Famous Madras checks are now struggling for survival due to intense competition from Bangladesh, besides power cuts, and rising labor costs. Is it Checkmate for the Madras checks fabric industry?

Madras checks are lightweight cotton fabrics with a patterned texture and plaid design. Mostly used as summer clothing, the fabric has inherited its name from the Chennai city, which was formerly known as 'Madras'. The city, which gained global fame due to Madras check fabrics, is now losing its status as an apparel exporter and facing closure of its units due to heavy competition from Bangladesh.

Madras check fabric is a contemporary fashion used for making shirts, skirts, pants, golf apparel, and kidswear. These fabrics are available in plaids, seersucker, and patchwork. Madras check patchwork fabrics are made from cutting several Madras plaid fabrics into strips and sewing them together in squares. Originally used as a simple apparel in South India, the fabric has created a fashion history. It was used in blouses, bags, bandannas, home furnishings, and many more. The fabric also gained international fame when global designers started using it to enhance their western wear collections.

The Madras checks fabric industry is labor-intensive. Earlier, the industry was very vibrant, with the most popular red and black checks fabric, considered to give a preppy look to the wearer. It is even referred to in S.E. Hinton's novel 'The Outsiders' as preferred apparel of the affluent class. Though made from 100% cotton, polyester blends were also preferred. These fabrics were never out of style, reflecting the trends of the period every summer. Seersucker fabrics with puckered seams promoting comfort were sought after. Cheerful checks with vibrant hues were used for home furnishings as well. The lightweight nature of the fabric contributes to its durability.

Units facing closure:

Until three years before, the city of Chennai had approximately 500 woven units exporting menswear. Currently, it has only 100 operating units left. The market is flooded with inexpensive and subsidized fabrics imported from Bangladesh. The South Indian woven fabric industry is facing great danger due to this.

Deccan Chronicle reports Mr. Prakash C. Sancheti, Vice-President, Apparel and Handloom Exporters Association saying, "In last two years, Chennai industry has suffered unfair level-playing fields, especially from Bangladesh because of cost escalation in the production that has made our CMT (cut, make and trim) costs uncompetitive."


Earlier India had signed an agreement with Bangladesh permitting duty free exports from the latter for 48 apparel products. This includes knitwear merchandise exported from Bangladesh under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement. The duty free access into the Indian apparel market will enable Bangladesh to capture a sizable portion of the Indian market, as the Bangladeshi industry is competitively equipped with low costs, resource availability and other inherent advantages.


Are Madras checks fabrics losing its sheen?


Indian apparel manufacturers are facing issues due to frequent power cuts, outdated labor laws, wage issues, and complex Government regulations. Despite exporters seeking financial assistance, and differential power pricing from the Government, they do not see it happening. Due to this, around 33 leading export manufacturing units have been closed causing more than 45,000 job losses in the past couple years.


Madras checks fabric industry is in jeopardy due to the closure of manufacturing units in Chennai. Deccan Chronicle further quotes Mr. Sancheti saying, "Madras Checks which started the entire export industry 40 years ago, is now in peril with the closure Chennai units. Unless we check this trend, our new skill development centers will be creating more unemployed people with fewer jobs. "


It is rather disappointing that this beautiful fabric is on the verge of extinction. Time is yet to reveal the impact of changes in the industry.


References:


1)     Deccanchronicle.com

2)     Thehindu.com