Thus, Textile Today meets regularly many young leaders to know their vision, objectives, thoughts and future plans. Very recently Textile Today has met Salman Farsy Sunny, Director of Radiance Group, one of the young leaders, who has a successful story in the sector that can set an example for the new entrepreneurs.

Textile Today: What inspired you to join in the RMG sector and how you prepared yourself to run a big business?

Salman Farsy: RMG sector is the heart of Bangladesh’s economy and so building a career in this sector will be the most potential. As we have the family business in the sector, I got the opportunity to watch everything from my childhood and spent three months in the factory when I was in grade seven. During that period, I made a complete assignment that consisted of 200 pages on my learning elaborately. Even I put many sketches of the machine and its part to show how it works. Actually, one of our senior officials asked me to do this and have to submit it to him so that he can understand my learning and improvement. Today I am really grateful to him who made a strong base in my industry career. Textile Today: Many factories are in big problem due to having no order in hand, what is the order situation in your factory now?

Salman Farsy: Alhamdulillah, we have sufficient work in our factory because we never ventured into any irrational capacity building. We keep everything in a limit that always easy to control. The worker migration in our factory is very few percentages and this helps us to take a long-time training and efficiency building program for the worker. So, we can confront any kinds of challenges and difficult situations.

Textile Today: Bangladesh RMG sector is crossing a crisis and hardship moment because of unavailability of order, so as alternative experts are talking about for Diversification of product, what is your opinion in regards to Product diversification?

Salman Farsy: Diversification of product is not all time easy for the manufacturer to start, because it needs new line set up, upgrading machine, skill development as well as changing of the complete process. The investment in the back of all changes also not to disregard and the transection period may have an issue of unproductivity that may linger to attain profitability.

These all substances some time makes the manufacturer to be halted to go for product diversification. But I think we can add value to our product by ornamentation and beautification through the embellishment of materials and the wash process.Textile Today: Along with Product diversification, market diversification is also important to consider for overcoming future challenges, what do you think about it and how to go for market diversification?

Salman Farsy: Discovering the new market is the only way to survive in the present situation. But before going to the new market a deep exploration of that market area required to do. Because the market trend is always dissimilar beyond the territory depending on social values, financial solvency as well as cultural heritage. Another important issue has to be considered before entering a new market, the bilateral relationship in commerce and trade between the manufacturing and buyer’s country.

Textile Today: Cost reduction can help to overcome the crisis situation but RMG owners sometimes fail to take fruitful steps because of less observation and proper guidelines. What is your opinion in this regard?

Salman Farsy: Now Bangladeshi RMG owners are struggling only to cover up the monthly expenses let alone make a profit. A recent wage hike and overall order crisis make the thing difficult to keep running the production unit. So, owners are thinking of several options to be alive in the industry.

Some are going towards excessive automation to cut human involvement without considering the reality and some are gradually downing the product price that never knows the ending. The approach in both ways may not be a sustainable and long-lasting solution.

Yes, to reduce workforce we should bring automation but it has to be in a gradual process by adopting the technology. Sometimes semi-automation can give better output than fully automated processes by the proper balancing of man-machine adjustment. In our factory, we examine the overall process in the sewing line to adopt the best mechanism.

For the product price, we should not be downing it because Bangladesh is now the name of a quality product in the international market. So better is to spread our strength out and have a good negotiation with the buyers for a quality price.

In the ’80s, people never think that wastage can eat up the maximum profit but in the crisis moment things are coming into light. Without waste reduction, there is no way to survive in a competitive market. We should reduce all kinds of waste from human, time and overall process waste.

Textile Today: What is your future plan and how you want to contribute more to the sector?

Salman Farsy: We have no extension plan right now rather focusing on the existing production set up. Our plan is only to up-gradation in the manufacturing process as well as to work on value-added products to get more profit in doing less.

In my opinion, Bangladeshi manufacturers should not go for further extension or invest in any new project related to the apparel industry. Feeding the giant capacity is really not easy all-time to manage but unfortunately, some factories have made huge capacity and now they are in big crisis because the overall apparel market is not in good shape throughout the world.