With over four decades of presence in the market, Krishna Lamicoat is known to provide flexible cutting room solutions for the garment industry. Talking about the current dynamics of the market and the need for sustainable products, Ashok Chhajer, Director, Krishna Lamicoat shared his desire to introduce new ‘recycled’ product range in the apparel industry. According to him, a team of researchers led by the experienced directors in handling light weight material made Krishna Lamicoat capable of introducing new sustainable products for apparel industry at low cost.
The company uses both plastic and paper waste from the apparel industry and the packaging industry and recycles it to make two major products: recycled papers and recycled plastic films. The 100gsm paper, which is normally used in cutting room, is recycled to make a 30gsm lightweight paper, with substantial cost reduction of 25-40 per cent. The other product is garbage bags made of recycled plastic which are used to store and transport the cut parts and trims from one department to another in apparel industry.
The key strategy of the company is to drive the Indian apparel industry towards low-cost recycled products as the cost and ROI of any product are the most essential and deterministic factors. Change is always met with resistance initially and the same is being experienced by Krishna Lamicoat from the Indian manufacturers who have still not warmed up the idea of recycled products. The company envisages a potential market for recycled products in the future and wants to capture the maximum market share in it.
The company is planning to export recycled paper and printed plastic films to China. Commenting upon the same, Ashok shared, “We have a vision for 2018 and it is to become the most preferred supplier for cutting room material in the world”. The company is currently expanding its capacity at Bangalore and Delhi units, to make the best of the future opportunities.