Knitting the Future: Active Clothing Partners with Ningbo Cixing to Launch India’s First Smart Sweater Factory

Active Clothing Co Ltd has entered into a landmark long-term agreement with China’s Ningbo Cixing Co, the world’s largest sweater machine manufacturer, to establish a cutting-edge smart knitting facility in India. The collaboration marks a pivotal moment in India’s textile evolution, introducing advanced automation and design capabilities to domestic sweater production.

 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the partnership and its strategic implications.

 

Key Highlights of the Agreement

 

- The joint initiative will create a smart knitting factory named Knit to Shape, touted as India’s first futuristic sweater manufacturing unit  

- The facility will integrate intelligent knitting machines from Ningbo Cixing, enabling seamless, shape-specific garment production  

- The partnership aims to reduce manual intervention, improve design precision, and accelerate production timelines for flat-knit apparel  

- Active Clothing will leverage its existing design and manufacturing expertise to scale operations and meet global quality benchmarks  

 

Strategic Rationale and Industry Impact

 

- The move aligns with India’s push toward textile automation and value-added manufacturing under the Make in India initiative  

- It positions Active Clothing as a pioneer in smart apparel production, capable of competing with global players in terms of speed, quality, and cost-efficiency  

- The Knit to Shape model is expected to reduce fabric waste and energy consumption, supporting sustainability goals in fashion manufacturing  

- The collaboration may also catalyse similar tech-driven upgrades across India’s fragmented knitwear sector  

 

Company Profiles and Synergies

 

- Active Clothing Co Ltd, incorporated in 2002, is an integrated apparel manufacturer specialising in flat-knit sweaters, outerwear jackets, and circular knit garments  

- Ningbo Cixing Co Ltd is a global leader in computerized knitting machines, known for its innovations in seamless and automated textile machinery  

- The partnership brings together design-led manufacturing and machine-led precision, creating a new benchmark for smart textile production in India  

 

Forward Outlook

 

- The Knit to Shape factory is expected to begin phased operations in FY26, with full automation and commercial rollout by FY27  

- Active Clothing plans to expand its export footprint by offering tech-enabled sweater solutions to global fashion brands  

- Analysts expect the move to enhance the company’s margins and brand positioning, especially in premium and fast-fashion segments  

 

As Active Clothing and Ningbo Cixing stitch together this transformative alliance, the Knit to Shape factory promises to redefine how sweaters are made—where tradition meets technology in every thread.

 

Sources: MoneyWorks4Me, Shares Bazaar, Rediff Money, July 2, 2025