Panipat handlooms draw global acclaim at Frankfurt textile fair

Exporters from Panipat, known as the 'Textile City,' are optimistic about receiving substantial overseas orders in the upcoming financial year due to a strong response from international buyers at Heimtextil-2025, the world’s largest textile fair, held in Frankfurt, Germany.

Panipat’s textile industry, with an annual turnover of around Rs 45,000 crore, exports products worth Rs 15,000 crore globally. The city is renowned for its handloom products, blankets, bed sheets, bed covers, floor coverings and other textile goods, which are exported to Europe, the USA, Japan, Australia and various other regions.

This year, 150 exporters from Panipat are participating in the fair. Lalit Goyal, chairman of the Handloom Export Product Council (HEPC) and president of the Panipat Exports Association, expressed optimism about the event. “The Indian pavilion is the largest this year and exporters are receiving better responses compared to the past two years,” he said.

Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh inaugurated the Indian pavilion at the fair and visited various stalls. Goyal said, “The minister also invited global investors during a meeting, enhancing the prospects for Indian exporters.”

Surender Mittal, an exporter attending the fair, highlighted its importance: “Heimtextil-2025 is the world’s biggest textile fair and the buyers’ footfall is excellent this year. Both existing and new buyers are showing great interest in Panipat’s handloom products.”

Raman Chhabra, president of the Young Exporters’ Society (YES), noted a significant increase in interest from US-based buyers. “This year, two major world-level textile fairs — Heimtextil in Frankfurt and Domotex in Hannover — have been organised together in Frankfurt, resulting in higher buyer footfall,” he said.

Chhabra said, “The response from international buyers, especially from the USA, has been very positive. This fair has opened up promising opportunities for Panipat’s exporters.”

With heightened interest from global markets, Panipat’s exporters are hopeful of scaling new heights in the coming year.