Textile Today presents Textile Innovation Awards 2024

Aiming to honor, recognise and promote innovations in Bangladesh textile and apparel industry, Textile Today awarded Textile Innovation Award on the Grand Finale event of Textile Talent Hunt Season 8 held on at Dhaka Regency Hotel Saturday (October 26).

This innovation award was given to four renowned companies in a total of four categories. Companies are Masco Group in Processing (Garments) Category, Urmi Group in Product Development Category, Shasha Denims in Marketing and Market Development Category and Coats Bangladesh in HR/Organizational Development Category.

Brig Gen (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain, advisor to the Ministry of Jute and Textiles, was present as the chief guest on the occasion and handed over the trophy to the winners. Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Md Hatem and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) President Shawkat Aziz Russell were present as special guests and the event was presided by Professor Dr Eng Ayub Nabi Khan, Pro-VC, BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology, BUFT.

Asif Ashraf, managing director of Urmi Group, received the award on behalf of his company. He said, "We need managerial level leader and innovation must be in our DNA."

ATM Mahbubul Alam Chowdhury, executive director of Masco group, received the award on behalf of his company. He said, "Innovation is a culture and we the Masco group always focus on incremental innovation. If a company have the culture of innovation we will be able to face the challenges."

Shams Mahmud, managing director of Shasha Denims, received the award on behalf of his company said, "We work together like a family and we have 100% worker retention. We share our profit to the whole team which made us different."

Zahir Ahsan, commercial director of Coats Bangladesh and Pakistan received the award on behalf of his company. Zahir said, "Five years ago, we had 50% expats but now we have all 100% local employees." 

The awards were given based on outstanding contributions that have a transformative impact on the textile and apparel industry, encouraging culture of continuous improvement, inspiring industry professionals to develop innovative solutions that address current challenges and future needs, highlighting leadership in innovation, promoting environmentally and socially responsible practices that benefit both businesses and communities and supporting knowledge sharing by promoting cutting-edge innovations that can serve as models for the industry.

The Textile Innovation Award aims to celebrate and recognise the pioneering efforts, showcasing organisations that are setting new standards of excellence and innovation in the textile sector. It will serve as a benchmark for excellence in the textile industry, showcasing innovations that have the potential to drive sustainable growth and competitiveness. By recognising outstanding contributions, the award fosters a culture of innovation that will inspire future developments, ultimately benefiting the entire textile value chain—from manufacturers and designers to retailers and consumers.

It underscores the importance of innovation in staying relevant in today’s competitive global market and encourages the textile sector to prioritize creativity, sustainability, and continuous improvement. Through this initiative, Textile Today aims to create a future-ready industry that embraces progress and leads the way in global textile innovation.