Building an Ever-Better Future in India

Last week I travelled across the length and breadth of India, a country which is experiencing momentous change and is set to play an increasingly central role in the Race to Net Zero. As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, India’s manufacturers are a key part of many global trade networks, perhaps none more so than the garment and textile industry.

The first stop on my trip was Mumbai, a city of special historic importance, as this is where Intertek ’s own India story first started back in 1993. In this bustling metropolis, our Softlines lab covers an area of roughly 13,000 sq ft and provides a range of different testing solutions with a team of 73 dedicated science-based experts. Our Softlines business in India ensures the quality of military clothing supplied to the Indian Armed Forces and tests the performance of household appliances for leading brands like IFB - you’ll be amazed where you find Intertek!

My final stop in the city was at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), where I had the chance to share my insights on successful leadership with over 400 talented students and future business leaders.

After visiting Mumbai, it was then time to see for myself the city of Tiruppur, India’s leading textile centre and one of Asia’s biggest knitwear export hubs, where I took part in a workshop to explore the future development of the city as a sustainability cluster for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

For nearly three decades now, Intertek has been a partner for growth in Tiruppur, providing our customers with the total quality assurance solutions they need to address today’s supply chain challenges and supporting them on their journey towards a more sustainable future.

As part of these efforts, I was privileged to visit our recently opened Textile Technology Training Centre which offered free training to hundreds of young individuals. This provides members of the city’s young and growing population with the technical skills necessary to secure jobs as lab technicians and merchandisers in the textile testing and quality assurance industry.

While there, I inaugurated Arogya - a mobile health unit aimed at providing inclusive and affordable healthcare to over 35,000 beneficiaries, which seeks to enhance local awareness of best practices around health and hygiene to combat the prevalence of diseases and other ailments.

Through these and other community projects, we are helping to create a healthy and highly skilled talent-base that will generate continued economic opportunities for local people while contributing to the success of textile companies throughout India for decades to come.

During the week I also had the chance to spend quality time with my colleagues and senior members of the India leadership team, and to celebrate the incredible growth they are delivering and hear about the exciting growth opportunities that lie ahead.

Finally, during my visits to both Tiruppur and Mumbai, I also personally met with employees at each of our Townhall events, presenting them with Intertek 2023 AAA Awards in recognition of their long years of service. These included: Indira Devadiga, Chitra Shetty, Beena Jaison, and Prabhakaran S as well as a further 13 employees in each location who have all worked for over 15 years at Intertek – a huge achievement!

I left India with the conviction that the country will continue to reinvent itself at the speed of light for faster and more sustainable growth.? As Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quoted saying, “This new India will provide solutions to the big problems of the world in the 21st Century.”

Bravo India!

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