A US $48.3 billion corporation, the Aditya Birla Group is in the League of Fortune 500. Anchored by an extraordinary force of over 120,000 employees belonging to 42 nationalities, the Group is built on a strong foundation of stakeholder value creation. With over seven decades of responsible business practices, the group’s businesses have grown into global powerhouses in a wide range of sectors – metals, pulp and fibre, chemicals, textiles, carbon black, telecom and cement. Today, over 50% of Group revenues flow from overseas operations that span 36 countries in North and South America, Africa and Asia.
Textile constitutes and important part of the Group’s business lead by Grasim Industries and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.
The Group’s flagship company, Grasim Industries’ Viscose business recorded another year of exceptional performance in 2019 contributed by viscose staple fibre (VSF) as well as viscose filament yarn (VFY). The company’s strong thrust on sustainability is demonstrated by the substantial investments committed towards the same.
The tremendous success of the company brand LIVA can be attributed to Grasim’s relentless focus on customer centricity over the years. LIVA, predominantly a women’s apparel brand, has been extended to the home textile space-furnishing, bed linen and carpets.
The capacity expansion at the Vilayat plant is progressing well. Post expansion (FY21) it will be the single largest location plant of VSF in Asia (ex-China). The total VSF capacity will get enhanced to 788 KTPA from 566 KTPA. In FY19, Viscose net revenue grew by 23% YoY to Rs. 10,325 crores.
Production efficiency and improved customer experience are prime focus areas for innovations in VSF production facilities. One key initiative has been expanding the gradual implementation of technologies that reduce in-process material consumption. Process developments reducing the usage of energy and water are also reducing costs, while enhancing sustainability.
Grasim’s work to improve its customers’ experience includes specific technologies to improve non-woven spunlacing process performance, dope-dyed fibre uniformity leading to higher efficiency yarn spinning and quality, and improved spinning performance for greige fibres. In addition, the company’s higher effort for differentiated products has resulted in several new offerings at different stages of commercialisation.
Liva Sno, a fibre with high whiteness, is now produced in regular campaigns for applications like uniforms, melange and patterned fabrics. This provides an environmentally friendly alternative to customers’ existing downstream processes for producing yarns and fabrics with high whiteness.
Livaeco, a fibre recently launched with molecular tagging, provides supply-chain traceability for its branded products that incorporate special sustainability attributes. The differentiated products pipeline continues to progress with three additional value-added products from its pilot plant, having gone through customer acceptance tests. These will be scaled up to commercial production and sales in the coming year.
Overall the fibre quality continues to improve with the objective of bringing fibre lines to the global benchmark quality levels by adopting the “Product by Process” approach using Six Sigma principles. During FY19, continued upgrades to its production lines has resulted in 78% of capacity now being mechanically capable of producing benchmark quality.
The company is now aggressively addressing a key quality challenge, the growing vortex (MVS) type yarn-spinning demand, which requires especially low fibre imperfection levels. MVS Grade production has been increased from 64% in FY17 to 82% this year, and the goal is to achieve 90% in FY20. As a result of these efforts, customer complaints have been reduced.
The Quality Initiative focus for the coming year will be improving the process stability and product quality of nonbenchmark production lines through innovative solutions requiring little new capital.
Grasim’s journey in the Excel® project reached a critical milestone with the commissioning of the new 45 TPD plant based on the environment-friendly solvent spinning technology developed in-house. The new technology offers a higher performance product with improved sustainability as a key growth alternative for its business.
The new plant has set the platform for rapid “take-off” of its technology in the coming years. The Textile Research and Application Development Centre (TRADC) continues to be a significant contributor to ensure global leadership through development of innovative applications, such as the Men’s range, Home Textiles and the Warp knit range which were considered as challenges for VSF.
In collaboration with internal and external customers, TRADC brings contemporary, innovative and cost-effective solutions for the global fashion industry through continuous improvement in quality by process development, with an eye on sustainability. Recently a brand has selected its dope-dyed fibres for blending with polyester for Sportswear.
Similarly, Modal and Excel are finding application in the place of 100% cotton in sarees and dhoti.
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL)
ABFRL clocks revenue of Rs. 8,118 cr. spanning retail space of 7.5 million sq.ft. (as on March 31, 2019), it is India’s first billion-dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats.
ABFRL emerged after the consolidation of the branded apparel businesses of Aditya Birla Group comprising ABNL’s Madura Fashion division and ABNL’s subsidiaries — Pantaloons Fashion and Retail (PFRL) and Madura Fashion & Lifestyle (MFL) in May 2015. Post the consolidation, PFRL was renamed Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.
As a fashion conglomerate, ABFRL has a strong network of 2,714 brand stores across 750 cities in the country. It is present across 18000+ multi-brand outlets and 5000+ point of sales in department stores across India. It has a repertoire of leading brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England established for over 25 years.
In order to maintain its leadership position, ABFRL continues to invest in building strong vibrant brands that evolve with the changing customer needs. The brand focus will be extended into enhanced product design and a refreshed store experience. The focus on product innovation will continue to drive the differentiation, supplemented with initiatives to interact with customers continuously. The Company will continue to test and implement latest methods of engagement with the customers and create strong associations to strengthen its brands. The organisation’s consumer-centricity framework is based on continuous research, big data analytics, real-time feedback from retail outlets and an engaged customer loyalty programme.
Jaya Shree Textiles
Jaya Shree Textiles, part of the illustrious Aditya Birla Group, is India’s top linen brand manufacturing company. Set up in 1949, it is the first integrated Linen factory in the country with state-of-the-art facilities equipped with the latest spinning, weaving and finishing system from Switzerland and Italy. A leading player in the domestic linen and worsted yarn segment, the company has significantly revolutionised the Indian textile market by popularising ‘linen’ in India across a wide customer base with its brand “Linen Club”.
Brand – Linen Club
Linen Club is the pioneer linen brand in India with over six decades of experience. A brand that is today inseparable from the paradigm of fine linen in India and the world. It has been at the forefront of developing the linen market and introducing this wonder fabric to the discerning Indian consumers.