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38                                                                                                                         TEXtalks: Can you give some pointers on the history   Cotton as less waste, and uniform fiber length   39
                               An Interview with                                                                                  of Nagina Group and the capacities of yarn        makes the industrial production process smooth,

                                                                                                                                  production?
                                                                                                                                                                                    with increasing production. Therefore, American
                                                                                                                                                                                    cotton is one of the preferred supply solutions for
                                                                                                                                  Haroon Elahi: Nagina group of companies was
                                Haroon Elahi                                                                                      founded in 1967. It has expanded its textile      companies.
                                                                                                                                  manufacturing operations and has diversified into
                                                                                                                                  other sectors, including construction, power, and
                                                                                                                                                                                    TEXtalks: With international brands, what is the
                                                                                                                                                                                    acceptability of the products that are being
                                                                                                                                  textiles. The unit group is comprised of two publicly
                                                                                                                                                                                    manufactured by using US Cotton?
                                                                                                                                  listed spinning textile companies, one weaving
              Managing Director. Nagina                                                                                           company and the textile manufacturing capacity    Haroon Elahi: Concerning international brands,
                                                                                                                                                                                    American cotton is becoming more acceptable. It is
                                                                                                                                  has 100,956 spindles and 340 air-jet looms. The
                                                                                                                                                                                    an international market driving product, but its
                                                                                                                                  company is expanding further with at least 25,200
                                                                                                                                  spindles in Punjab and 20,000 in Sindh areas.
                                                                                                                                                                                    demand is also increasing in Pakistan's domestic
                                                                                                                                                                                    market. US cotton and the COTTON USA™ brand is
                                 Group. Pakistan                                                                                  The Nagina Group has enormously valued its        now gaining consumer preference because it
                                                                                                                                                                                    provides value for money, especially in both men's
                                                                                                                                  relationship with COTTON USA over the last several
                                                                                                                                                                                    and women's luxury retail brands. The increased
                                                                                                                                  decades. The group relies on American supply
                                                                                                                                  chain partners to produce high-quality materials for
                                                                                                                                  the export market. The group believes that COTTON   demand for COTTON USA™ in the domestic market
                                                                                                                                                                                    of Pakistan is a tremendous achievement. As far as
                                                                                                                                  USA is a preferred natural fiber partner to trust in   international brands are concerned, their desire to
                                                                                                                                  this significant expansion plan.                  work with American cotton sourced yarn and fabrics
                                                                                                                                                                                    is because of its contamination free nature.
                                                                                                                                  TEXtalks: What part does US cotton play and how   However, more work on the branding and marketing
                                                                                                                                  much cotton is being utilized by Nagina Group on an         for building up the partnerships for USA cotton
                                                                                                                                  annual basis?                                     produced yarns and fabrics is something the
                                                                                                                                  Haroon Elahi: US cotton plays an essential role in   Nagina group focuses on working together with CCI
                                                                                                                                  the annual forecast and purchase planning. Cotton   (Cotton Council International).
                                                                                                                                  Council International (CCI) is the export promotion
                                                                                                                                  arm of the US cotton industry.  US cotton being   TEXtalks: Do you know the initiative of the US Cotton
                                                                                                                                  linked to ICE and US cotton is working on the     industry towards sustainability (USCTP)? Your views
                                                                                                                                  system of premiums and discounts based on         to supply sustainable products to your customers?
                                                                                                                                  supply & demand, quality, and USDA Green Card     Haroon Elahi: The company has been recently
                                                                                                                                  quality classification system of evaluation creates   approached to join the USCTP initiative, and we are
                                                                                                                                  very exciting market prospect for purchases. The   looking forward to playing our part. Our group
                                                                                                                                  Nagina group is highly dependent on U.S. cotton,   considers sustainability and credits the system of
                                                                                                                                  but the consumption varies depending upon the     CCI. Their mission is to make U.S. cotton the
                                                                                                                                  international market. USA cotton is the principal   preferred fiber for mills/manufacturers,
                                                                                                                                  support of companies' global raw material strategy   brands/retailers, and consumers, commanding a
                                                                                                                                  to navigate our consumption requirements.         value-added premium that delivers profitability
                                                                                                                                                                                    across the supply chain  and drives export growth
                                                                                                                                  TEXtalks: What Key Advantages you are availing of by   of fiber, yarn, and other cotton products. Mr. Haroon
                                                                                                                                  using US Cotton?                                  Elahi said that if we can create that value chain like
                                                                                                                                  Haroon Elahi:  Some of the key advantages of using   the others have done, we will generate the highest
                                                                                                                                  American cotton are its higher fiber length,      value for American cotton’s growth.
                                                                                                                                  sustainability, transparent partnership, and quality.
                                                                                                                                  The customers are confident that their cotton is   TEXtalks: Would you like to give a few words of
                                                                                                                                  what they required regarding quality and other    suggestions or a glimpse into what you would be
                                                                                                                                  technical aspects. The green card system,         expecting in the coming future?
                                                                                                                                  developed by the United States Department of      Haroon Elahi: Pakistan's market could be an
                                                                                                                                  Agriculture, is one of the most sophisticated and   excellent success for COTTON USA to boost its
                                                                                                                                  cutting-edge evaluation systems for understanding   sales as Pakistan's textile industry is emerging as
                                                                                                                                  the cotton parameters the customers are always    one of the largest cotton consumers. To build up
                                                                                                                                  happy with COTTON USA with transparent and        the infrastructure or communicative governance
                                                                                                                                  trusting relationships.                           between America's districts that produce cotton and
                                                                                                                                                                                    linking them up with the consumption centers in
                                                                                                                                  TEXtalks: How do you see the quality of US Cotton for   Pakistan will generate the highest value for the
                                                                                                                                  the production of your yarn or fabric products?   American farmers. I do wish success for CCI in
                                                                                                                                  Haroon Elahi:  One of the most critical aspects of   upcoming years and I am looking forward to
                                                                                                                                  using American cotton is the ideal raw material. The   advancing relations between the US cotton industry
                                                                                                                                  barriers to profitability are solved by using U.S.   and Pakistan's textile industries.


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