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Riding Innovations To Stay Ahead Of Competition

Welspun World is one of the India’s fastest growing global conglomerates with revenue of $3.6Bn and with businesses in Home Textile Products, Infrastructure, Line Pipes, Steel, Oil & Gas, Advanced textiles, Warehousing and Flooring solutions. In the Advance Textiles sector, Welspun specialises in Spunlace nonwoven fabric, Needlepunch fabric and Wet wipes. Their wet wipes are customized for various applications including baby care, personal hygiene, cosmetics, industrial use, and home care. TBD is in currently in discussion with Mr Keyur Parekh, CEO - Global Business, about the opportunities and challenges in the Spunlace fabric & Wet pipes business.

As a leading Spunlace fabric manufacturer and OEM of wipes, how do you see the global market for wipes evolving in the next 5 years, and what opportunities and challenges do you foresee?

The global wipes market is expected to grow significantly with latest estimates suggesting it could reach around $48 Bn by 2030. This growth is driven by increased health & hygiene awareness, especially in this era of informed consumerism. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious, leading to a demand for sustainable products. The next 5 years will witness the industry shifting its focus to innovations that augments biodegradable and eco-friendly products on retail shelves. Innovations in materials and manufacturing processes are parallely expected to enhance the quality and functionality of wipes. Rising Disposable income & an increased awareness of hygiene in the Asia Pacific region is an excellent opportunity for growth. There is an opportunity to diversify product lines to include specialized wipes for different applications, such as personal care, household cleaning, and industrial uses. The growth of e-commerce presents a significant opportunity for reaching a broader customer base. In Europe, directives like the Single Use Plastics Directive and the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) are prompting design changes, especially for nonwoven products. Similar initiatives are also progressing inCanada and several U.S. states. Intense competition between global players, price wars, reducing margins, supply chain stability, raw material price fluctuations, and increasing environmental concerns and regulatory compliances are some of major challenges being foreseen in near future. By focusing on innovation and sustainability, we plan to leverage these opportunities while navigating the challenges to stay competitive in the wipes market.

What innovations is Welspun exploring in the wipes category to stay ahead of the competition, and how do you think these innovations will impact the market?

We are objectively focused on Value added products in key markets varying from industrial, dry wipes, medicare industry, intimate care, quaternary dry wipe solutions. Welspun is dedicated to leading the industry with our commitment to sustainability and customer excellence. We have recently entered into a partnership to advance our sustainable solutions in the non-woven sector to set a new standard in delivering innovative, environment conscious solutions that meet the evolving needs of Global Consumers.

Our newly developed 100% biodegradable spunlace – Bio Welscrub™ – is a novel and versatile dual-textured high-performance fabric that can be tailored for sensitive personal care applications, as well as heavy-duty cleaning. Additionally, our portfolio includes Wel-Quat™, a premium-quality spunlace designed for Quaternary Cleaning Solutions. The Quaternary market is hinted to grow at 15% CAGR by 2030. This product stands out by preventing contamination, bacteria, and mold, unlike generic food service towels. We have also developed a portfolio for medical applications leveraging our Spun lace and Needle Punch technologies.

These innovations will help us create market differentiation, build greater consumer trust and loyalty, stay ahead in meeting regulatory compliances and the evolving environmental safety standards.

Can you share Welspun’s current and projected capacities for manufacturing Spunlace fabrics and f inished wipes, and how do you plan to meet growing demand?

Welspun holds the India’s largest Spunlace capacity with capability to produce 27,729 MT annually. This is complemented with a state of the art machineries to pack 100 Mn packs of finished wipes. Our competitive edge stems from our in-house Needlepunch capacity of 3,026 MT annually. Welspun is well-positioned to address both current and future demands in the wipes industry.

How competitive are Indian manufacturers of wipes in the global market, and what advantages do you think Welspun has in this space?

India plays a vital role with a dedication from its government to a robust growth in Technical textiles. Indian wipes manufacturers are becoming highly competitive in the global market due to their cost-effective production, quality and innovation. Welspun leverages its advanced technology, world class manufacturing facilities, robust supply chain, and strong commitment to environment and sustainability, extensive distribution network and its strategic partnerships to enhance its global market presence.

Welspun excels in understanding consumer preferences and current trends, providing tailored solutions to strategic partners and transform these insights into product offerings. This deep understanding will be utilized by Welspun to cater to the focused needs of the technical textile industry.

Sustainability is a growing concern in the wipes industry. Can you tell us about any recent updates on Welspun’s ESG score?

Welspun stands as a beacon in Industry for our ESG initiatives representing the future with our ability to prioritize the planet. Lotion going into Wipes is approx. 95%-99% treated water (upto 99.5% in case of Baby Wipes). We are using condensated steam generated from our power plant in Anjar facility to manufacture lotion for wipes. Hence, nothing is being derived from natural resources to minimize risk of contamination. We produce plant based wipes with cotton, bamboo, viscose and blends. We are developing biodegradable wipes with superior strength that addresses the consumer’s latent need. On a holistic front, we are transitioning to complete recycled content in packaging going one step ahead of the current market trend. We have also commissioned 30MW ground mounted and floating Solar and replaced coal with Biomass for thermal energy generation. Our Anjar manufacturing site is certified for “Zero waste to Landfill” by Intertek.

At Welspun Living Limited (WLL), we emphasize the interconnectedness of our actions and their impact on the environment, society, and our collective future. We are dedicated to further reducing our carbon footprint and exploring opportunities to achieve carbon neutrality soon, with the long-term goal of becoming a 100% renewable energy-powered company by 2030. Welspun Living achieved its highest score in DJSI (Dow Jones Sustainability Index) ESG Rating 2023 in Textile category in India and it stands amongst the top 3%tile textile companies globally scoring 66 from 59 past year.

Our EcoVadis ESG score is 66 (out of 100). We have achieved a Silver medal for being in the top 15 percentile of the participating companies. The EcoVadis assessment is a global assessment of companies for their overall ESG initiatives and improvements in this domain with over 1,30,000 + companies rated in over 180+ countries.

 

  01:36 PM, Oct 14

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