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Leading textile firms adopt US Cotton Seal trademark

E-Tex Staff - Mumbai

For the first time in its history of cotton, India’s leading textile manufacturers have formally adopted ‘Seal of Cotton’, a US trademark to emphasise superiority of quality of their products.

Included in the maiden list of Indian cotton textile companies which have adopted ‘Seal of Cotton’ trademark are Patspin India (GTN group), Vardhaman Spinning and General Mills and Ashima. The US-based Cotton Gold Alliance (CGA) had introduced ‘Seal Of Cotton’ in India in September this year. By using the trademark, the companies would bring the quality mark of ‘Seal of Cotton’ to buyers of their products. The trustmark is claimed to offer the highest quality 100 per cent cotton apparel and other products. This seal has been a focal point of campaign in the US and has helped increase the market share of cotton products to 70 per cent from the earlier 45 per cent.

The CGA hopes that they will be able to arrest the increasing use of manmade fibre in India up to 57 per cent from the current 70 per cent. CGA is a partnership between US’s Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated - which jointly promotes the ‘Seal Of Cotton’ to identify and promote quality 100 per cent cotton products to consumers of apparel and textile products.

According to market sources, such partnership of the mills with the US’s trademark owner will help them sell their products better in both domestic and international. “The companies in order to match the required standards of quality will upgrade their production processes which in turn will lead to operational efficiencies,” said a textile millowner.

At the time of the launch of the ‘Seal of Cotton’ in India, CCI president Mr William B Dunavant, III had said, “We will build the momentum to promote cotton fibre in India as more textile and apparel companies will join us in this effort during the coming months.”

According to KSA Technopak chairman, Mr Arvind Singhal, “The CGA program has received positive response from the trade in India and signing up of these three players is indicative of the value the industry sees in this program.” Meanwhile, KSA Technopak, a leading global management consulting firm and Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA) have been appointed as consultants to promote the usage of the trademark amongst the domestic trade and consumers.