
test microorganism is grown in liquid
culture. This method consists six main
steps preparation of samples, steriliza-
tion, inoculation, incubation, washing/
shaking out, and counting. Shape of
treated swatches are cut in a circular
from the fabric. Stack the swatches in
a wide-mouth glass jar with screw cap.
The amount of swatches to be used is
depends on the fiber type and fabric
construction. Swatches of an equiva-
lent fiber type and fabric construc-
tion as test sample but containing no
antibacterial finish (negative control).
Sterilization of samples is the optional
step. It depends upon the type of fab-
ric. Apply the dilution on the test sam-
ple for 24 hrs so that recovery from
untreated control fabric swatches or
treated test fabric swatches at “0” con-
tact time. The dilution of the test or-
gan- ism should be made in nutrient.
Incubate additional jars containing
inoculated untreated control swatches
and jars containing inoculated treated
test swatches at 37±2°C for 18-24 hrs.
After incubation, adding of neutraliz-
ing solution to jars containing untreat-
ed control swatches and to jars con-
taining treated test swatches. Shake a
jars for one minute. Then compare the
sample before test and after 18 hrs.
Figure No. 8 Bacterial Reduction Method
Application of antibacterial material
on cotton
Herbal extracts from tulsi leaf and
pomegranate rind have been applied
to cotton fabric by the method of direct
application, micro-encapsulation, resin
cross-linking and their combinations.
All the treatments show good antibac-
terial properties for the fabrics. Except
the director method application, other
treatment shows good washing dura-
bility up to 15 washes.

Cotton: The White Gold (April 2021)

Cotton: The White Gold (April 2021)

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Cotton: The White Gold (April 2021)

Similar to Cotton: The White Gold (April 2021) (20)

More from TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN

More from TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Cotton: The White Gold (April 2021)