DBL gears up for Srihatta textile production by Nov

DBL Group, a leading apparel exporter in the country, plans to commence commercial production at its greenfield cotton yarn spinning mill in the Srihatta Economic Zone in Moulvibazar by November.

As part of its investment plans, the group has constructed a world-class textile mill named "Jinnat Textile Mills Ltd". It is designed to produce fine cotton yarn and rotor yarn, catering to the diverse needs of the textile industry, with a daily capacity of 43.5 tonnes.

Investment is estimated to be around $83.35 million, with an expected annual revenue of $70 million.

According to the top management, the business conglomerate will initiate operations in its nine other units, spanning various sectors in the economic zone, within the next two years.

The group is investing approximately $650 million to establish the factories at DBL Industrial Park, which is currently being developed within the economic zone.

Shaikh Yusuf Harun, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), told The Business Standard that one of the DBL units is ready to go into production.

According to the company, the industrial park, which is being established on 167.6 acres of land, is expected to generate employment for 5,630 people.

The factories featuring the latest technology will manufacture diversified DBL products such as textiles, ceramics and sanitary wares from intermediate materials to finished goods, catering to other industries and consumers. This industrial park is expected to generate a yearly revenue of $500 million, it added.

DBL Group Managing Director MA Jabbar said Jinnat Textile Mills will come into production in November this year at DBL Industrial Park.

"We are setting up a second unit of ceramics in that economic zone, where we will manufacture sanitary ware alongside tiles," he told TBS.

The managing director said the group is conducting some research and development (R&D) work for the production of advanced ceramic products.

"It is very challenging to continue making investments during such a global economic situation. Nevertheless, we are investing to produce environment-friendly raw materials to ensure sustainable and diversified business in the coming days," he added.

The products to be manufactured in the industrial park span various industries, including textiles, spinning, recycled polyester, ceramic tiles, sanitary ware, ceramic frit, floral glass, glass processing, dry mortar, and faucet units.

The recycled polyester unit will produce 18 tonnes of staple fibre per day as raw material for the spinning factory.

In the industrial park, DBL aims to produce over 40,000 square metres of ceramic tiles per day in its ceramic factory unit.

In another ceramic facility, it will produce 90-99 tonnes of ceramic frit per day, which is a major ingredient of ceramic glaze widely used in the ceramic industry.

The dry mortar facility at the industrial park is expected to generate $8.8 million in revenue per year.

DBL's most significant initiative at the industrial park is Jinnat Textile Mills Limited, which houses two spinning factories that will play a crucial role in DBL's vertically integrated textile composite.

These manufacturing units will cater to existing renowned buyers, notably H&M, George, Puma, Esprit, G-Star, Decathlon, Tom Tailor, MQ Retail, NEXT, M&S, Bench, Gymboree, LIDL, C&A and Target.

The cotton yarn spinning units will cater to existing DBL buyers, including H&M, George, Puma, Esprit, G-Star, Decathlon, Tom Tailor, MQ Retail, NEXT, M&S, Bench, and Gymboree.

According to DBL Group officials, the industrial park is expected to create about 10,000 jobs and generate $500 million in revenue annually.

DBL Group has a total of 30 companies, ranging from textiles to ceramics and packaging. Now it is one of the largest conglomerates in the country, employing some 44,500 people with an $870 million annual turnover.

The group expects its annual turnover to reach more than $1 billion at the end of the current fiscal year, up 15% year-on-year.