The cutting room represents a significant oversight in the garment industry’s broader sustainability efforts. While sectors such as packaging, trims, and labels have faced intense scrutiny regarding waste generation, this specific operational area has largely escaped the reckoning. The primary cause of this environmental blind spot is the polymer film. This material is essential for the operation of automated cutting equipment, where it is consumed in vast quantities. Its function is purely technical, preventing fabric from sticking to the blades during the cutting process, yet it offers no utility after use and results in immediate, unrecyclable waste. As sustainability legislation tightens across key export markets, this reliance on disposable plastic film is becoming an increasingly difficult issue to ignore.
To address this critical gap, Krishna Lamicoat has invested two years of development into a specialized alternative material. The company has created a 20-micron plant-based biofilm composed of corn starch and other biodegradable compounds. This product is designed to replicate the performance of traditional plastic films while offering a compostable end-of-life solution. Extensive testing has confirmed the film’s compatibility with major automated cutting equipment. It has been successfully tested against the industry’s standard brands, including Lectra, Morgan, and Orox cutters. Furthermore, to verify its environmental credentials, the product carries CIPET certification, a verification issued by the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology, an Indian government body that assesses biodegradability and compostability.
The impetus for this innovation originated during industry event Texprocess two years ago. A specific request came from a client in Fiji, who needed a paper-based coating for cutters because local legislation was banning the use of plastic film. Although the demand for a solution emerged from a single localized market, the technology developed to meet it has applicability across the entire global garment industry. This pivot transformed a niche compliance challenge into a scalable commercial opportunity for the company.
However, bringing a biofilm to the scale required by industrial fabric cutters presented substantial technical hurdles. While biofilms have existed in Europe for years, they were originally designed for much smaller applications, such as paper bags. These materials require relatively small sheet sizes and lack the durability needed for heavy-duty industrial use. In contrast, industrial fabric cutters operate with significantly higher demands. They run at widths ranging from 2.5 to 3 metres and require a film that holds consistent thickness and tensile properties across the entire width. Since no existing biodegradable solution could meet these industrial specifications at a commercial scale, Krishna Lamicoat undertook the challenge of developing its own proprietary machinery to manufacture the film correctly.
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Commercial interest in this new technology is already materializing. The company has secured its inaugural commercial order from the global sportswear brand Jockey. Additionally, the product is currently undergoing evaluation in key manufacturing hubs to prepare for wider adoption. Sample rolls have been dispatched to garment manufacturers in Indonesia and Vietnam to assess their performance in real-world commercial settings. This international outreach indicates a strong push to integrate the biofilm into standard operating procedures abroad.
Economic viability has historically been the primary barrier to adopting plant-based alternatives. For many years, biofilms cost nearly double the price of their polymer counterparts. However, the recent global market setting has shifted this dynamic. Ashok Chhajer, the Director of Krishna Lamicoat, attributes the rising cost of polymers to recent geopolitical issues, noting a rise of nearly 70%. Conversely, the cost of raw materials for the biofilm has remained largely stable. Consequently, the price gap has narrowed considerably. Today, the biofilm is priced at only 5 to 10% higher than equivalent polymer films when measured on a per-square-metre basis.
Despite the higher price point, buyers are not resisting the change. Chhajer argues that the financial impact is negligible because a single layer of film is utilized to cut through many fabric layers simultaneously. In this context, the cost constitutes a tiny fraction of the total production expense. Moreover, the industry’s priorities have shifted toward sustainability. This sentiment is mirrored by the food delivery sector, where paper bags—which are more expensive than plastic—have become the standard despite the cost increase. The company is now strategically focusing on influencer marketing, aiming to get global apparel buyers to include the biofilm in their vendor requirements and formally approve it for use.
Currently, Krishna Lamicoat faces a unique market position due to a lack of direct competitors. As Ashok Chhajer explains, replicating the product is a complex undertaking that requires modified machinery and significant development time, estimated at several months at a minimum. This barrier to entry is expected to protect the company’s market share for the foreseeable future. On the operational front, the company has a broad export reach, shipping products to roughly 30 countries. Key markets include Bangladesh, Jordan, and Egypt. To optimize logistics, the company is expanding its operations from its BOI-certified facility in Sri Lanka. This facility serves markets like Pakistan more efficiently than shipping directly from India, offering better economic benefits for delivery in those regions.
