Japanese look to Indian sewing machine tech

Japanese sewing machine major, JUKI, which dominates the global industrial sewing machines (ISM) business with 33 per cent of the global market share is now looking at India to source its software requirements to develop surface mount technology systems.

The company is aggressively looking for Indian software talent to develop newer chips to run surface mount sewing technology (SMT) systems.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday to announce JUKI Expo-2006 (an industrial exposition to showcase the latest sewing systems for the garment industry) in Bangalore, Takeo Yamaoka, chairman and CEO, JUKI Corporation, said that the company presently sources its software needs from companies in the US and Canada.

"With India gaining importance in software, it has brought us here to explore capabilities and human talent to develop products with chip-mounted surface mount sewing technology system machines," he added.

Globally, the company sells 15,000 units of surface mount sewing systems a year and is ranked fourth in the world. The company has set a target of 20,000 units by 2010 with a major part of the growth coming from India.

Surface mount technology sewing machines were introduced in India only in May 2006 and has so far sold 60 units. "It has received a good response from small and medium companies and we hope to capture a major chunk of the 25,000 strong Indian garment manufacturing companies," he noted.

On the Indian operations, Noriaki Saito, managing director, JUKI Machinery India said that with India no longer under the WTO Quantitative Restrictions, it has witnessed a major growth and a mushrooming of apparel and garment companies.

The company's sales in India touched $30 million in 2005-06 through the sale of 50,000 units. For this year, the company has set a 30 per cent growth target and a target of $40 million in revenues.

Hari Kumar, director, JUKI Machinery India, talking of the company's industrial sewing machines business said that the company has a 12 per cent share of the surface mount sewing technology systems business and is looking at India to source its software requirements.

At the JUKI Expo-2006, the company will showcase two models of SMT and four models of household sewing machines.

JUKI presently sells household sewing machines as OEM to major brands in the global markets and now plans to foray into the Indian domestic market.

"Presently we are exploring the market and we may enter it in a couple of months," said Noriaki Saito, managing director, JUKI Machinery India.

According to him, the company's industrial sewing machines are used for the wide area of manufacturing of not only apparel, but also bags, shoes, furniture, car seats among others.