Karl Mayer Sees Strong Growth Potential For Warp Knitting In India
Mark Smith, Deputy Vice President of Sales, Business Unit Warp Knitting at Karl Mayer, highlighted India’s growing significance for warp knitting during ITMA Asia + CITME 2025. He noted that India is shifting from traditional spun yarn to filament yarns, creating opportunities for higher-quality applications such as athleisure wear and home furnishings.
“India is an exciting market for us,” Smith said. “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 and a strong growth potential.”
He also emphasized training and skill development as key to the sector’s growth in India. Karl Mayer’s academy in Surat provides courses ranging from basic to advanced technical training, including management-level programmes to help owners understand and optimize factory operations. “You have to train people to understand warp knitting before the market can fully adopt it,” he said. The academy also supports graduate students and certifies participants to improve career prospects.
On market trends, Smith added, “The focus is on higher-quality filament fabrics. We aim to build awareness, train people and show them the value of warp knitting, long before they purchase machines.”
The company’s approach combines education, innovation and technology, aiming to expand warp knitting adoption across India, while ensuring efficiency and sustainability in textile production.
