How Changing Indian Bodies and Tastes Are Redrawing Intimatewear Manufacturing

Piccion invested in seamless machinery from Italy, but comparable equipment is available to competing manufacturers. In practice, where does the competitive advantage come from: machine programming, yarn selection, garment engineering, finishing, operator knowledge, or the ability to run the equipment at high utilisation?
Kabutarwala: The machinery is certainly important, but we believe our experience of more than 40 years in textiles gives us an advantage in understanding how different yarns behave and how they influence the final fabric and garment. We have knowledge across the entire process, from yarn and knitting to garment production, dyeing, finishing, packing and dispatch. Having these processes handled within one integrated operation also allows us to maintain closer control over quality and consistency. Ultimately, it is the combination of material knowledge, manufacturing experience and process control that helps us get the best out of the machinery.

In seamless intimatewear, fit and performance are engineered through yarn combinations, knitting structures, stretch, recovery and different zones of compression or support. Which of these variables has proved hardest to control consistently in commercial production?
Kabutarwala: Yarn selection has probably been one of the most challenging variables to control consistently in commercial production. The characteristics of the yarn have a direct impact on the softness, stretch, recovery, comfort and overall performance of the finished garment. Even small differences in yarn behaviour can affect the final product, so understanding how different yarns respond during knitting, dyeing and finishing is very important.

Seamless garments are often sold on their ability to accommodate a wider range of fit. In intimatewear, however, stretch cannot compensate indefinitely for differences in body shape. How are size ranges developed and wear-tested, particularly for Indian consumers, and what determines the point at which a separate size or construction becomes necessary?
Kabutarwala: Seamless garments have a high degree of stretch, which allows a single size to accommodate a relatively wider range of body measurements compared with some conventional garments. At Piccion, we offer multiple size ranges, including S/M, L/XL, XXL and XXXL, to accommodate different body requirements. While the stretch and recovery of seamless fabrics provide flexibility in fit, we still recognise that different body shapes and measurements require appropriate size ranges. Our sizing approach is therefore based on balancing the natural adaptability of seamless construction with the need to provide consumers with a comfortable and supportive fit.

Piccion's range now extends beyond bras and panties into men's innerwear, shapewear, maternitywear and sportswear. How far can one seamless manufacturing platform accommodate such different performance requirements before specialised machinery, yarn systems or finishing processes become necessary?
Kabutarwala: The versatility of seamless machinery allows us to manufacture a wide range of products across intimatewear, shapewear, maternitywear and sportswear using largely the same underlying manufacturing platform. However, the yarn selection and product specifications change depending on the purpose of the garment and the performance we want to achieve. Different products require different levels of stretch, support, softness and recovery, so the material and programming have to be adjusted accordingly. This flexibility allows us to develop different categories without having to completely change our manufacturing infrastructure for every product.

Access to sophisticated knitting machinery is only one part of developing a seamless manufacturing industry. For India, where are the more serious capability gaps today: specialised yarns, machine programming, product engineering, dyeing and finishing expertise, skilled technicians, or sufficient order volumes to justify the investment?
Kabutarwala: In our experience, access to machinery or yarn is not necessarily the biggest challenge for the Indian seamless industry today. The more significant gaps are in skilled technicians, specialised designers and, importantly, sufficient order volumes to justify the investment in sophisticated manufacturing infrastructure. Seamless production requires people who understand both the technology and the product, and developing that specialised skill base takes time. At the same time, manufacturers need adequate and consistent demand to make high-capital machinery commercially viable.

Seamless equipment represents substantial fixed capital, so machine utilisation becomes central to the economics of the business. Piccion is simultaneously a manufacturing operation and a consumer-facing brand. Does a standalone brand generate enough scale to optimise such capacity, or does the stronger long-term business case require manufacturing for other brands and markets as well?
Kabutarwala: We have been in the seamless garment business for more than 10 years, and over that period we have developed the product range and market presence needed to sell the garments we manufacture ourselves. This means our business does not depend on manufacturing for other brands simply to utilise our production capacity. Being both a manufacturer and a consumer-facing brand also gives us greater control over the product journey, from manufacturing through to the final customer. Our focus is therefore on continuing to build Piccion and expanding the market for our own products rather than relying primarily on third-party brands.