TSA – Give us some background of Cosmo First since its inception.
Cosmo First (prior Cosmo Films) has a legacy of 40 years of business and has become a global leader in specialty films for packaging, lamination, and labeling applications. Over the years, we have pioneered in various fields and have prided ourselves in our ability to provide industry-first niche solutions in the areas of packaging, lamination, and industrial and labeling applications.
Cosmo at its core has always been pioneering revolutionary innovations to create a better life. All through our journey, we have prided ourselves in our ability to provide industry-first niche solutions in the areas of packaging, lamination, and industrial and labeling applications. We have made inspiring diversifications into specialty chemicals, consumer care, and D2C retail, aiming to be a pioneer in these previously fragmented industries.
Cosmo Speciality Chemicals Private Limited (CSCPL) is a 100% subsidiary of Cosmo First Limited. Started as backward integration for Cosmo’s films business, Cosmo specialty chemicals has now become a leading player in the textile auxiliary market. Our vision is to be a preferred specialty chemicals company, constantly innovating for a better & safer tomorrow.
TSA – What types of solutions does Cosmo Speciality Chemicals provide for the textile industry?
Cosmo Speciality Chemicals began with backward integration for manufacturing chemicals for Cosmo’s films business but eventually, it turned into a business of itself. Cosmo Speciality Chemicals today has become a leading player in the textile auxiliary market with more than 60+ innovative products in their portfolio, which consists of products right from pre-treatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing.
The Adhesives business offers a versatile range of Aqueous, Solvent, and PU-based polymers. With Innovation at our core, CSC developed a wide range of adhesives to enhance the bonding performance of goods. Cosmo’s vision is to be a preferred specialty chemicals company, constantly innovating for a better & safer tomorrow.
TSA – How was the company’s performance in FY21-22?
Within FY21-22, Cosmo specialty chemicals has expanded to 60 products. We are building products for internal as well as external use for the textile industry as a whole. The value proposition of our products is such that we have gained the trust of our customers within a very short span of time.
We launched eco-friendly and certified products for pre-treatment, Dyeing, Printing, and finishing which makes a diverse portfolio of product offerings for the textile industry. Given the product need and market opportunity, we are further expanding into other chemicals business such as Adhesives, DTP coating, and Master-batches.
This expansion will make us one of the only firms to provide a 360-degree solution with films and adhesives under one roof. We are also working on the development of technical textile chemicals that integrate useful properties such as OWR (Oil and Water repellent), moisture management, and Aroma finishing.
TSA – How is the textile market at present (in India as well as globally)?
At the global level, industry players are collaborating to build unique amenities by utilizing technological resources such as artificial intelligence, which are expected to open up new market channels. To gain market share, leading corporations will turn their attention to acquisition and expansion tactics.
With respect to innovation in the textile industry, digital textile printing ink that has features like endurance, excellent color, and superior picture quality will gain popularity. Technical textiles is a rapidly growing sub-segment, are functional fabrics that have applications across various industries including automobiles, civil engineering, construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial safety, personal protection, etc. For this segment, there is a great opportunity to fill a large demand gap because technical textile consumption in India is currently barely 5-10% against the international 30-70%. We also expect the use of smart fabrics to gain popularity. Smart fabrics also known as e-textiles can recognize various environmental conditions and intelligent textiles and can not only sense environmental changes such as thermal, chemical, or mechanical but can also automatically react to them.
The textile industry has successfully created products like Moisture management finishes, Fragrance finishes, antimicrobial finishes, and technical textiles to provide valuable functional wearables to people. Our goal is to become the top producer of textile auxiliary products in both India and the rest of the globe using sustainable chemistry.
TSA – What is your expectation on growth in textile manufacturing and exports from India after the Indian government’s increased focus on textile manufacturing?
With PLI 2.0, the government is planning to make textile manufacturing in India as competitive as major top exporting hubs like China and Vietnam. This will impact the investment inflow and manufacturing in the textile sector positively. Along with the China +1 policy, businesses are already looking out for outsourcing manufacturing capabilities beyond China to maintain robust supply. With the government’s increased focus in textile manufacturing, we can expect textiles to be produced competitively which will give businesses a cost advantage and the ability to price their goods low. This will help create demand for Indian Exports in the textile industry leading to an increase in our exports at the world stage.
TSA – What are your plans to grow your business further in 2023? Approach for 2023
We aim to keep innovate and develop industry-first sustainable solutions. Our goal is to reach sales of 300tpm during the year 2023 by focusing more on the printing range utilizing in-house know-how and possibilities of backward integration. With the introduction of adhesives. We shall also aim to establish a joint venture with a foreign company to offer a diverse range of products and reach a larger customer base.
TSA – Any Message to our readers?
At Cosmo Speciality Chemicals (CSC), we value bonding. With Innovation, commitment to excellence, and superior quality products, CSC is a one-stop solution for a range of Adhesives, Masterbatches, Coating Chemicals, and Textile Auxiliary chemicals. With a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility coupled with some of the best minds from around the globe, we strive hard to constantly deliver the best products often surpassing global benchmarks. Continuous innovation leads to new and improved products, allowing us to keep pace with our customers evolving needs.
