Completing two decades, the 40th India Knit Fair, Tirupur, claimed by organizers (AEPC and TEA) as one of India’s biggest and only sourcing show in Tirupur, was recently organized from 6-8 May in which 40 companies displayed their collections. Though organizers claimed that a total of 30 buyers and 115 buying houses/agents visited the fair, a majority of exhibitors were not happy as there were very few foreign buyers at the event. Even local agents or buying houses which used to come in good numbers in the past editions of the event were less this time. S. Senthilkumar, Proprietor of Sri Sowbarnika Tex claims to have met only one foreign buyer and three agents. “Promotion of the fair doesn’t seem to have been done properly, as market is dull, it naturally requires more efforts,” he said. The company manufactures men’s, women’s and children’s wear and has buyers in Netherlands, Canada and Spain. Echoing the same, V. Prakash, Partner of Aeon Garments did not even get one single buyer. According to him, “We work directly, so there is not much use of buying agents. And since apart from this fair, we don’t have any other opportunity in Tirupur to meet foreign buyers directly, we are forced to participate in this event.”
Apart from more than 25 medium-level exporters, there were companies like Eastman Exports Global Clothing, BNT Innovations and few other big and well-known exporters of the city who exhibited at the show.
Replying to how the fair served their purpose, C. Elango of Tubeknit Fashions said optimistically, “As we are lifemembers of the fair, and we got a lot of buyers from the initial editions of the fair, we have to support it. Organizers are providing tickets and accommodation to the buyers, but slow market conditions is one of the main reasons for low visitation of the buyers. We can hope for better shows in the future as market improves.”