Insights

• Karl Mayer saw record interest from India at ITMA ASIA 2025, with nearly 30 per cent of qualified discussions.
• India is shifting from weaving to warp knitting and from staple to filament fibres, boosting demand for functional fabrics.
• Major manufacturers and officials showed strong interest, while new machines, digital services and training support market growth.

ITMA ASIA 2025 exceeded all expectations for KARL MAYER – above all thanks to the strong interest from India: around 30% of the qualified discussions were held with partners from this traditional textile country.

The response underlines the growing importance of the Indian market, which could become the second largest sales region for KARL MAYER after China. The warp knitting industry in particular is developing dynamically.

“India is an exciting market for us,” says Mark Smith, Deputy Vice President of Sales, Business Unit Warp Knitting at KARL MAYER. 

A clear shift in technology – from staple to filament fibres and from weaving to knitting – is opening up new opportunities. To take advantage of these, strong partners are needed: “KARL MAYER not only sells machines, but also builds the market,” emphasises Navin Agrawal, Senior Vice President of A.T.E. Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

From a marginal business to a beacon of hope 

Warp knitting has developed from a niche segment to a central component of textile production in India. According to Navin Agrawal, KARL MAYER has installed around 1,500 machines over the last 15 years and now holds a 60 to 70% market share – with an upward tendency. The trend towards functional fabrics for clothing, athleisure wear and sportswear is driving many manufacturers to switch from simple mesh textiles, for example for traditional clothing and embroidery grounds, to high-quality warp knitted fabrics, made on filament fibres.

“We’re seeing a transition from rigid fabrics to semi-stretch and elastic fabrics, especially in Tirupur, moving from mosquito nets to athleisure wear. This gives a greater focus on warp knitting,” confirms Mark Smith.

Tirupur is considered the “Knitwear Capital of India” with many manufacturers which shows interest to venture into warp knitting for activewear and sportswear applications,

Major players such as TechnoSport from Turupur have already installed multiple KARL MAYER machines and are expanding further. Interest among visitors from the industrial city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu was correspondingly high.

In Ludhiana and Panipat – centres for home textiles – many big corporate customers are also planning to venture in warp knitting for apparel sector.

Trident, known for its excellence in home textiles, is now evaluating opportunities in apparel, a segment where warp knitting and synthetic filament technologies will play a key role. 

Shahi Exports, one of the largest garment and textile house in India, shows good interest in warp knitting. Kanak Israni, Procurement Head and her team gathered comprehensive information about the possibilities this offers. 

Particularly noteworthy was the visit by an official Indian delegation led by Shri Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Textiles, who emphasised the role of warp knitting in the future of the Indian textile industry.

Support that paves the way

At ITMA ASIA, KARL MAYER impressively demonstrated it supports the introduction and expansion of warp knitting in India – with innovative machines, strong service and comprehensive expertise.

Two machine premieres were the focus of the exhibition: The HKS 2-SE TWO impresses with high productivity, compact design and easy operation – ideal for the growing elastic market. The HKS 4-M EL ECO is aimed at the price-conscious fashion market. An accompanying textile show presented matching fabrics and clothing examples and inspired visitors to exchange ideas with the experts.

Unique Care Solutions offerings ensure high machine availability. The core elements are sophisticated digital services, including Remote Support flat for efficient remote diagnosis and maintenance, and a dashboard for efficient performance monitoring of the machine park. There were numerous enquiries about this at the trade fair.

Care Solutions ensure maximum machine availability with digital services such as Remote Support flat for efficient remote diagnosis and maintenance, and a dashboard for efficient performance monitoring of the machines. There were numerous enquiries about this. Great interest was also shown in the KARL MAYER Academy in Surat, which contributes significantly to skills development in the Indian warp knitting sector with training courses ranging from technical basics to management training.