HCA, a 108-year-old company has expertise in all sewing related segments. They provide spare parts for finishing and stitching -- all garmenting related items. “Currently, we have a tie-up with 16 global companies. Things have been running smoothly till GST was introduced. This caused some disruption but now all is back on track. We expect things to improve March onwards,” says Megha Anand Dudhoria, Director (Sales and Marketing).

Dudhoria sees labour issues as the main challenge for the apparel sector, “When it comes to skilled labour. Laws are completely in favour of workers. Their work is not productive and it is a catch 22 situation. Infrastructure is another major issue the Indian garmenting industry is facing. Duty drawback to exporter is another area where the government needs to work on.”

She says HCA is doing a little production in India, basically automation. “The market is changing, people are shifting to server motors, they are looking for more productivity, however on the positive side, they are becoming more quality conscious.” Exhibiting at the recent GTE in Delhi, she says GTE is phenomenal as it has always been, “We are very happy to be here. The platform is really helpful for buyers and sellers. We are looking forward to more productive results post GTE.”