THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS NOW: Intertek CEO top-to-top meeting with knitwear industry leaders in Tiruppur

09 October 2023, Coimbatore: Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has successfully conducted two illustrative events in India, in the presence of the Group CEO André Lacroix. Mr. André Lacroix visited Tiruppur, one of Asia’s biggest knitwear export hubs, on 4th October. The events were sustainability-oriented and attended by top industry stakeholders of the region’s textile and apparel industry. 55 km from Coimbatore, Tiruppur is home to 10,000 garment manufacturing units, of which the majority are MSMEs.

 

André met with key members of the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA) in a Round Table discussion on the Sustainability agenda. The workshop, hosted by Intertek, was designed to explore the development of Tiruppur as a Sustainability Cluster for MSMEs.

 

In attendance were leading textile manufacturers and brands like Poppys Knitwear, KM Knitwear, SNQS, Best Corporation, Esstee Exports, Techno Sport, CR Garments, Royal Classic, and Eastman Exports attended the workshop to discuss ways to strengthen their sustainability credentials and boost the adoption of digital tools and innovations within the Tiruppur cluster with Intertek’s expertise and support.

 

General Secretary N. Thirukkumaran from TEA spoke appreciatively about the invaluable role that Intertek is playing in supporting the region’s textile industry. “Mr. André Lacroix is an expert on the topic and sharing of his experience with a global perspective will be fruitful to Tiruppur exporters,” the TEA spokesperson said. “Intertek has been doing sustainability services in their global business for more than 100 years, providing end-to-end solutions so that the exporting units will ensure quality, safety, and sustainability in their business to protect all stakeholders connected with our business.” The textile industry in Tiruppur is especially open to collective efforts and knowledge-sharing, which was evident during these events.

 

Following the workshop, a large customer event was held for the major manufacturers, brands, and retailers from Tiruppur/Coimbatore, Chennai, and Bangalore. The event focused on the way ahead for India’s textile industry, through science-based customer excellence, sustainability leadership, and digital innovations for the future.

 

“At Intertek, we believe the Quality industry is moving from TIC – Testing, Inspection, Certification – to ATIC – which is Assurance, Testing, Inspection, and Certification,” André said in his opening remarks, “and eight years ago, we strengthened our Value Proposition in the marketplace with end-to-end assessment of quality, safety, and sustainability processes. Sustainability is indeed the movement of our times, and the future success of the Apparel industry will be determined by how effectively it adapts to it.”

 

As a global ATIC leader, Intertek leverages science and the latest technology to provide the industry with solutions in the quality assurance space for addressing today’s supply chain challenges. The company has remained a close partner of Tiruppur’s growth journey over the years; in fact, since 1998, when Intertek first expanded its presence to the buzzing garment manufacturing hub. Currently, Intertek’s sprawling Softlines Lab caters to the assurance, testing, inspection, and certification (ATIC) requirements of the textile belt of South India.

 

Part of Intertek’s wider efforts to support the development of the Indian textile industry includes their contribution to the Race to Net Zero Journey through sustainability initiatives and partnering in various socioeconomic development programmes, such as creating technical skill development and workforce training opportunities in Tiruppur and surrounding areas.

 

From providing industry-agnostic to industry-specific solutions to helping bring total quality, safety, and sustainability to life, CEO André Lacroix’s interactions with the region’s industry stakeholders were a reflection of how Intertek lives its customer promise every day; delivering the Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise consistently with precision, pace, and passion, enabling customers to power ahead safely.