How a Noida-based apparel maker found its way into wardrobes worldwide

Inside CTA Apparels’ manufacturing unit in Sector 63, Noida, the factory floor goes beyond scale; it reflects a shift in how India’s garment exporters are rethinking production.

On a recent visit, what stood was not just the movement of fabric and finished garments but the way the entire operation is managed through automated systems, rather than manual supervision. Rolls of fabric are moved seamlessly from inspection to cutting, ensuring minimal handling. Large sections of the floor are organised around centralised processes instead of fragmented lines. Operators work alongside screens tracking performance in real time, while supervisors monitor output through digital dashboards.

There is a visible attempt to reduce friction at every stage, whether in material routing, early defect detection, or workflow design aimed at minimising idle time. The facility does not resemble a traditional labour-intensive export unit; instead, it operates as a controlled production environment built for predictability.


“The idea is to move from being a manufacturing vendor to becoming a systems-driven partner for global brands,” says Shivansh Kansal, Vice President (Strategy) at CTA Apparels. “Today, speed, transparency, and traceability matter as much as cost.”

That shift is not limited to this unit alone. It reflects a broader transformation underway at CTA Apparels, as the Noida-based exporter builds a vertically integrated, technology-enabled manufacturing ecosystem aligned with evolving global fashion supply chains.

A business built on control and precision
Mukesh Kansal, Shivansh’s father, started CTA Apparel in 1993, when India’s garment exports were largely driven by small, disconnected manufacturing units. Over the years, the company has steadily expanded its capabilities, moving beyond basic garment production to build a fully integrated textile and apparel ecosystem.

For the younger Kansal, whose education in Switzerland exposed him to global business practices, the objective now is not merely to grow the company but to build an Indian apparel manufacturer that can match the operational excellence and scale of the world's leading suppliers.

CTA Apparels operates in India’s highly competitive apparel export sector, where it competes with a mix of large integrated exporters and regional garment manufacturing clusters supplying global fashion brands. The company says its key competitors in the broader export-oriented apparel segment include companies such as Gokaldas Exports, Pearl Global Industries, KPR Mill and several Noida- and Tiruppur-based export houses.

What distinguishes CTA from others is the extent of that integration, says Shivansh. Instead of relying on external vendors for fabric, processing, and finishing, the company has brought nearly every stage of the value chain in-house. Fabric is sourced and processed internally; it undergoes pre-treatment processes, such as singeing and mercerising, moves through dyeing and printing units, and is then converted into finished garments within the same controlled ecosystem. This approach has allowed CTA to scale without losing operational control, he explains.

The company now employs more than 5,000 professionals and operates over 2,000 machines, reflecting both its manufacturing depth and its evolution into a large, structured exporter. This scale-up is mirrored in its financial trajectory, with CTA’s revenue from operations rising from Rs 335 crore in FY24 to Rs 374 crore in FY25, and Rs 447 crore in FY26, indicating a steady acceleration in growth.

“My father built the business on strong fundamentals: quality, discipline, and financial prudence. What we are adding now is technology and global alignment,” emphasises Shivansh.

The textile backbone that powers it all
Much of CTA’s operational strength is derived not just from its garment units but also from its textile processing plant in Pilkhuwa, Uttar Pradesh. Located near its Noida facilities, the plant ensures that smooth flows of fabric into garment production, minimising logistical delays, facilitating quicker turnaround times and more precise scheduling. Inside the facility, scale and sophistication go hand in hand. The plant processes up to 100,000 meters of woven fabric daily and around 7,500 kg of knitted fabric, moving them through advanced pre-processing, dyeing, printing, and finishing systems that meet global quality standards.

With a 125,000 sq. ft expansion recently, introducing RFID-enabled inventory tracking and advanced surface treatment technologies, CTA has further enhanced its automation. “When you control fabric, you control timelines, quality, and ultimately your credibility with buyers,” Shivansh points out.

The company has a production capacity of around 1.5 million garments per month. A new automated facility in Noida is expected to augment capacity by an additional 150,000 garments. It also boasts an on-time delivery rate of over 98%, which highlights its focus on reliability, an essential factor in global retail supply chains. “In exports, consistency is everything. Buyers don’t just look at capacity; they also look at predictability. “If you can deliver the same quality, on time, every time, you stay in the game,” says Shivansh.

CTA exports 95-97% of its products to the European market, with the largest shipments each year heading to Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, and Denmark. Shivansh says the company expects export turnover to reach about Rs 550 crore next year.

CTA’s integration into global supply chains is reflected in its client base, which includes major global brands, such as Zara, H&M, American Eagle, Marks & Spencer, and Primark. Its product portfolio spans multiple categories, enabling it to serve diverse global markets.

Sustainability as strategy
CTA is embedding sustainability into its operating model, with measurable investments across energy, water, and waste management, says Shivansh. The company has installed 1 MW solar capacity across its manufacturing units and an additional 1.5 MW at its fabric processing facility as part of its target to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2027. On the water side, its Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system enables up to 90% reuse of treated wastewater, supported by a 65 KLD treatment plant and multi-stage filtration processes.

It is also pushing circularity through zero-landfill practices, post-production recycling protocols and partnerships with certified recyclers, alongside efforts such as planting over 50,000 trees. “If you are not building sustainability into your operations today, you risk being excluded from global supply chains tomorrow. For us, it is directly linked to long-term competitiveness,” says Shivansh.


Moving beyond manufacturing to design
CTA’s transformation is most evident in its push toward digital manufacturing. Its new Noida facility is designed as a data-driven production environment where fabric inspection is automated, cutting is centralised, sewing lines are digitally monitored, and embroidery is executed through IoT-enabled systems.

“We are not reducing the role of people; rather, we are enhancing productivity per person,” Shivansh says, emphasising that technology helps the firm reduce errors, improve speed, and make better decisions on the floor.

This shift aligns with global trends, where brands increasingly demand traceable and transparent production processes.

CTA is also investing in design capabilities, supported by Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems and AI tools that enable rapid sampling and trend forecasting. “Earlier, exporters were reactive, wherein you waited for buyer briefs. Now, you must be proactive. If you can show design direction, you move up the value chain,” Shivansh explains.

Despite increasing automation, CTA continues to invest in workforce development, having trained over 6,500 individuals and employed more than 4,700 of them. “Technology and people are not substitutes; rather, they complement each other,” Shivansh adds. CTA’s transformation has also been reflected in its recent industry recognition. The company won first prize in the Cotton and Ready-Made Garments category at the Uttar Pradesh Export Promotion Awards for 2024–25. It also received the Silver Award from the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) for achieving the highest exports to the European Union in both 2023–24 and 2024–25.

Challenges
Textile exporters in the country are increasingly facing pressure due to rising labour and logistics costs and stiff competition from Bangladesh and Vietnam, says Kanishk Maheshwari, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Primus Partners. At the same time, global buyers are demanding faster turnaround times, traceability, sustainability compliance and consistent quality standards, he says.

For context, India’s textile and apparel exports showed modest growth in FY26 amid geopolitical disruptions and uneven global demand. According to the Ministry of Textiles data, India’s textile exports rose 2.1% year-on-year to Rs 3.16 lakh crore in FY26 from Rs 3.09 lakh crore in FY25. Within this, ready-made garment (RMG) exports, the country’s largest textile export segment, increased 2.9% to Rs 1.39 lakh crore during the year.

“For textile exporters based out of regional export clusters, the challenge today extends just beyond labour costs. Global buyers are increasingly demanding faster turnaround times, traceability, and sustainability compliance with consistent quality. Exporters today also face rising wages, logistics costs and stiff competition from Bangladesh and Vietnam, which continue to enjoy structural cost advantages,” says Maheshwari.

The challenge currently is to scale without losing efficiency and to invest without compromising margins, says Shivansh.

“This is precisely why automation is becoming central to the future of garment exports. The sector’s next phase of growth will depend less on low-cost labour and more on productivity-led manufacturing through automated cutting, digitally monitored production systems and integrated supply chains. India’s long-term garment export outlook remains strong, but sustaining competitiveness will require a decisive shift towards technology-enabled, value-added manufacturing,” Maheshwari adds.

Road ahead
CTA aims to further penetrate the UK market and strengthen its presence in the EU, extending its reach into the countryside. However, it has no plans to enter the US market, as it’s currently complex due to US President Donald Trump’s uncertain and arbitrary tariff regime, Shivansh says.

The company is currently investing in automation, digitally monitored production systems, renewable energy adoption, and advanced textile processing capabilities to improve productivity, turnaround times, and supply-chain reliability.


Even as India’s textile exports moderated in the recent months due to geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruption, industry observers believe export-focused apparel manufacturers with integrated textile capabilities, stronger compliance standards, and faster turnaround times could continue to see double-digit growth over the medium term, subject to global demand conditions and geopolitical developments.

Founder Mukesh Kansal expects CTA to remain on a positive growth trajectory, driven by capacity expansion, automation-led productivity gains, and deeper integration with global supply chains.