KARL MAYER Targets India’s Growth In Warp Knitting And Technical Textiles At India ITME 2026

KARL MAYER will showcase its latest machinery technologies and textile innovations for warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles at INDIA ITME 2026, as it looks to capitalise on India’s growing demand for advanced manufacturing solutions and value-added textile products.

The exhibition will take place from December 4-9, 2026, at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida. KARL MAYER will welcome visitors at Booth 15G19 in Hall 15, featuring multimedia machine presentations, textile applications and interactions with its technical and market experts.

The company will also present its expanded spare parts webshop for India, which now includes commonly required wear parts for knitting machines. The offering will be showcased for the first time at INDIA ITME by KARL MAYER’s Care Solutions team.

India’s textile industry is increasingly focusing on technological advancement, export competitiveness and higher-value products. KARL MAYER sees opportunities across segments such as athleisure, footwear, weaving preparation and technical textiles.

Warp Knitting: New Technologies for Growing Markets
Among the key highlights will be the latest-generation Tricot machines and Jacquard double needle bar Raschel machines. Demand for these technologies is being supported by the expansion of man-made fibre processing and the growing market for specialised textile products.

The athleisure and footwear segments, in particular, are driving investment in advanced warp knitting technologies.

Mark Smith, Deputy Vice President of Sales, Business Unit Warp Knitting at KARL MAYER.

“We’re seeing a great deal of interest in our technology from circular knitters. They recognise the advantages in terms of output and consistent quality and want to expand their product range to include warp-knitted fabrics,” said Mark Smith, Deputy Vice President of Sales, Business Unit Warp Knitting at KARL MAYER.

Two- and three-bar Tricot machines remain among the company’s best-selling products in India. Their flexibility and efficiency make them suitable for manufacturing high-quality fabrics for comfortable and functional athleisure wear. At INDIA ITME, visitors will be able to explore the capabilities of the latest models through large-screen machine demonstrations.

Another highlight will be the new Jacquard double needle bar Raschel machines for producing shoe uppers with Jacquard patterns. Recently launched at ITMA ASIA, these machines offer greater design flexibility for footwear manufacturers.

KARL MAYER will also present a range of textile samples and application concepts covering home textiles, apparel and emerging product categories. These will include woven-like warp-knitted fabrics, four-way stretch materials and functional athleisure products.

Smith sees particular potential in seamless body-mapping concepts and footwear fabrics featuring varied Jacquard patterns, which are expected to generate interest among manufacturers exploring new product opportunities.

He will also contribute to the exhibition’s supporting programme as a keynote speaker and panellist at the Textile Horizons conference. Alongside representatives from Bamag, Uster, Brückner and other industry companies, Smith will discuss robotics and automation in yarn and fabric formation.

Warp Preparation: Integrated Solutions for Weaving
KARL MAYER’s Warp Preparation business unit will present its portfolio of technologies for weaving preparation, including creels, direct warping, sectional warping and sample warping machines, sizing and assembly machines, and indigo dyeing lines. The solutions will also be presented through digital demonstrations.

For India, the combination of the PROSIZE sizing machine and WARPDIRECT warping machine, integrated with a V-shaped creel, offers particular relevance given the extensive use of staple fibres in the country’s textile industry.

The PROSIZE sizing machine is designed to improve sizing efficiency, offering potential size savings of up to 10%, a cover factor of up to 100%, reduced yarn stretching and the elimination of stop marks.

The WARPDIRECT warping machine combines high-speed operation with reliability, precise winding-density control and reduced yarn waste. These features support higher productivity and consistent warp quality.

Together, PROSIZE and WARPDIRECT provide an integrated solution aimed at improving weaving performance, operational efficiency, fabric quality and profitability.

Technical Textiles: Opportunities in Geotextiles and Composites
Technical textiles represent another promising growth area in India, with demand emerging from infrastructure, transportation and renewable energy.

KARL MAYER sees opportunities for its weft-insertion warp knitting machines, which are used to produce geogrids for applications such as slope stabilisation. Its composite machinery solutions also support the production of reinforcement fabrics for a range of industrial applications.

The transportation sector offers further potential as composite materials find wider use in vehicle and rail applications. Composite components are increasingly being incorporated into the cabins of new electric trains, including those in the Vande Bharat Express series.

The expansion of wind energy is also supporting demand for multiaxial warp knitting machines, which produce reinforcement fabrics used in wind turbine rotor blades.

Through its presence at INDIA ITME 2026, KARL MAYER aims to engage with Indian textile manufacturers across these growing market segments, highlighting technologies that can support product diversification, improved manufacturing efficiency and the development of higher-value textile applications.