Heimtextil India and Ambiente India, regarded for its trade potential as India’s leading home fashion trade fair duo, closed its doors welcoming 198 exhibitors and attracting 7,457 visitors last month, organisers report.

One-on-one buyer-seller meetings set the tone of business networking at Heimtextil India and Ambiente India 2017 from day one. A dedicated day for Hospitality and Retail procurement brought together purchase managers and retailers from across the country and together with the business match-making programme, many exhibitors confirmed to have closed orders through the pre-arranged buyer-seller meet format.

Buyers, mainly from the hospitality and retail segments were satisfied that some of their immediate requirements got catered to through the direct interactions with exhibitors. Among the delegation was Ms Dipti Pandey, Deputy Merchandiser-Home Stop, Shoppers Stop. “We managed to meet new vendors which we were trying to search and couldn’t get connected and we finally found them here. It is a great platform for networking and building contacts. Overall it was a good experience and we look forward to visit the fair next year,” she said.

Depicting Indian textiles story

CushionKari captured the story of India’s designs and yarn work in the Fabrics and Embroideries of India installation, designed by Kanika Bawa and curated with fabrics from D’décor. Unveiled at the hands of Hon’ble Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani, it was a one-time opportunity for visitors in the history of home décor and textiles industry, organisers report.

Sharing her thoughts on the conceptualisation and making of this installation, Limca record holder Ms Kanika Bawa said: “CushionKari was conceptualised taking inspiration from the rich wealth of Indian mythology, heritage and finesse in craft as well as Indian stories passed on from the Vedic period woven into fabrics. Handcrafted using natural and renewable materials, it is completely eco-friendly in nature.”

“We came across many hurdles in the process of assembling the Cushion Kari due to its massive size and uniqueness in design, however we finally managed to tailor it to perfection and achieved the impossible of creating a magnificent art piece which weighing approximately one tonne.”

Showcasing the best of Indian design talent

India’s design talent laid out their creative visions based on themes in the 2017 International Trendbook at the Interior Lifestyle Award (ILA) Experience Zone. Representing the best of Indian talent, designers from Mandi to Coimbatore and from Himachal to Ratnagiri acquired the centre stage from over 500 entries to present their concepts at the ILA Experience Zone. The awards ceremony took place on the same night. Ms Anshul Malhotra from Mandi and Mr Himanshu Dogra also from Himachal were chosen to represent India at the Ambiente and Heimtextil fairs in Frankfurt in 2018.

“I have already learned and gained so much from this platform, but there is still a long way to go. The unique part about ILA as a platform is its innovative format of getting textile and product designers together to explore new ideas and brainstorming possibilities for combining different styles of designs to launch one collaborate masterpiece,” said winner of the Home Decor Category Mr Himanshu Dogra.

“For a designer, Ambiente India is a fantastic platform where one gets a chance to interact with industry stalwarts and get their perspective on design.  I am looking forward to my participation at the Ambiente show in Germany which will be a big game changer for introducing my brand Play Clan to the global audiences.”

Addressing industry concerns

As consumer goods and textiles traders raced against time to align themselves with the new Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime, an exclusive seminar was organised during the fair to address concerns in the industry with the presence of notable tax guru and experts.

“While the GST implementation is expected to positively impact the Indian economy in the coming years, India’s textile industry in particular is poised to grow from the long-term benefits that the new legislation offers. The government projects two percent growth in GDP by 2020,” said CA Bimal Jain, addressing delegates at the GST seminar. Inventory clearance, documentation and an impact on margins were among the major concerns, which were discussed in detail and addressed with case studies at the seminar.

The co-located fairs will be back in 2018 from 27-29 June in New Delhi.

www.ambiente-india.com

www.heimtextil-india.com