Obertshausen – Karl Mayer will use India ITME 2026 to present its latest warp knitting, warp preparation and technical-textile technologies for the Indian market, with a particular focus on athleisure, footwear, geotextiles and composite reinforcements.
The exhibition will take place from 4th – 9th December 2026 at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida. Karl Mayer will exhibit at booth 15G19 in Hall 15, where it plans to combine multimedia machine presentations with application samples and technical discussions with customers.
The company sees India’s textile sector moving beyond a cost- and volume-led manufacturing model towards higher-value production, export-oriented business and greater use of advanced machinery. This transition is expected to support investment in man-made fibre processing, performance fabrics and technical textiles.
For warp knitting customers, the display will include the latest generation of tricot machines and jacquard double needle bar raschel machines. The equipment is aimed at producers seeking to broaden their product portfolios beyond conventional circular-knitted fabrics and enter higher-value warp-knitted applications.
Two- and three-bar tricot machines are among Karl Mayer’s established products in India. The machines are used for lightweight, functional and comfort-oriented fabrics, including materials for athleisure and apparel applications. Their flexibility and production efficiency are relevant for mills seeking consistent fabric quality across larger production runs.
“Circular knitters recognise the advantages in output and consistent quality and want to expand their product range to include warp-knitted fabrics,” said Mark Smith, deputy vice president of sales, Business Unit Warp Knitting, at Karl Mayer.
The company will also highlight its newer jacquard double needle bar raschel machines, launched at ITMA Asia. These machines are designed for the production of patterned shoe uppers, giving manufacturers greater scope to combine engineered structures, surface design and functional performance within footwear textiles.
Karl Mayer expects demand for such equipment to be supported by the growth of India’s athleisure and footwear sectors. The company will show application examples including four-way-stretch fabrics, woven-look warp knits, functional athleisure constructions, home textiles and apparel fabrics.
Seamless body-mapping concepts will form part of the application focus. These constructions can place different stretch, support, ventilation or aesthetic zones within a textile structure, helping brands and manufacturers develop more differentiated sportswear and performance-garment products.
Karl Mayer will also address technical-textile opportunities, particularly machinery with weft insertion for the manufacture of geogrids. These warp knitted reinforcement structures are used in civil-engineering applications such as slope stabilisation and ground reinforcement.
Composite production is another target segment. Karl Mayer said demand is growing for multiaxial warp knitting machines used to produce reinforcement fabrics for composite components, including wind-turbine rotor blades. Transportation applications could provide further potential, with composite materials increasingly used in areas such as rail interiors.
In the service area, Karl Mayer’s Care Solutions team will introduce an expanded Indian version of its Spare Parts Webshop. The platform will now include commonly required wear parts for knitting machines, aiming to simplify spare-parts access and support machine availability for local customers.
Smith will also participate in the Textile Horizons conference programme at India ITME, speaking on robotics and automation in yarn and fabric formation. The presentation reflects the growing importance of automation, technical-textile diversification and higher-value fabric development as India’s knitting and textile manufacturers target new domestic and export markets.
