---INDIAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY--Indian Textile Industry is one of the leading textile industries in the world.

Though was predominantly unorganized industry even a few years back, but the scenario started changing after the economic liberalization of Indian economy in 1991. The opening up of economy gave the much-needed thrust to the Indian textile industry, which has now successfully become one of the largest in the world. Indian textile industry largely depends upon the textile manufacturing and export. It also plays a major role in the economy of the country. India earns about 27% of its total foreign exchange through textile exports. Further, the textile industry of India also contributes nearly 14% of the total industrial production of the country. It also contributes around 3% to the GDP of the country. Indian textile industry is also the largest in the country in terms of employment generation. It not only generates jobs in its own industry, but also opens up scopes for the other ancillary sectors. India textile industry currently generates employment to more than 35 million people. It is also estimated that, the industry will generate 12 million new jobs by the year 2010.

VARIOUS CATEGORIES Indian textile industry can be divided into several segments, some of which can be listed as below:

Cotton Textiles Silk Textiles Woolen Textiles Readymade Garments Hand-crafted Textiles Jute and Coir

The Industry
Indian textile industry is one of the leading in the world. Currently it is estimated to be around US$ 52 billion and is also projected to be around US$ 115 billion by the year 2012. The current domestic market of textile in India is expected to be increased to US$ 60 billion by 2012 from the current US$ 34.6 billion. The textile export of the country was around US$ 19.14 billion in 2006-07, which saw a stiff rise to reach US$ 22.13 in 2007-08. The share of exports is also expected to increase from 4% to 7% within 2012.

Though during the year 2008-09, the industry had to face adverse agro-climatic conditions, it succeeded in producing 290 lakh bales of cotton comparing to 315 lakh bales last year, yet managed to retain its position as world's second highest cotton producer. Strengths

Vast textile production capacity Large pool of skilled and cheap work force Entrepreneurial skills Efficient multi-fiber raw material manufacturing capacity Large domestic market Enormous export potential Very low import content Flexible textile manufacturing systems

Weaknesses

Increased global competition in the post 2005 trade regime under WTO Imports of cheap textiles from other Asian neighbors Use of outdated manufacturing technology Poor supply chain management Huge unorganized and decentralized sector High production cost with respect to other Asian competitors

CURRENT FACTS

India retained its position as worlds second highest cotton producer. Acreage under cotton reduced about 1% during 2008-09. The productivity of cotton which was growing up over the years has decreased in 200809. Substantial increase of Minimum Support Prices (MSPs). Cotton exports couldn't pick up owing to disparity in domestic and international cotton prices. Imports of cotton were limited to shortage in supply of Extra Long staple cottons.

QA vs. QC
Quality Assurance is process oriented and focuses on defect prevention; while quality control is product oriented and focuses on defect identification. Definitions of QA and QC Quality Assurance (QA) refers to the process used to create the deliverables, and can be performed by a manager, client, or even a third-party reviewer. Examples of quality assurance include process checklists, project audits and methodology and standards development. Quality Control (QC) refers to quality related activities associated with the creation of project deliverables. Quality control is used to verify that deliverables are of acceptable quality and that they are complete and correct. Examples of quality control activities include inspection, deliverable peer reviews and the testing process. Quality control is about adherence to requirements while Quality assurance is generic and does not concern the specific requirements of the product being developed. Quality assurance activities are determined before production work begins and these activities are performed while the product is being developed. In contrast, Quality control activities are performed after the product is developed. Steps In Quality Assurance Process The product quality assurance process is a series of steps taken at the different stages of the product life cycle i.e. from the product concept to the launch of the product to its obsolescence. Define The Objectives The first step while undertaking QA of any project is to define its requirements. For e.g. if the quality planning process has to be evolved for launching a new product or service in the market, then the first step in quality planning should be to understand and document the need of this project and its ultimate goal. At this stage, it is necessary to document the quality goals. These goals should be set according to the quality standards, customer requirements, with reference to the organizations own benchmark performance, competitors performance, according to the law and so on. Understanding Customer Needs The next step in product QA process involves knowing and understanding the needs of the customers. All these needs should be fully explained and documented so that it can be accessed by all the involved personnel whenever required. There are two kinds of customers, i.e. internal and external customers. For example, the manufacturing department is an internal customer of the design department as the designs for manufacturing are supplied by them. Similarly, there

are many other internal customers in an organization. So, it is necessary to understand the needs of both internal and external customers. Designing The Product The product should be designed keeping in view the quality goals and needs of the customers defined in step 1 and step 2 respectively. The cost benefit analysis also has to be done in order to ensure that the product will be manufactured at low cost with high quality in order to be successful in the market. Product Pilot Testing Once the product design is ready, the next step of QA process is product testing. The pilot batch of the product is manufactured. The product is tested for various attributes in accordance with the standards, customer requirements, and regulatory requirements. This is to ensure that the product meets the set goals. Once everything is found satisfactory, the product is approved. Process Development Once the product design has been approved, the entire lists of tasks and activities that will be required for manufacturing the product are listed. The workflow plan is developed. The teams are formed and given specific responsibilities. The timelines for each and every task are specified. Process capability is also measured during this stage of QA process to ensure that the processes are capable of meeting design requirements. Start Manufacturing Once the processes are developed, the required process controls are put in place. Tools like process failure mode and effects analysis are used to identify the likely modes of failures of the process and the effect of those failures on the product performance. Actions are initiated for high-risk items. Audits are planned to periodically measure the performance and give feedback to the manufacturing and design department. Life Cycle Management During the life of the product, the quality will be periodically monitored through inspections and audits. These inputs will result in improvements of the processes or the product design. Customer complaints, if any, will also act as inputs for product and process corrections and improvements. Hence, the product quality assurance process plays an important role during the entire life of the product to ensure that the customer gets a quality product. Quality Assurance Standard for ISO 9001

Quality assurance standard is a written set of instructions and guidelines followed by various industries in order to maintain the quality of their products or services. Big as well as small businesses adopt these quality standards worldwide and get certification after audit from the authorized body that ensures the company and its manufacturing or service delivery steps and procedures are in compliance with the laid down standards and polices. This certification enhances the brand value of the organization, its products or services and it also instills confidence in the customers. Some QA standard documents are industry specific while some apply to all organizations. One such universal standard that applies to all types of organizations is ISO 9001. What Is ISO 9001 ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. ISO standards for quality are recognized worldwide and hence ISO certified organizations have far better opportunities to trade in the international market. ISO 9001, quality assurance standard can be followed by any kind of industry, whether it is service or manufacturing industry. Each organization should develop its own quality management system in order to adhere to ISO 9001 guidelines. To get ISO 9001 certification, the organization has to undergo three audits. The first audit is conducted by the quality monitoring and inspection professional from within the organization i.e. internal auditor. The second such audit is conducted by the customers using the product or service in question, and the third audit is conducted by the organization that is authorized to grant ISO certifications for quality maintenance. Benefits Of ISO 9001 2008 The ISO 9001 standard was first published in 1987. The latest edition of the standard is ISO 90012008, which was released in December 2008. This edition has minor changes as compared to the earlier one i.e., ISO 90012000. Adhering to this standard benefits the organizations in the following way Systematic Approach The standard helps the organizations to function in a more systematic manner. There are defined systems, processes, and procedures in the organizations to do each and every task. Teams are designated to perform these tasks. Hence, it results in more organized and systematic approach to work which improves employee satisfaction and retention. Improved Quality The systems are integrated in the whole organization to deliver good quality products or services. This leads to improved quality and less rework. All this helps the organization to reduce wastage and increase margins. Customer Satisfaction

The customers trust the organizations that are ISO 9001 certified because this QA standard certification offers a sort or a assurance of the good practices and systems in organizations. When customers get good products or services in accordance to their requirements, their loyalty towards the organization increases. This results in more business for the organization. The profits of the organization also increase. Increased Margins Margins of the organization improve due to multiple effects. Some of the reasons for increase in margins are 1. When good quality products or services are manufactured or delivered, there is very little rework and fewer customer complaints. This results in lesser wastage and hence increased margins. 2. Since according to the requirement of QA standard, there are set procedures, it results in greater employee satisfaction, which in turn results in greater productivity and improved margins. 3. It also reduces the cost of training the employees. 4. Since organization gets more business, their margins improve. Importance of Quality Assurance in Manufacturing 1. Quality assurance is the process of using systems and methodologies that ensure that the manufactured products meet the required quality standards consistently. 2. The aim of QA is to produce goods right at the first time, without any rework. Organizations, usually, have a separate department to assure the quality of their products. For this they may also use the services of the consultants. 3. QA is crucial for the manufacturing industry. With so much competition and such few margins, no manufacturing industry can afford to spend time and money on rework. Every activity in the industry costs money and so does rework, but customers do not pay for rework. 4. Customers pay for the value addition by the company and if they see more valuable additions by some other company being offered at same or lower costs, they move to that company. Hence, to assure good quality to customers, quality assurance plays a significant role. Benefits of Quality Assurance Some of the benefits the organization derives from this role are: 1. Improve Quality - QA professionals are involved in all critical activities of the organizations like design, manufacturing, material procurement, packaging, logistics etc. Since all the processes are being tracked and monitored properly, there are fewer chances of bad quality or non-compliance of products with respect to the requirements. These requirements could be standard requirements, customer requirements, or even legal requirements.

2. Low Cost --It reduces the overall costs to the organization. When the product is right the first time, there are no rework costs, no wastage of material, no wastage of manpower, and no disruptions in the production process. There are fewer claims for warranties and guaranties. In short, the cost of poor quality goes down. All this reduces the operating costs of the organizations and hence results in increased operating profits. 3. Reputation --Since the organizations are able to manufacture good quality products that are made according to the requirements of the customers, the market reputation of those organizations improves. This helps the organizations to retain the existing customers and get more business from them. At the same time this also helps them in attracting new customers. These in turn increase the revenue and profit of the organizations. 4. Reduce Execution Time --The systems implemented to improve quality reduce the cycle time i.e. time taken for the execution of the orders. If the quality of products is bad then there will be more customer complaints and more production downtime. This results in huge loss of time and resources. Hence, if QA systems are implemented properly in the organization, the order execution time automatically gets reduced. 5. Compliance To Standards--It ensures that the organizations meet all the standards and guidelines required for different quality management systems like ISO and other quality certifications awarded to it. In short, to meet customer requirements effectively and consistently, it is very important for every manufacturing industry to have a QA department. This will ensure that the efforts and processes are moving in right direction so that the end product not only meets but exceeds the customers expectations. Quality Assurance Guidelines for Improving Performance Quality control guidelines are a written set of instructions that can help any business or organization achieve their target of quality and customer satisfaction. One such guideline is the international standard ISO 9004. The ISO 9001 standard of quality defines the requirements that an organizations quality management system needs to follow so that the organization can be certified. ISO 9004 gives quality assurance guidelines that complement ISO 9001 and helps the organization achieve performance improvements. Even though ISO 9004 is not meant for the certification purpose, many organizations use its guidelines provided in this standard for achieving continual improvement. Any business organization that wants to go beyond ISO 9001-quality management systems should seriously look at the quality control guidelines as enumerated in ISO 9004 and they should strive to implement them to improve their quality and performance. ISO 9004 gives clause by clause linkage to ISO 9001 i.e. it expands upon the requirements of ISO 9001 clauses and adds requirements that help in improving the performance of the organization. Each clause is further supported by examples to make it easy to understand. Here are the eight principles on which the quality control guidelines are based -

Customer focus Everybody in the organization should understand the importance of customer focus and should work towards it. The customer means not only external customers but also internal customers. The organization should realize that they depend on customers and hence should do its best to meet and exceed customer requirements. Process approach The entire business is a series of steps that form a process. People should understand the linkages and importance of each step to the final objective. This will help in reducing the entire cycle time for the customers. Leadership - Unless leaders show commitment towards quality, the employees will not be motivated and hence the onus lies with the leadership. It is the responsibility of the leaders to give a clear vision of the targets and provide resources to achieve those targets. They should also inspire and motivate people by recognizing their achievements. Involvement of People Everybody should be involved and should be aware of what is expected from him/her in order to achieve customer satisfaction. This gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility. Continual Improvement - This is different from continuous improvement in the sense that it expects the organization to achieve a quality level, maintain it consistently and then move up one level and so on. This helps the people in understanding the importance of continuous learning and also helps the organization in becoming more flexible. Systems approach - The management is expected to identify the interrelated processes as one system with each process being important. This helps in improving the efficiency and the effectiveness of the organization. Factual approach - The decision making should be based on facts. The available data should be analyzed and according to the results of analysis, the decision should be taken. Supplier relationship - It is important for management to realize the importance of a good supplier relationship. Both supplier and organization are mutually dependent and hence this relationship is very important for both. These principles form the framework for quality assurance guidelines around which the management of organizations should work in order to improve their performance and quality delivery.

Product Quality Assurance Certification In these competitive times, it is very important to be ahead of competition in each and every aspect. Customers are looking for the best quality products and services at the lowest possible cost. They would like to choose a product that has quality assurance certification and is available at a low price. Moreover, the big stores do not like to keep products without

sufficient product certifications on their shelves. This also makes it important for the organizations to go for relevant product certifications. These certifications are normally awarded after audits by independent third party laboratories. Some Quality Certifications For Different Products AreUL UL has been a very reputed name in product safety certifications for over a century. The products that consistently meet the safety requirements set by UL are certified for UL and can display the UL mark on the product. This helps the consumers to identify a UL certified and non-UL certified product easily. Various products that we use at our home and offices like ladders, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, air heaters, clothes dryer, LPG hose, portable tools, etc. are regularly tested as per rigorous standards created by UL. The UL engineers visit the manufacturers of the products with UL mark to ensure the compliance to the high standards of safety as defined by UL QA certification . CSA Canadian Standards Association (CSA) International provides CSA marking to the products that meet safety and performance requirements of various standards like ANSI, ASME, ASTM, CSA, ASSE, NSF and UL. There are various marks for which CSA does certification like CSA US, CSA C/US, CSA Blue Star, and CSA Blue Flame. Each quality certification is awarded after the product passes the various rigorous tests conducted on the product as per the standards. The certification may be country based too, for e.g. CSA Blue Star is for gas-fired products in the US which meet CSA US Standards and ANSI requirements whereas CSA Blue Flame is for gas-fired products in Canada which meet the CSA requirements. CSA certifies various products like building materials, structural products, concrete products, heating & cooling equipment, health care equipment, home equipment, gas appliances, etc. FDA The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awards QA certification based upon the safety and performance requirements of the food products. Some of the products that FDA approves are food items, dietary supplements, drugs & vaccines, contact lenses, medical devices, animal drugs & food, cosmetic products, etc. It is mandatory for some of the products to be certified by FDA before sale whereas for some, this is optional. Once a product is FDA approved, it gives confidence to the consumer or user of the product. Hence many organizations get their products certified by FDA, even if it is not mandatory, to get an extra edge over the competitors. FDA also tests and approves various radiation emitting products like cell phones, microwave ovens, Compact florescent lamps (CFLs), medical & non-medical laser products, tanning beds, X-ray equipment, etc. Apart from the above product QA certification, options such as CE, FCC, TUV, CCC, Tick Mark, etc. are available to the manufacturers of the products. Obviously the choice of the mark will depend upon the type of the product and sometimes also on the country where the product

is manufactured and/or sold. The product quality marks give confidence to the consumers while they are buying the products.