Arvind Mills bags DuPont accreditation for Lycra scheme

Our Bureau

Ahmedabad, Aug 31: Ahmedabad-based Arvind Mills Limited, one of the country’s leading denim exporters and suppliers, has received DuPont’s accreditation for its Lycra Assured programme. Arvind would now work closely with DuPont Apparel & Textile Sciences on the latest Lycra innovations that are ruling the fashion scene worldwide.

According to a company release, the accreditation gives Arvind Mills preferential access to DuPont’s innovations and new products. The agreement also allows the company to use Lycra Assured trademark logo on a royalty-free basis for trade purposes.

“Many of the Indian mills use Lycra, but Arvind qualified for Lycra Accredited Mills programme, as they have a strong working relationship with DuPont and demonstrated a definite commitment to quality,” said Lycra India director Satish Khurana. On production and quality criteria, Mr Khurana said that stretch fabrics with Lycra would be an important part of Arvind’s overall production mix. The company will implement DuPont-approved quality controls, share fabric test results and consistently produce fabrics which meet DuPont Lycra quality specifications.

Arvind Mills denim business head Milind Hardikar said, “Arvind has been a world leader in developing speciality denims which are in the forefront of the denim revival now sweeping across the western world.”

It may be mentioned that Arvind is India’s largest manufacturer of premium stretch fabrics using DuPont’s Lycra technology. The company has been manufacturing 8 million metres per annum of stretch products in denim, and plans to dedicate over 12 per cent of its capacities for stretch fabrics.

Arvind Shirtings business currently manufactures 1.5 million metres p.a and is looking at doubling its capacity in stretch varieties. While Avind recorded total sales of Rs 1,197 crore for 2000-01, of which exports sales constituted Rs 565 crore, the company is expected to achieve an additional turnover of Rs 150 crore with Lycra-blended fabrics in the first year of its working with Dupont. According to the release, Lycra DuPont and Arvind Mills are planning a series of presentations of the newly developed fabrics in Lycra blends in denims, trousers and shirting fabrics, and also an impressive range in knits.