SIMA Appoints S. K. Sundararaman As Chairman For FY24

Coimbatore, Sept 27 (KNN) The Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) recently elected Dr. S. K. Sundararaman, the Managing Director of Shiva Texyarn Limited as the Chairman for the year 2023-24.

New office-bearers were appointed during the 64th Annual General Meeting of SIMA with a vision to tackle structural challenges and bolster the industry’s global competitiveness. 

Alongside, Durai Palanisamy, Executive Director at Pallava Textiles P Limited in Erode, was elected as the Deputy Chairman, and S. Krishnakumar, Managing Director of Sulochana Cotton Spg Mills P. Ltd. in Tiruppur, was elected as the Vice-Chairman for the same term.

Dr. Sundararaman is a distinguished figure in both the realm of Technical Textiles and Technical Education in India, holding an MBBS degree and a Masters in Business Management from Cambridge University, U.K. 

The new office-bearers of SIMA emphasized their commitment to addressing structural challenges and enhancing the industry’s global competitiveness. 

Chairman Dr. Sundararaman pointed out that the industry has historically focused on cotton and its derivatives, leveraging the abundant and cost-effective homegrown cotton, which was traditionally available 5 per cent to 10 per cent lower than international cotton prices. 

He emphasized that achieving the envisaged growth in the textile business and exports hinges on increasing production in the MMF value chain and technical textiles, identified as the growth engines for the industry. 

He also appreciated the progress in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and hoped that the forthcoming FTAs with the UK and EU would bolster exports, provided structural issues related to raw materials are effectively addressed.

Dr. Sundararaman emphasized the urgent need for a Technology Mission on Cotton 2.0, advocating a mission-mode approach and substantial funding. 

He stressed that this initiative is critical for over 7 million farmers and the 35 million people in the textile value chain, as their livelihoods directly rely on the availability of quality cotton at an internationally competitive rate. 

He highlighted that India’s average cotton productivity is only around 430 kgs per hectare, significantly lower than the 1500 kgs per hectare achieved by more than 20 other cotton-producing nations. Dr. Sundararaman urged the adoption of modern seed technology and global best practices in agronomy to enhance productivity and empower farmers. 

He cautioned against increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) further, suggesting that increased productivity and the production of value-added cotton variants are more sustainable paths to higher revenue for farmers. 

In closing, Dr. Sundararaman highlighted SIMA’s commitment to facilitating a Management Development Programme on “New-Gen” to nurture young entrepreneurs and startups. 

The Association aims to continue its engagement with industry stakeholders, government bodies, and organizations to contribute positively to the textile sector’s growth and competitiveness.

KNN Bureau