Intertek, Fibre2Fashion align for apparel, textile global sourcing initiatives in South Asia

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 2/7/2012 11:55:40 AM

Mumbai - Looking to ease and expand global sourcing efforts for textile value chains throughout Southern Asia, Intertek and Fibre2Fashion have joined forces to collaborate and create new solutions.

Intertek, a major provider of quality and safety solutions to the manufacturing industry, and textile-and-apparel fashion industry e-marketplaces Fibre2Fashion recently signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to embark on the new venture using the iSupplier platform to support retailers in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The iSupplier platform was developed as a cost-effective solution for buyers who require trusted information about the identities, capabilities and processes of their suppliers when making purchasing decisions.

Additionally, iSupplier acts as an online community where suppliers can showcase their performance through a series of certifications, standards and compliance levels that are widely recognized across their particular industry.

The collaboration between Intertek and Fibre2Fashion.com through iSupplier "will bring the best of two worlds together to provide authentic supplier information on the South Asian textile-apparel-fashion industry, verified for consistency, validity, credibility and accuracy," the two companies noted. "This will facilitate global sourcing and supplier management of South Asian suppliers and is exactly what many global buyers are looking for, as they shift their sourcing focus from China to emerging South Asian economies."

Added Rajesh Saigal, managing director, Intertek India: "Intertek and Fibre2Fashion.com will be actively organizing joint seminars, conferences, trainings and business-matching events between buyers and suppliers across the region. Fibre2Fashion.com will promote Intertek services in addition to iSupplier through its extensive online presence and Intertek in return will promote Fibre2Fashion.com services in the textile value chains."

Sanjiv Shah, ceo of Fibre2Fashion.com said the alliance poses "great potential in further exploring the markets in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka," and is "likely to greatly strengthen the South Asian textile and apparel industry in the context of the world stage. With Intertek's global network of quality buyers and suppliers, and the online tools to identify, filter and pre-qualify suppliers through the iSupplier platform, we hope to reach out to our target stakeholders and offer them a comprehensive solution for trading with global buyers."