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Persian Carpets on a Comeback Trail

“If books were Persian carpets, one would not look only at the outer side. because it is the stitch that makes a carpet wear, gives it its life and bloom” - Rumer Godden


United States stomped sanctions on Iran's carpets in Oct 2010 and since then it has been an uphill ride for the Persian carpets suppliers. The suppliers main source of revenue was virtually crippled and were left lurching trying to figure out the next set of possibilities in front of them.


Iran (the biggest producer of Persian carpets) has so far projected a healthy picture and refuted all claims of a probable collapse of the carpet industry. However, as time is passing by, traders have started feeling the heat. In Iran almost 2 million people were actively involved in the production and trading of handmade rugs and carpets and unconfirmed reports says that thousands have literally been on the streets or are on the verge of it.


President Barack Obama was expected to relax the sanctions as a confidence building measure for better trade relationship however, as Tehran keeps on dodging its cooperation with the international community on the uranium enrichment dispute, chances of a reconcilement are very slim.


Analysts believe, if carpet exporters in Iran were taken by surprise, traders in America had in fact been anticipating the move for quite some time. The biggest challenge for the Persian carpet buyers now is its ever increasing prices as the supply is short and the prices have sky-rocketed.


In a bid to counter the after effects of the sanctions, most of the Persian carpets suppliers are trying to explore newer markets like Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle -East etc.The national carpet centre of Iran has been promoting the carpet industry in the European media, with a never seen before intensity . Media reports further claim, more money is being pumped into advertising.


Industry insiders add that Persian carpets will always maintain its own unique place in the world of handmade rugs. Experts believe that the hand made Persian carpet is an essential part of Persian art and culture and would not fade away easily despite the bans. Only time will tell how effective would be the Persian carpet suppliers fightback amidst these tough times.


PS: If you are an Persian carpets suppliers, get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on Persian carpets India

Alibaba fiasco : Another Satyam in the making?

Why would a CEO of a multimillion dollar company be forced to resign amid reports of a few thousand dollars scam that too when he himself isn't involved in it. This is the question which every b2b marketer is asking in the aftermath of the resignation of Mr. Wei, CEO- Alibaba.com. The most uncomfortable whispers are this could just be an eyewash and there is much more than what meets the eye.

Wall Street Journal(WSJ) reported that alibaba.com CEO has resigned after an internal investigation found that more than 2,300 sellers registered on their site committed fraud, sometimes with the help of Alibaba sales staff.

B2B portals especially those who offer a marketplace to the buyers and sellers have always been susceptible to such malpractices, however, for the first time the internal staff of such a reputed portal has ever been caught involved.

Reports says that the company insists that the CEOs were not involved though they resigned in the wake of moral responsibility however the rumours of a different nature are going around the corners amidst the storm.

As more and more buyers and sellers are using b2b marketplace as their preferred way to carry out their business, the possibility of a repeat of such an instance can't be ruled out. Industry analysts say as the number of transaction increases it becomes virtually impossible to track each and every of them, which leaves a certain room for error. However, what is pertinent for any company is that none of their employees should ever be involved in such a set-up, otherwise, their entire credibility goes for a toss.

B2B portal
offer a wide array of services to the buyers and extra efforts are made to instil their confidence into dealing with the sellers listed. However, when the holy grail of trust is broken that's when things begin to go helter-skelter within the industry.

Analysts insist that the volume of the fraud occurred was insignificant, however, the counter action taken to rectify it was huge. Skeptics wonder if the CEOs resigned to show that company will go to any length to bring back the confidence of the buyers or if there was something more to it. Something we will never ever be able to know, something which hints towards the beginning of the end of the alibaba's bubble! Could it be another satyam in the making ...? The questions are endless with no answer in sight.

Understandably, most of the b2b portals are tight lipped about the sudden developments and are concerned about the next update. Only time will tell if we have heard the last in the ongoing fiasco, or if there are more skeletons which could stumble out the closet !

PS: If you are an Indian supplier or manufacturer, get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on online business catalogs

Electric Motor Suppliers in the midst of Cut Throat Competition

Automobile manufacturing industry is changing at a rapid pace, all thanks to globalization. With each passing quarter, the competition is getting more intense unleashing price wars and sometimes even leading to a soft look over the stringent quality controls. The ongoing upheaval is certainly helpful for the buyers who are able to make their regular purchase at never before prices, however, it is seriously denting the profits margins of the suppliers.


Frost and Sullivan has recently released a report where in they have re-emphasized that globalisation has placed extreme cost pressures on producers, requiring them to outsource low-cost manufacturing processes outside America.


Other than the costing issues another issue which is bothering the manufacturers is the stringent carbon emission guideline. Every day new technologies are being tried out to come up with something which is able to meet environmental policy challenges within a stipulated budget assigned.


One segment which is more worried out of the entire lot is that of electric motor manufacturers. Many electric motors suppliers insist that that any negative dip in their profit margin could have wide spread repercussion across the industry. By definition, an electric motor is a device which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. This makes them one of the most basic and most required electronic component for almost every industry specially automotive.They are mostly used in rotating machines such as fans, turbines, drills, the wheels on electric cars, locomotives and conveyor belts .


Electric motor suppliers think that prices would get stabilised with a quarter or two as price war as a strategy could not be sustained over a loner period of time.


Every story has two sides and this one too isn't an exception. Emerging manufacturing destination hubs like India, South American countries along with China have a happy problem of - plenty. Too many clients want to set up their offshore manufacturing unit and some even have unrealistic expectations from their vendors. These countries are the sure beneficiaries of the current crisis.


Trade Pundits say that eventually electric motors industry will emerge out of this strongly due to its wide spread usage and a huge scope specially in the home appliances, military equipments and industrial productions.


Industry analysts unanimously hope that electric motor suppliers would be able to survive this highly competitive phase and emerge as profitable as before.


PS: If you are an Electric motor suppliers, get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on Electric motors


Embroidery Machines Suppliers about to make a Remarkable Comeback !

Embroidery to a cloth is like a jewellery to a women - Anonymous


Embroidery designs are back and so is the demand for embroidery machines.The ever increasing demand of embroidered fabrics is fast out pacing the availability of embroidery machines much to the delight of embroidery machine suppliers.


Experts insist that this could be the best ever time for embroidery machine suppliers to break even or post record profits as the demand is surging like never before. Even analysts say that a quick look around any store or shop will reveal the growing popularity of embroidery specially in fashion clothes, bags and nearly all accessories. It's becoming one of the most preferable methods of styling a fabric at extremely competitive prices.


One of the reasons embroidery is making a comeback is because of the easy availability of highly advanced and sophisticated embroidery machines which help customize almost any kind of fabric with the best of finishing touches. Industry insiders reveal, this has also been made possible due to the implementation of advanced computerized control on present day embroidery machines.


Embroidery machines are available for both domestic and commercial usage. For this reason, potential buyers need to carry out an extensive research about the prices, features and other options before taking a final call . Embroidery machine prices tend to vary a lot as they are highly dependent on the brand, size and the type of functionality desired.


Embroidery machines can mainly be classified into three types viz. Mechanical, Electronic and Computerized.


Quite understandably, a mechanical machine is operated manually, while an electronic machine make use of electricity. Computerized embroidered machines make use of computer software generated pre-programmed designs that load directly into the machine. Needless to day, mechanical models consume more time and are slowly getting replaced by computerized models which generate highly sophisticated designs in a short period of time over a large collection of fabrics.


These machines comes in various sizes and have ability to execute complex functionalities. Most of the suppliers target bigger companies for highly advanced machines as it reduces their production time, labour cost and gradually make them profitable by delivering a better ROI.


As the textile machinery market is growing by leaps and bounds, it is expected that embroidery machine suppliers will be able to make a killing and make 2011 as one of their most profitable year ever.


PS: If you are an embroidery machine supplier, get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on Textile machinery suppliers

Valve Suppliers Profiting Against All Odds

As per the recent reports, Bharat Forge Ltd , a global major in auto component manufacturing, has recorded a major turnaround in its international operations. Bharat Forge is one of the leading name in the production of automotive and industrial vales and on the whole paints a positive picture of the industry. For the starters, a valve is a device that regulates the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways.

Valves suppliers reveal that, valves are used in a variety of contexts, including industrial, military, commercial, residential and transport. The industries in which the majority of valves are used are oil and gas, power generation, mining, water reticulation, sewerage, chemical manufacturing etc. Experts further reveal that valves are quite diverse and can be classified into number of types like hydraulic, pneumatic, manual, solenoid, motor and more.

As manufacturing on the whole has got the much needed impetus, the demand for valves is growing in almost all the sectors ( as it one of the most basic industrial infrastructure equipment). Valves manufacturers are now focusing on new technologies to design more efficient equipments specially the ones whose finish has improved significantly as compared to existing ones. Constant efforts are on to design new low emission, low noise special valves with better control systems .

As far as the Indian market is concerned, India is emerging as one of the significant producer-cum-exporter of valves. Analysts believe that the Indian market is big enough to offer opportunities to all manufacturers irrespective of the size of their operations. As far as the quality of India made valves is concerned, it is by and large acceptable to the domestic buyers ,however, it remains a cause of concern for large organisations where in strict buying criteria are observed.

As per the last statistics available, Indian valve industry is growing at more than 8 % per annum. As Indian products are becoming more competitive exports may even grow beyond 10-12 per cent from this year onwards.

The only issue over which many valve suppliers are having sleepless nights is the ever increasing costs of raw material. Materials like carbon steel, stainless steel, ductile iron or other materials are crucial for manufacturing valves. As the prices of these commodities are increasing repeatedly, it is gradually affecting the profits margins of valve manufacturers.

Industry insiders sincerely hope that, Indian valves suppliers will find out a way to counter increase in prices and remain highly competitive in the global arena in the times to come.

Textile Machinery Suppliers To Take A Cautious Approach This Year

Textile industry is regarded as a pioneer in the history of Indian industrialization. As the textile industry grew, it further fuelled the growth of textile machinery industry. Govt. of India went slow on liberalization specially for the textile sector, primarily for protecting the interest of farmers which adversely impacted the textile machinery suppliers. However, much to their reprieve this sector was soon made open to FDI after market compulsions.


Not so long ago, the whole process of manufacturing textiles was done manually or with the aid of of simple tools. It was only after the industrial revolution that different industrial equipments for textile manufacturing came into being. A few of the early inventions like flying shuttle, roller spinning tool, spinning jenny and power loom changed the textile machinery market forever.


Recent research suggests that - “ Demand for textile machinery is indirectly dependent on the demand in other sectors including housing and automobiles. As textile machinery is used for manufacturing home furnishing items , upholstery and so on, changing fashion trends affect demand for textile equipments drastically.”


Textile machinery can be classified into two main segments viz - textile processing machines and textile working machines.


Textile processing machines include the one used for crochet, lace making, quilting, textile winding, tufting machines, zipper making machines etc. whereas textile working machines includes attaching machines, measuring machines, embroidery machines, monogramming machines, textile bleaching machines etc.


Post 2007, recession impacted each and every sector, textile machinery sector too had its share of cancelled orders and shortage in demand. Industry experts reveal that - 2009 proved to be the worst ever year for the industry, with most of the top players recording steep market erosions of 20%-25% . However, post 2010 things have begun to turnaround a bit.


Region wise, Europe has been the market leader so far, Italy in particular ( in the context of textile machine manufacturing). Experts believe that the growth of Asian countries would provide the much-needed push to the western textile machinery industry . India and China are the next growth engines of this industry and will be the key drivers of the world economy in the next decade.


Analysts further say, that the need of the hour is to produce complete automation machines at reasonable cost, coupled with advanced features. It seems like - “Technical innovation” will become the key to survive for the textile machinery suppliers. Hopefully the industry will stood up to the upcoming challenges and perform well in the times to come.


PS: If you are a Textile Machinery manufacturers , get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on textile machinery India

Acid Dyes And Direct Dyes Expected To Perform Well In 2011

“A person's life is dyed with the color of his imagination.” - Marcus Aurelius Antonius


According to a new research report published by Global Industry Analysts Inc, global textile dyes market is expected to touch $5.5 billion by 2015. This is a great piece of news for the dyes suppliers as they are just coming even to the terms of market upheaval.


Textile - a high volume trade commodity, used to be considered immune from economic tremors , however, this myth was blown to pieces during recession. However, after the economic slump of 2009, the demand for garments and apparels has shown a positive curve and so has the demand for the textile dyes.


News reports further reveal that "With demand declining to unprecedented levels, companies also resorted to plant closures which resulted in significant drop in inventory throughout the textile value chain." On the other hand, there were also, many wholesalers who struggled with overcapacity and diminished operating margins, in the wake of excessive production mainly from India and China.


Trade analysts say that textile printing - an essential element of textile industry is the main source of demand for textile dyes. The prominent textile dyes which rule the market are acid dyes, basic dyes, direct dyes, disperse dyes, reactive dyes, sulphur dyes and vat dyes.


Amongst the big players (most of them from US), the market is led by Allied Industrial, Clariant AG, DyStar, Huntsman Corporation and Sumitomo Chemical.


Industry insiders insist that the market recovery depends completely on the surge in demand from US and Europe. As far as the Asia-Pacific is considered, China, Taiwan and Korea possess stronghold in disperse dyes, whereas India holds dominant position in production of reactive dyes.


Dyes industry's growth is dependent on many factors including the ever-changing customer preferences, rising infrastructure costs, technical expertise and investment in R&D activities.


More or less, a smooth road ahead is predicted for dyes suppliers and manufacturers, however, the sole problem area could be the green activists ecological concerns as more and more countries are coming up with stringent environmental regulations.


Overall, textile dyes and chemical industry is expected to do well in 2011.


PS: If you are an acid dye supplier or a direct dye manufacturer, get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on online business catalogs

The Curious Case of Facebook in Cairo Revolution

“Social media is no longer a gimmick. This is how, most of the people want to receive their news and want to hear from marketers.” – Nick Schaper


One status update on facebook initiated one of the most significant revolution of our times. At least, that’s what the social media pundits are proclaiming.


Things which could have taken years to surface (in the pre internet/social media days ) took less than 10 days to highlight the massive mass unrest through social networking sites. Moreover, it just didn't remain, from people to people, it even created sort-of-a corporate collaboration for a social cause. Google and Twitter tied up to help people tweet the ground reality by leaving messages on Google voice mail, in the midst of social media crack down.


Internet marketers are trying to study the impact of this event and the wider role, that social media sites could play in the times to come. One of the main finding that has come out of this is - social media sites acts as a catalyst. Any unfolding event or a phenomena needs a well deserving push and social media would put it in the spotlight right away. Why? All the respectable and popular media across the globe, follow social media as the pulse of the masses. Views and opinions expressed/shared in high numbers don't get ignored, they become a prime time story or a newspaper's first page report.


Second observation is, it is the youth - who drives the message. Passionate users of social media sites from the age group of 15-35 are one of most sought after target segment for the advertisers, specially the women. Their voices don't go unnoticed or unheard.


Third and the time tested conclusion is - high quality, genuine cause/ content would always rule the headlines. Social media allow users to involve like-minded people in a movement/campaign at a very low cost. All in all, social media helps you publicise an idea at a fraction of a cost with a high probability of a mainstream media mention which could further add to a brand recall.


These lessons are very relevant specially for the b2b portals. Most of them are still struggling to leverage the complete benefits of the social media sites and in turn unable to help their clients which results in high dissatisfaction and a bad PR. In the light of above findings B2B portals can revise their promotion strategies, create more effective marketing plans and execute them powerfully to benefit their end clients.


PS: If you are an Indian supplier or manufacturer, get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on online business catalogs

Ribbon Suppliers And Laces Manufacturers Have High Hopes From 2011

I consider lace to be one of the prettiest imitations ever made of the fantasy of nature; lace always evokes for me those incomparable designs which the branches and leaves of trees embroider across the sky, and I do not think that any invention of the human spirit could have a more graceful or precise origin." - Coco Chanel, April 29, 1939


Garment accessories are an essential element for the dress designers and hence lies their importance. It is virtually impossible to create any finished readymade garment without the use of garment accessories. These accessories usually include cloth, zippers, buttons, labels however off late, ribbons and laces have acquired an all together special place in the world of fashion designing.


Lace as the definition goes, is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, usually made by machine and sometimes even by hand. Lace-making acknowledged as an ancient craft is created when a thread is looped, twisted or braided to other threads independently from a backing fabric.


On the other hand, a ribbon is a thin band of flexible material, used primarily for binding and tying. Cloth ribbons, mostly silk, are often used for adding style to a garment, but are also used for other useful purposes like by florists, in gift packaging etc.


There are many different types of laces however the one that mostly remain in demand are needle, outwork, bobbin, tape, knotted and knitted.


These days most of the fashion weeks (specially the reputed ones) keep a special segment reserved for garments made out of lace and ribbon. Sometimes, even a whole week is dedicated to them. As more and more designers are hooking on to ribbon & laces to create never before seen creations, ribbon suppliers and laces manufacturers seem to be back in the business, with a bang !


Industry insiders add that ribbon and lace are by far the most common, and most beautiful, border embellishment material. Their use adds a touch of softness and elegance due to the flowing nature of both the materials.


There was a sudden dip in the market during the worldwide economic downturn however things have begun to improve, gradually. Slowly and steadily, the market for Indian made ribbons and laces is increasing and the ribbon/lace suppliers can expect a more profitable year ahead.


Modular Kitchen India on an Expansion Spree

Reports suggest that modular kitchen industry is growing at a brisk pace of 25% per annum. These days consumers have access to a never before range of furniture to satiate their desire of having a state of art modular kitchen in their dream home. As more and more companies are jumping in to the fray, the prices are getting more competitive which used to be one of the major deterrent for the buyers specially in the Indian context. Let me try and demystify the modular kitchen scenario.


Since 2008, many new entrants voyaged into the unknown waters of Indian modular kitchen industry, through private labels, co-branding agreements etc. and have so far received more than satisfactory results. 2011 seems to be the year of expansion. Not just the international brands, the Indian brands too are gearing up for the next decade's opportunities and challenges. This involves giving more purchase options, focusing more on online reputation & brand building and reducing the cost of day to day operations, without compromising on the quality offered.


As per the last available industry statistics, the modular kitchen segment stands at around Rs 1,500 crore. With increasing emergence of nuclear families, rising disposable income and better affordability, this industry is expected to grow at the rate of 40% per annum.


Most of the modular kitchen suppliers have voiced their desire of having a robust promotional campaign or high budget advertisement blitz to increase the awareness about the modular kitchen concept in the tier 2 and tier 3 cities (the next growth engines).


Media reports further adds that, to gain advantage of the growing momentum, many small to medium furniture suppliers are tying up with Future Group and other big retailers like Shoppers Stop, Reliance Retail for maximum reach to the end buyers in a mutually beneficial arrangement.


Industry experts reveal that that stunning growth of modular kitchen industry in India has surprised the all and sundry. It has surpassed the expectations of most of the market pundits and has became a subject of case studies in most of the reputed business schools. One of the striking factor of this growth industry is that the Indian suppliers were able to stand their ground and have not been sidelined by the intrusion of big western corporates. This speaks volume of Indian consumer's loyalty to the traditional designs and brands.


Globally, kitchens account for 40% of all furniture sales. With the Indian furniture market valued at around 50,000 crore, the kitchen segment could well be estimated to be around 20,000 crore, which leaves an ample scope of improvement as the current figure stand at merely 1,500 crore .


PS : Modular kitchen cabinets suppliers get your online catalog today and make profits by tapping the business queries being generated across the globe on the web 24/7. To know more, click on Modular kitchen India

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