Yamuna Machine Works’ Stenter Is Key To Sharman Shawls’ Success: Rajan Jain

For over five decades, Sharman Shawls has established itself as a name synonymous with luxury, innovation and uncompromising quality in the global textile industry. Present in more than 100 countries and serving over 5,000 customers worldwide, the company has built its reputation on creating premium textile products that combine exceptional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Guided by its philosophy of ‘Live Beautiful’, Sharman Shawls continues to invest in innovation, ensuring every product reflects the highest standards of quality and creativity.

The company’s journey dates back to 1949, when the Jain family entered the knitwear business. In the early 1970s, they expanded into weaving, marking the beginning of Sharman Shawls. “We started primarily with shawls,” recalls Rajan Jain, Managing Director of Sharman Shawls. “As the European market evolved, scarves became a growing trend and we quickly adapted to meet that demand.” Initially supplying exporters who showcased their products at international exhibitions, the company gradually established direct relationships with global buyers and expanded its footprint across Europe, the United States and other international markets.

Today, Sharman Shawls is a fully integrated textile manufacturer with complete in-house capabilities spanning spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing. Its product portfolio includes premium Pashmina, Kani and Jamawar shawls, scarves, bedspreads, blankets, throws, cushions, sarees, dress materials and dupattas. Backed by 186 shuttleless weaving looms, including 150 jacquard looms, the company caters to both domestic and export markets, while also manufacturing specialty wool yarns for customers in Italy.

Innovation remains one of the company’s greatest strengths. A dedicated team of 75 product development professionals works continuously on new colours, weaves, substrates and finishes, while partnerships with leading European design studios have helped Sharman Shawls stay ahead of changing fashion trends for more than two decades. Every year, the company develops over 5,000 new SKUs, presented through nearly 40 exclusive collections, supported by 25 advanced CAD stations that seamlessly transform creative concepts into production-ready designs.

As Sharman Shawls expanded into premium wool, silk and cashmere fabrics, finishing became one of the most critical stages of production. Processing delicate luxury fabrics demanded greater precision, flexibility and efficiency than conventional equipment could offer. This led the company to partner with Yamuna Machine Works, a decision that Rajan Jain says was driven by confidence built over years of positive feedback and personal interaction.

“I first heard about Yamuna through word of mouth,” Jain says. “The more I learnt about the company and met its people, the more confidence I developed. They genuinely understand the requirements of textile manufacturers and are always willing to customise solutions.”

That approach proved invaluable for Sharman Shawls. Rather than offering a standard machine, Yamuna customised its stenter to suit the company’s specialised product range, including extremely lightweight wool and silk fabrics with GSMs as low as 30–40 grams.

“Our products are niche,” explains Jain. “We work with wool, silk, cashmere and other delicate fabrics where quality is everything. Yamuna developed the machine according to our requirements, and that has been one of the biggest advantages.”

Today, the Yamuna stenter has become a multipurpose finishing solution within the company’s processing department. Besides drying fabrics, it is used for coating, fabric preparation before printing, pigment processing and finishing sarees, suitings and several specialty fabrics. According to Jain, the versatility of the machine has enabled the company to undertake processes that were previously difficult to achieve.

“Today we are using the machine for multiple applications. It has given us the flexibility to process different types of premium fabrics on a single platform, something we hadn’t imagined earlier.”

The investment has also delivered significant operational improvements. Before installing the stenter, the company relied on conventional drying methods involving multiple machines, resulting in high energy consumption and a more complicated production process.

“Earlier we didn’t even have a stenter,” Jain recalls. “We had to use several machines for drying. After installing Yamuna’s machine, the process became much more efficient. The automation is excellent, water consumption has reduced considerably and the machine is designed specifically for our kind of fabrics.”

Equally important has been Yamuna Machine Works’ after-sales support. Jain highlights the company’s responsiveness whenever technical assistance or product customisation is required.

“Their service support is extremely prompt. One phone call is enough and their team responds immediately. Whenever we develop a new product or require changes, they work with us until the machine performs exactly as needed.”

With Sharman Shawls continuing to expand its weaving capacity and planning a new processing facility, the company is already discussing additional processing equipment with Yamuna Machine Works. For Jain, however, the value of the partnership extends beyond machinery.

“We don’t calculate investments based only on payback periods,” he says. “Our products tell us whether the investment has been worthwhile. If a machine helps us achieve better quality and supports innovation, that’s the real return.”

When asked to describe Yamuna Machine Works in just three words, Jain’s response is immediate: “Reliable. Good. Value for money.”

For a company where every fabric represents craftsmanship and every finish reflects its commitment to excellence, those words carry significant weight. As Sharman Shawls continues its journey of innovation and global growth, its partnership with Yamuna Machine Works stands as a testament to how the right technology, backed by strong technical support and a customer-centric approach, can help transform manufacturing excellence into lasting business success.

(By Henry Dsouza, Associate Editor, Textile Insights)