Market Demand, Production Trends, and Quality Standards in Velvet Manufacturing

 

Prashant Singh ¹, Dr. Bhojraj Shewale ¹

 

¹ Amity Business School, Amity University Mumbai, Mumbai, India

 

1. INTRODUCTION

Velvet is a luxurious fabric with a pile effect that provides a soft, smooth surface and an elegant drape with a rich appearance. Conventionally, it has been produced with silk on conventional looms; however, velvet is now manufactured with a combination of natural, synthetic, and blended fibers including polyester, nylon, viscose, and modal blends. The versatility in velvet has made this fabric popular in a wide range of industries: from fashion apparel to luxury furniture and automobile upholstery.

 The global market for velvet has grown consistently owing to rising consumer interest in highquality fabrics, increasing disposable incomes, and growing export opportunities for textile manufacturers. India, China, Turkey, and Italy continue to dominate the landscape of global production of velvet, with India being one of the fastest-growing markets due to strong domestic demand and robust manufacturing capabilities.

 As the industry evolves, manufacturers face increasing pressure to maintain product quality, adopt sustainable practices, and modernize production systems in alignment with global standards. Knowledge of market behaviour, emerging technologies for production, and expected levels of quality will be the criteria that will ensure continued and sustainable growth in velvet manufacture.

 

2. Increasing Global and Domestic Demand

1)    The demand for velvet has grown tremendously because of its various industry-based applications. The major application markets comprise:

2)    Apparel Industry: Ethnic wear, winter clothing, evening gowns, blazers, and bridal wear are in high demand.

3)    Home Furnishing Segment: Growing usage in curtains, upholstery, sofas, cushions, and bed throws.

4)    Automobile Interiors: Adoption of plush and durable velvet-like material for seat covers and interior panels.

5)    Luxury and Boutique Designs: Usage of printed and embossed velvet in designer collections and couture lines.

 

3. Importance of Manufacturing for Indian Economy

1)    Drives economic growth: Manufacturing is a cornerstone of the economy, contributing significantly to the GDP by converting raw materials into higher value finished products.

2)    Creates jobs: It provides employment for millions of people, helping to reduce unemployment and poverty and moving workers from agriculture to secondary and tertiary sectors.

3)    Promotes export and foreign exchange: Exporting manufactured goods expands trade and brings in much-needed foreign currency, which strengthens a nation's financial position.

4)    Reduces regional disparities: Establishing industries in rural and backward areas can help reduce economic inequalities between different regions.

5)    Thus, Indian Manufacturing sector is the backbone and provides resilience to ward off global economic shocks and adversities of the national economic structure and acts as a bulwark for Indian economy.

 

4. Production Trends in Velvet Manufacturing

 Shift from Traditional to Modern Production Systems

·        First of all, the manufacturing of velvet has evolved from a completely labour-intensive process to highly automated production environments.

·        Power Looms and Jacquard Technology: Enables complex designs, increased output, and constant quality.

·        Multi-feed warping systems: Improve efficiency and uniformity of pile height.

·        Knitted Velvet (Velour): It is popular in sportswear and casual wear for reasons of softness and flexibility.

·        Digital printing on velvet offers designers and retailers an expanded possibility in creating more customized and diversified designs.

·        Use of synthetic and sustainable fibers

·        Compared to natural velvet, polyester and nylon velvet is more durable and costeffective.

·        Viscose-based Velvet: It offers silk-like sheen and premium texture.

·        Eco-friendly Innovations: Increased use of recycled polyester, and low water dyeing processes due to demands for sustainability.

 

5. Technological Development

·        Automated cutting and finishing machines minimize wastage and improve uniformity.

·        Computerized Quality Control Systems: These detect defects, such as pile crushing or uneven dyeing.

·        Heat setting and anti-crush finish are both used to maintain fabric stability and appearance.

Quality Standards in Velvet Manufacturing

This will help to ensure consistent quality, which is important in meeting both domestic and global standards.

 

6. Key Quality Parameters

1)    Pile Height and Density: Determines smoothness, shine, and durability.

2)    Colour fastness: Conformity with standards on washing, rubbing, and light exposure.

3)    Fabric Strength: Must be able to handle abrasion, tension, and upholstery-grade usage.

4)    Softness and Hand Feel: Influenced by fiber type and finishing processes.

5)    Drape and Sheen: two properties very crucial in fashion and home décor.

6)    Surface Evenness: The fabric must be free from lines, streaks, crushed pile, or weaving faults.

 

7. International Quality Certifications

·        ISO 9001 — Quality Management

·        OEKO-TEX Standard 100 — Chemical Safety

·        ISO 14001 — Environmental Compliance

·        GOTS - For Organic Velvet Fabrics

 

8. Common Testing Methods

·        Martindale abrasion resistance test

·        gsm - fabric weight measurement

·        Spectrophotometric color analysis

·        Tensile and tear strength measurements

·        Pile uniformity testing

 

9. Suggestions

1)     Increase in global demand requires manufacturers to upgrade their machinery and adopt newer, more modern technologies.

2)     Investment in R&D and sustainable fiber development will improve product competitiveness.

3)     Such development of skills and training among workers can improve efficiency in production and facilitate quality control.

 

10. Limitations

1)     Production of velvet is highly sensitive to raw material price fluctuations.

2)     Market demand is seasonal and influenced by fashion cycles.

 

11.  Conclusion

Due to market demand, different areas of application, and the rapid evolution of production technologies, velvet manufacturing still plays a very important role in the textile sector. Further upgrading of the industry with the latest machinery, environmental sustainability, and adherence to quality standards can definitely enhance the competitiveness of the industry in the global perspective. Velvet manufacturing has excellent prospects for bright economic prospects and industrial development with ever-increasing demand in both domestic and international markets.

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

REFERENCES

https://www.iso.org/standards.html  

https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/    

https://www.iso.org/standards.html  

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/Velvet_Textile_Manufacturing_Trends  

https://texmin.nic.in/  

https://www.textileworld.com/  

https://www.textileworld.com/