First-ever Indian International Textile Machinery Exhibition held in Africa shows growing bonds between major ‘poles of growth’ (en)
India’s premier industry body for the textile machinery sector inaugurated its first-ever event in Africa on 14 February 2020 with guest of honour Dorothy Tembo, acting Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, delivering a special opening address.
Africa’s first International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITME Africa 2020) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was organized by the India International Textile Machinery Exhibitions Society (India ITME Society) in partnership with the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associations.
More than 180 exhibitors from 14 countries will participate in the event, with country pavilions from India, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey showcasing state-of-the-art technologies in the textiles sector.
‘The inauguration of ITME Africa 2020 marks a remarkable stage in the relationship between two major poles of growth – the African continent and India,’ Ms. Tembo said. ‘Over the past two decades, trade between India and the African continent has increased more than eight-fold.’
ITC is a trade and investment partner for the event through its Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA) initiative.
During ITME Africa 2020, ITC will organize an investment seminar, focusing on the results of a recent, specially undertaken survey on technology upgrading in East Africa’s textile and apparel sector.
In the survey, more than 100 textile and apparel manufacturing companies from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania said they wanted to upgrade their technology to:
• Improve resource efficiency, productivity and profitability
• Comply with international standards
• Diversify products and markets
In addition, ITC will facilitate business-to-business meetings for textile companies from across Africa with Indian counterparts.
‘Africa’s growing importance as a sourcing destination for textiles cannot be disputed,’ Mr. S. Hari Shankar, Chairman, India ITME Society, said. ‘The continent affords abundant opportunities to the international textiles market, and we hope that this event will catalyze business partnerships that will further develop the textiles value chain across Africa.’
ITME Africa 2020 was set to include a fashion show featuring designers from India, Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda. The designers from East Africa are beneficiaries of SITA’s Mitreeki East Africa-India partnership which seeks to support women-owned businesses in the region through the provision of technical and business management skills.
Funded by the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development (DFID), SITA aims to improve the competitiveness of select value chains in five East African countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania – through the provision of partnerships with institutions and businesses from India.