PDS’ Sri Lanka subsidiary Norlanka launches centralised cutting plant

Global fashion infrastructure company PDS Limited (PDS) has announced the opening of a centralised cutting plant (CCP) in the Sri Lankan subsidiary Norlanka, located in Malwana. The plant’s commercial production commenced in late December 2022 and is now operational with a fully digitalised and integrated system starting from mills inspection into warehouse, fabric inspection, and the cutting process.

The centralised operation uses advanced automated machinery in partnership with Tukatech, unlocking smart cut planning and fabric cut efficiency to enhance the quality of the end product and productivity of the process. With a centralised data management system, transparency is created within the entire supply chain, according to a press release by PDS.

PDS Limited has announced the opening of a centralised cutting plant (CCP) in the Sri Lankan subsidiary Norlanka, located in Malwana. The plant’s commercial production commenced in late December 2022 and is now operational with a fully digitalised and integrated system starting from mills inspection into warehouse, fabric inspection, and the cutting process.

The CCP will serve PDS’ manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and will cut ~8 million metres of fabric translating into 33 million pieces annually. Furthermore, the cutting plant also houses a centralised printing facility and an inhouse embroidery facility is planned soon. The CCP will assist in turning existing occupied spaces of the cutting divisions and raw material warehouses across the manufacturing facility into spaces with additional production lines, leading to an increase in capacities by one million standard hours (SAH) per annum.

The investment is a key step towards further enhancing the PDS manufacturing vertical capabilities through state-of-the-art machineries and digitalised processes in Sri Lanka. Adhering to the best ESG standards, the plant also has an efficient waste management system for better control of waste and the visibility of its end of life.

“Sri Lanka continues to be a key geography for PDS. We continue to invest in the country and build our capabilities which not only benefit us, but also our manufacturing partners. Our investments have been consistent in the region, and we will continue to support business growth as our factories innovate and streamline practices across their manufacturing value chain,” said Pallak Seth, vice chairman, PDS Limited.

“The centralised cutting plant in Norlanka will give us better control of fabric usage, cutting quality, and ease of cut planning, as we seamlessly synchronise the plant with design department. Our investments to enhance our capabilities across manufacturing facilities is expected to result in enhancement of margins,” added Sanjay Jain, group CEO, PDS Limited.

Norlanka is one of Sri Lanka’s leading sustainable exporters of baby and kidswear, catering to over 20 international fashion brands and retailers and works closely with over 35 partner factories across the country. Its diverse product portfolio also consists active wear, casual wear, and athleisure. Its global clients include Primark, Matalan, Walmart, Superdry, George, and many others, added the release.

Norlanka’s manufacturing capacity is backed by 6,000 machines with a total of eight million production hours annually. In the second phase, the CCP will double its capacity in line with the vision of PDS to double its manufacturing capacity over the next three years in Sri Lanka.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)