Interview of TCI- Director with Martin Crow-France

Denim is the FASHION & without proper research /Development it cannot be WIN

Aftab Ahmed /Director Textile Club –Pakistan Interview in Foreign Textile Magazine in recent past  to endorse his long working affliction in denim-line in Pakistan with Martin Crow -France.

Martin Crow- As an international marketer how you look Pakistani denim in the International scenario/vision.

Aftab Ahmed: Pakistan Denim is the high demanding denim in the World so you can comparison like in 1990s there was only 4 denim mills in Pakistan and due to increasing of demands of Denim Internationally now around 55 denim mills around 55 million denim fabrics producing in Pakistan each month so you can realize its popularity and demands Globally although we do have a high competitions in the price point.

Martin Crow – After your reach /experiences in denimline over 2 decades how you look the opportunity of Pakistani Denim in the International Market

.Aftab Ahmed!  In fact Research and development is a backbone of any denim mills and for their success so, as per my experiences few denim mills in Pakistan are fully capable to produce a best quality that you may compare any international denim mills and they are investing huge money in the R&D sector even few are having foreign experts in their r&d.

As concern of the demands of Pakistani denim ( Demands always raise on the basis of qualities and its standards) in the International market , it’s really a very good achievement  for the denim mills Pakistan that they are investing a sufficient amounts in the Research n  Developments and even some companies having state-of-the art lab and equipment that is nothing been less than any International standard and to maintain the results they are hiring even foreign experts and highly technically skilled staff from the top line Universities from Pakistan and this is one of the reason the demands of the Pakistan denim increasing day by day in the International Market.

Martin Crow- How much each company of Pakistan expending their cost in the research and development and man power.

Aftab Ahmed; As I explained you in above, without Research and Development no company can achieve their target of sales of their products/compete the qualities in the International demands so, as per my information the maximum denim mills in Pakistan nowadays fully aware of the demands and supply to meets and therefore, they are adhering the research and Development sector and few are totally focusing and investing huge money on a R&D ….   and most of the companies are giving the chance to their HOD/R&D to participate in the International training Institute and continue participating in the International textiles exhibitions like TW-Paris, Denim by PV, Magic Show etc, to gain their knowledge like a “transfer of technology policy” to keep them always up-to-date to maintain standard level of their products and few are very much successful thru this path…

 Martin Crow- How do you compare your Pakistani product in the International Market /Brands.

Aftab Ahmed: No doubt Pakistani denim products are globally known and famous because of its quality and we are a cotton growing country and we are producing a best cotton in the world in number of stages so, sometime we do have competition of our products with China but for few component like poly articles and in the cotton we are the best, you see always competition provides you a leads to win and learn.. And this is the reason Pakistani denim are highly demanding in the Denim Brands!  

Martin Crow- Nowadays fashion denim is also demanding and inline how you would like to response Pakistani product in the International demands of Fashion.

Aftab Ahmed:  One thing you must be knowing that Fashion Denim never been a high demanding in the bulk production it’s been demanding but few in quantities so, most of the denim mills are producing Fashion Denim also in Pakistan but their bulk production are without fashion denim that demands always been around 95% .

Martin Crow: What type of support your textiles sector getting from Government to meet International standard /Prices?

Aftab Ahmed: I would like to make two parts of your question one is “support of the Government in Textiles Section “( We are not getting any sufficient supports by the Government to compete the prices in the International price points of our products and its main reason is like in other countries  Government is supporting to Textiles by giving them a handsome incentive/packages and in results their product/ price are the low then any mills in the international competitions … I think our Government focusing more in agriculture sector and giving them the incentive rather then they have to focus to Textiles as textiles of Pakistan are generating 60% revenue of the country and by giving more incentive in the textiles sector I am sure textiles sector will increase more exports and then we can compete the prices in the international market in front of any country.

 Textiles mills maintaining their quality standard by them self even them faces some time price issue to catch the orders..

Martin Crow: What is your expectation by the new Government?

Aftab Ahmed: No we having a good expectation by the New Government in order to give little more incentives to Textiles Sector of Pakistan to boost the Pakistani Textiles sector in all the way and to generate more revenue for the country.

Martin Crow- After your 2 decades working in Pakistani denimline you found your own textiles sourcing company called Textile Club International (TCI) what do you feel and how you can make a successful TCI as a sourcing company.

Aftab Ahmed… It’s a very interesting question for me as I expended 2 decades in the International sales and represent  top denim-line companies of Pakistan as a HOD Marketing /GM sales & Marketing why I decided to build up my own sourcing company, Look everyone have a right to do something within his boundary to use his skills, experiences and expertise  for their own so, after my long thinking I have decided to found my own Textile Sourcing Company in order to gain more confident  of our customers those are knew us Internationally after long working in Textiles and to work for them with a honest way in order to develop more stronger  relationship in our existing contact and by the Grace of God I have been gradually successes  in this line and getting their support  of my International customers that leads my confidence in order to keep continue of my own sourcing company, look when you do a strong circle of your working relationship and customers are know that you are a honest and sincere with them then that is the point you have to decide what you want to do and at that time I have taken my decision to run my own sourcing company for textiles .

Now I have a small setup working with  my fully technical qualified  team ( Number of workers are 10 personals) and overall looking myself and team and highly/ technically sound in order to select the right articles as per the demands of the customers and negotiate with company for our customers to finally propose what our customers need and then we are moving ahead to place the order with company in Pakistan for our customers and our team strongly follow all the steps from ordering till having successful shipments like QC,  PP Samples and Inspection of Goods etc, etc.

Martin Crow – what type of confidence you need to develop comparison with other sourcing company to make TCI unique.

Aftab Ahmed: Its come through your expertise and well experiences that make you unique when your comparison with others so, we at every stage we proved our customers what they need and sometime we also advise our customers that for their order we have to run with this parameters and that idea  we submitted to customers  like case to case and requirement to requirement  and they always like our feedback in  order to prepare an order summary to follow-up and our team that know what unique steps we have to take in order to build up a more confidence of our customers on us,  that  our team are strongly follow.

I never been a greedy person in my whole life my preferences always been to make us a customer oriented and by the grace of God what response we are getting from our customers that is our BUSINESS.    

Martin Crow- Briefly explain about your start and up to now successful, activity, achievement and how many International exhibition do you vested and which country too. 

Aftab Ahmed: in fact after my MBA ( Marketing) I starts my carriers with a company are producing a denim fabrics and cotton yarn as a HR Head & Marketing so, after expend long time like 8 years I have move one with another company producing denim fabrics and  for that company not only in Pakistan I get then them up in the International market very successfully and worked for them around 10 years and then I left with other company as HOD Marketing and GM sales and expended around 5 years to look their overall sales of 3.2 million production of the denim fabrics in each month.

Before a first company when I join I was with in the Federation of Pakistan chambers of Commerce ( FPCCI ) The apex Body of Trade Organization of Pakistan) where I learn lot about the textiles and how to operate the business because most of the time high power trade delegations visited us and all the commercial diplomats as well foreign dignitaries giving us briefing for statically /fact and figure so, I was a lucky to be part of that team… during my log affiliation in Textiles of Pakistan I got the opportunity  with meet Prime Minister of Pakistan, President of Pakistan, Chairman of Senate and Diplomats , few pics are attaching hare for a references + I meet ample of Foreign trade diplomats visiting FPCCI and Foreign trade delegation but I was really impressed when I meet with H.E Mahathir Bin Mohammed by that time he was a Prime Minister of Malaysia of his long vision /ideas what his gain and what we performed for his country..

During my long Journey in Textiles, I really appreciated some of my close friend working in abroad and it will be unfear for them if I could not remain them at the moments “  bcs when you drive some time you follow someone to gain yourself and that you never to forget in your life ..Like in Morocco I meet one of highly Textiles Qualified person Mr. KHALID IAAZ  he is a Swiss born Moroccan and I learn lot with him during our working as we worked together around 13 years till now, from my Initial days I was working in Syria so, found one of Korean born Arabic speaking ABULLAH CHENG who is highly qualified as PHD Textiles and I picked more batter things from him to make unique with others , like In Syria there is one good person more is SAMI BATINJEN of my good day friend and we are still working, during  my long travel I also found  my good working friend MISS. MAYRA having long textiles working experiences in MEXICO and I got the opportunity to work with her as a good business friend, I have a good friend of like IBRAHIM BEY from Turkey Brands LCW for his deep  approach in Textiles and  like others in my long traveling in Textiles having good working experiences like seniors of Inditex,  Jack & Jones, Tom Tailor, H&M, Boss, Addidas, Jordache and Many International Denim brands and even in my long traveling I have been visited , Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada ,China, Colombia, England , Dominica Republic, Egypt, France multiple times , Germany, Holland, Hong Kong,  India , Jordan , Morocco, Mexico, “multiple time, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia,  USA and I have been regular participating in the International Trade show like TW-Paris, Denim by PV, Magic Show & Munich Fabrics show as well Intertextile China .    

Finally I am really grateful of Mr. Martin Crow for his respected question and I tried my best to give him answer based on my expertise in Textiles ….. And thank you very much Mr. .Martin…