Coats to make sewing threads using recycled/renewable materials

Coats is currently focusing on achieving sustainability targets in key areas such as water, energy, minerals, waste and people to make sewing threads for apparel, footwear and performance materials

Coats Group Plc., one of the world’s largest thread makers, will continue to focus on the core business of making sustainable sewing threads and is unlikely to re-enter readymade garments which it divested in 2000, according to Group CEO Rajiv Sharma.

“We sold the garments division of Madura Coats, a subsidiary of Coats Viyella, to Indian Rayon in 2000. [Re-entering the segment] will be like rubbing an old wound,” he said during an interaction.

Indian Rayon acquired the garments division as a going concern with employees, brand licences, distribution and manufacturing networks. It became the owner/licencee for India for premium brands such as Louis Phillippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Byford, Peter England and Sanfrisco,

“They (brands) are doing extremely well. The performance is much better than what we could have achieved, if it was with us,” he said while ruling out the possibility of having a second look.

According to him, Coats is currently focusing on achieving sustainability targets in key areas such as water, energy, minerals, waste and people to make sewing threads for apparel, footwear and performance materials.

To achieve its goal, Coats opened a 100% focused ‘Sustainability Hub’ at its Madurai spinning and twisting plant and announced new target for 2026.