Modern technology revolutionising embroidery industry in Surat

As modern technology comes into fashion, the world of Zari or embroidery, originally applied by weavers manually, is witnessing a big change in Surat, regarded as the Mecca of textiles in Gujarat.

By Shilesh

Surat (Gujarat), July 29 : As modern technology comes into fashion, the world of "Zari" or embroidery, originally applied by weavers manually, is witnessing a big change in Surat, regarded as the Mecca of textiles in Gujarat.

The embroidery work, which used to be done manually by the weavers, is now being done with the help of imported computerised machines that were introduced in the market during the recent slump in textile market.

Many workers, who spent most of their life doing manual embroidery on sarees, had started adapting themselves to the latest technology keeping the probable future demand in mind.

About 35,000 computerised embroidery machines are installed in Surat and being presently used for manufacturing sarees (women's traditional drape).

An estimated 185 million dollars has been invested to acquire these machines in a span of five years.

The new technology has made it possible to print intricate embroidered designs on large pieces of clothes in cost-effective fashion.

Devkishan Mungani, Acting President, Federation of Surat Textiles and Traders' Association, said: "A change in customers' choice has been noticed this year. People are again getting attracted towards print. In Surat, 25 to 40 per cent print clothes are in demand."

Mungani said: "It will give a chance to the processing units to make a comeback. Work in embroidery machines is losing foothold and there is lot of competition in the market."

With the advent of embroidery machines, newer technologies like 'Zari' (or embroidery work) on multi-head and schifilli machines have also come into existence.

Today, there is a growing demand for such printed designs and the original manual embroiders are feeling the affect.

As popular festivals like Eid and Diwali are round the corner, thousand of traditional embroidery workers are under pressure to come up with their creative best to draw customers this festival season.

Pravin Jain, one such worker, said: "We have to introduce new creations in sequences only then we can survive in the market. If we failed to do so, other markets would take the lead. "

Surat, a market for synthetics, is also into yarn production, weaving and processing. It exports its textile products across Asia.

The textile and clothing sector is the largest employer after agriculture and accounts for 14 per cent of industrial production, providing jobs to over 30 million people.

According to industrial estimates, the total size of Indian textile industry in 2005 stood at 46 billion dollars, including the domestic market, which is roughly estimated at 29 billion dollars. The export market stands for 17 billion dollars.

ANI