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Divya S
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As industries place greater emphasis on workplace safety and regulatory compliance, demand for high-performance technical textiles is gaining momentum. From cut-resistant gloves and specialised harnesses to lightweight protective equipment, innovations in fibres and coatings are reshaping industrial safety solutions. KARAM Safety, a leading global occupational safety brand, offers over 3,800 certified products and exports its safety solutions to more than 140 countries. Rajesh Nigam, President – Technical, KARAM Safety, in an interaction with Divya Shetty, discusses evolving demand for protective textiles, the company’s expansion plans, advances in material technology and the challenges Indian manufacturers face in competing with global players.
How is the demand for protective textiles in safety apparel evolving across industries such as construction, manufacturing, chemicals and infrastructure?
This is a very good opportunity for technical textiles because nowadays, it is all about replacing existing materials with newer ones. We are seeing good growth in electrical insulation gloves, heat-resistant gloves and arc-flash-resistant gloves. All these products use very high-quality, technical yarns.
With so much emphasis on infrastructure, safety and increasingly stringent compliance requirements, I think there is a great future for technical textiles.
What are the key performance requirements when developing fabrics and garments for industrial safety applications, particularly in terms of durability, comfort and protection?
Different products have different requirements. If I look at our business, we are mainly into fall protection. Even within fall protection, our specialised harnesses are becoming increasingly popular because they are used in places where there are electrical arcs, flashes, etc.
We also produce superior-quality webbings for harnesses, where we use different types of coatings to make them oil-resistant and water-resistant.
When it comes to gloves, there are very specific requirements, such as high abrasion resistance and cut resistance. These can only be achieved by using highly sophisticated technical yarns.
On the garment side, particularly in environments involving fire and high temperatures, technical textiles are essential.
How important are technical textiles becoming within KARAM Safety’s product portfolio, and which application areas offer the strongest growth potential?
I think gloves will be the strongest growth area for us, where technical textiles will become increasingly important.
We are not into workwear as of now, but if I talk about the industry in general, I think workwear is the biggest consumer of technical textiles.
What percentage of KARAM Safety’s current product portfolio comprises gloves?
Gloves currently account for roughly 10 per cent, or slightly less than 10 per cent, of our production. However, with our new plant coming up in Coimbatore, we will probably increase our production capacity to more than three to four times the existing capacity.
Who are your major buyers? Do you primarily cater to the domestic market or international customers?
We cater to almost every industry. Right now, we are not exporting much in the gloves category. It is primarily the domestic market because we do not have that kind of production capacity.
Once we have the required capacity, there will certainly be opportunities in international markets. We are already present across the globe and have subsidiaries in several countries, apart from China and Russia. So, it will be a big opportunity for us once we develop the required capacity.
How are innovations in fibres, coatings, laminates and fabric engineering improving the performance of protective clothing?
This is all about R&D and new innovations. The fibres that were being used six or seven years ago and those being used today are completely different.
It is a rapidly changing environment, and with a lot of research being undertaken, I believe this industry will continue to develop at a very fast pace.
What challenges does the Indian protective textile industry face in terms of raw materials, testing standards, certification and domestic manufacturing capabilities?
I think the biggest challenge we face is competition from Chinese manufacturers. I am not able to understand why we are unable to produce products that are as competitive as those manufactured in China.
Surprisingly, their quality is also getting better and better. So, that will be the biggest challenge for us in the future. If we can strengthen our own R&D and product development capabilities to compete with them, that would be excellent.
Looking ahead, how do you see trends such as lightweight materials, sustainable textiles and smart fabrics shaping the future of industrial protective clothing?
Today, everyone is talking about reducing the weight of products. Whether it is fall protection equipment, garments or gloves, nobody wants to carry unnecessary weight. So, there is plenty of scope for lighter fabrics.
Fashion is also evolving at a very fast pace. Twenty years ago, a safety shoe would be a simple black leather shoe with an injected sole. But today, if you look at safety shoes, you will find very fashionable, sporty designs that are as good as those offered by major European brands.
I think this is another area where there is a lot of scope for growth.
The post Rajesh Nigam: Our biggest challenge is competition from Chinese manufacturers appeared first on Indian Textile Journal.
How is the demand for protective textiles in safety apparel evolving across industries such as construction, manufacturing, chemicals and infrastructure?
This is a very good opportunity for technical textiles because nowadays, it is all about replacing existing materials with newer ones. We are seeing good growth in electrical insulation gloves, heat-resistant gloves and arc-flash-resistant gloves. All these products use very high-quality, technical yarns.
With so much emphasis on infrastructure, safety and increasingly stringent compliance requirements, I think there is a great future for technical textiles.
What are the key performance requirements when developing fabrics and garments for industrial safety applications, particularly in terms of durability, comfort and protection?
Different products have different requirements. If I look at our business, we are mainly into fall protection. Even within fall protection, our specialised harnesses are becoming increasingly popular because they are used in places where there are electrical arcs, flashes, etc.
We also produce superior-quality webbings for harnesses, where we use different types of coatings to make them oil-resistant and water-resistant.
When it comes to gloves, there are very specific requirements, such as high abrasion resistance and cut resistance. These can only be achieved by using highly sophisticated technical yarns.
On the garment side, particularly in environments involving fire and high temperatures, technical textiles are essential.
How important are technical textiles becoming within KARAM Safety’s product portfolio, and which application areas offer the strongest growth potential?
I think gloves will be the strongest growth area for us, where technical textiles will become increasingly important.
We are not into workwear as of now, but if I talk about the industry in general, I think workwear is the biggest consumer of technical textiles.
What percentage of KARAM Safety’s current product portfolio comprises gloves?
Gloves currently account for roughly 10 per cent, or slightly less than 10 per cent, of our production. However, with our new plant coming up in Coimbatore, we will probably increase our production capacity to more than three to four times the existing capacity.
Who are your major buyers? Do you primarily cater to the domestic market or international customers?
We cater to almost every industry. Right now, we are not exporting much in the gloves category. It is primarily the domestic market because we do not have that kind of production capacity.
Once we have the required capacity, there will certainly be opportunities in international markets. We are already present across the globe and have subsidiaries in several countries, apart from China and Russia. So, it will be a big opportunity for us once we develop the required capacity.
How are innovations in fibres, coatings, laminates and fabric engineering improving the performance of protective clothing?
This is all about R&D and new innovations. The fibres that were being used six or seven years ago and those being used today are completely different.
It is a rapidly changing environment, and with a lot of research being undertaken, I believe this industry will continue to develop at a very fast pace.
What challenges does the Indian protective textile industry face in terms of raw materials, testing standards, certification and domestic manufacturing capabilities?
I think the biggest challenge we face is competition from Chinese manufacturers. I am not able to understand why we are unable to produce products that are as competitive as those manufactured in China.
Surprisingly, their quality is also getting better and better. So, that will be the biggest challenge for us in the future. If we can strengthen our own R&D and product development capabilities to compete with them, that would be excellent.
Looking ahead, how do you see trends such as lightweight materials, sustainable textiles and smart fabrics shaping the future of industrial protective clothing?
Today, everyone is talking about reducing the weight of products. Whether it is fall protection equipment, garments or gloves, nobody wants to carry unnecessary weight. So, there is plenty of scope for lighter fabrics.
Fashion is also evolving at a very fast pace. Twenty years ago, a safety shoe would be a simple black leather shoe with an injected sole. But today, if you look at safety shoes, you will find very fashionable, sporty designs that are as good as those offered by major European brands.
I think this is another area where there is a lot of scope for growth.
The post Rajesh Nigam: Our biggest challenge is competition from Chinese manufacturers appeared first on Indian Textile Journal.