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Surat gears up for CMAI conclave, Fashionova 2025

Surat gears up for CMAI conclave, Fashionova 2025

Time of India03-07-2025
Surat: Surat — the country's largest man-made fabric (MMF) hub — is set to host an event for the garment industry: the CMAI Garment Conclave and Fashionova 2025. The event, scheduled for Saturday, is jointly organised by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) – Gujarat Regional Office and the Institute of Design and Technology (IDT).
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This is the first time the national-level conclave will be held in Surat. The event aims to position the city as an emerging garment hub while offering a key platform to discuss industry-defining topics such as sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), and the future of garment manufacturing.
Gujarat govt officials will present policies and schemes designed to support the textile and apparel sector, while officials from SIDBI will discuss initiatives for MSMEs.
Representatives from the Chhattisgarh govt will also attend, sharing their perspectives. Experts from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will lead sessions on sustainability. Additionally, a speaker from FYND, Bengaluru, will discuss the growing impact of AI in the garment sector.
"This is a significant event as we chart Surat's journey toward becoming a garmenting hub. Despite being an MMF powerhouse, garmenting hasn't grown here due to various challenges. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity — or risk losing the existing textile business to centres more conducive to garmenting," said Ajoy Bhattacharya, regional chairman, CMAI.
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