Indian exhibition organizer Radeecal Exhicon chooses Vietnam as destination in Southeast Asia: CEO

Vietnam is a dynamic and fast-growing country, with a very potential non-woven fabric industry, said Sanyal Desai, CEO of Radeecal Exhicon, a leading exhibition organizer in India.

Speaking at a seminar on cooperation in developing Vietnam’s non-woven fabric industry to meet domestic and export market demand, held in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, Desai highlighted Vietnam as a highly promising market for non-woven products, supported by strong economic and consumption growth.

Vietnam’s non-woven fabric market is the largest in Southeast Asia, projected to reach $622 million by 2025, he noted.

Non-woven fabrics are used in a wide range of sectors, including health care (e.g. face masks, surgical gowns), consumer goods (reusable bags, wet wipes, sanitary pads), agriculture (crop covers), industry (filters, sound insulation materials), and home furnishings (sofa linings, shoe insoles).

High potential, but big challenges

Nguyen Van Muoi, deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), noted that in agriculture, non-woven materials are widely used as crop covers.

Specifically in the durian sector, covering the fruit with tarpaulin-like material 20-25 days before harvest helps reduce damage from rain, preserve quality, and increase market prices, reaching up to VND70,000-80,000 ($3) per kilogram as compared to only VND20,000-30,000 for damaged fruit.

These crop covers also help reduce pests and diseases, minimizing the need for chemical pesticides.

He also added that many supermarkets are encouraging shoppers to use cloth bags made from non-wovens instead of plastic bags.

In the healthcare sector, Hua Phu Doan, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Equipment Association (HMEA), emphasized the growing use of non-woven fabrics in medical settings. This growth is driven by increased public health awareness and government investment, particularly in infection control and hygiene.

"In this context, non-woven fabrics, with their broad applications, are gradually replacing traditional woven fabrics, offering strong growth potential," he said.

Despite the potential, Vietnam’s non-woven sector faces several significant challenges. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Mai Huong, a lecturer in textile engineering at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, pointed out that technology remains a major hurdle.

"Vietnam has yet to fully master non-woven production technologies. Whether importing new or second-hand production lines, the manufacturing process still struggles to be efficient."

Another key issue is the heavy reliance on imported raw materials, which raises production costs. Without domestic technology and affordable materials, Vietnamese manufacturers struggle to compete.

Dr. Huong also held that quality standards and certification systems for non-woven products are not yet fully developed, creating further barriers in a competitive market.

“During student internships at factories, I’ve noticed that imported production lines are often run in their default settings, with little adjustment for new materials. This reflects our ongoing struggle to optimize technology and improve product quality,” she said.

Doan concluded by identifying five key factors affecting the industry’s development, including raw materials, technology, logistics, human resources, and government policies.

“Even when businesses have all four of the above elements in place, if policies are not favorable, progress becomes extremely difficult,” he emphasized.