Tiruppur‑based Esstee Exports has introduced an Internet‑of‑Things (IoT) platform called Texplus, designed to give apparel manufacturers real‑time visibility into production processes. The solution, delivered through the company’s subsidiary Texplus Technologies, was formally rolled out in September after the firm had already sold 2,000 devices to five textile firms.

Texplus is a hardware‑software bundle that connects every stage of garment production. The device, priced at roughly ₹17,000, feeds data to a cloud platform that offers QR‑code traceability, production analytics, workflow automation and AI‑powered decision support. According to the company, the system can raise factory efficiency by 15‑20 percent.

The platform’s first major customer is Sahana Clothing Private Limited, a Tiruppur‑based manufacturer that produces about 40 million garments a year. Sahana ordered 500 Texplus devices and reported a 10 percent increase in efficiency after deployment. Industrial Engineering Manager S. Manikandan explained that the system automatically counts pieces and tracks cycle data such as time, needle usage, skill mapping and wash studies, eliminating the need for manual supervision.

Esstee’s chairman, Thirukkumaran Natarajan, said the move responds to a labour shortage in the sector and to the government’s target of raising apparel exports from the current ₹1.2 trillion ($16 billion) to ₹2.8 trillion ($40 billion). He added that India’s productivity in textile manufacturing lags behind other major exporters, and that automation is essential to meet the new export goal.

The company invested about ₹2 crore in research and development to build the hardware and software. The software license costs vary between ₹3 lakh and ₹10 lakh depending on the number of machines a factory operates.

Industry observers note that the Texplus approach mirrors practices in Vietnam and China, where overhead conveyor networks—often called garment hanger systems—move clothing between stations and can lift efficiency by 20‑30 percent. The Tiruppur‑based platform offers a lower‑cost alternative that relies on IoT sensors and AI rather than mechanical conveyors.

Himani Gulati, director of MEX Exhibitions, which is organising the upcoming Gartex Textile Expo 2026, said that AI and automation are no longer future concepts but current competitive necessities. She highlighted that global manufacturers are using such technologies for quality inspection, production planning, predictive maintenance and supply‑chain visibility.

Esstee plans to extend Texplus to cover the entire supply chain, from raw fabric to final dispatch. The company said the goal is to change India’s reputation for low efficiency and to position the country as a high‑productivity manufacturing destination.

The platform’s early adoption by five firms and the interest from buyers in the UK and Europe—who are increasingly looking to India for politically stable, resource‑rich manufacturing—suggest that the solution could gain traction as free‑trade agreements come into force.

At present, the platform is available only through Esstee’s subsidiary. No regulatory approvals or certifications have been reported, and the company has not announced any public‑sector contracts.

In summary, Esstee Exports’ Texplus platform is an IoT‑based system aimed at improving garment factory productivity in India. The solution has already been deployed in several factories, with reported efficiency gains of 10‑20 percent. The company is positioning the platform as a key tool for meeting India’s export targets and for keeping pace with automation trends in global textile manufacturing.

The next steps for Esstee include expanding device sales, integrating end‑to‑end tracking, and potentially partnering with government agencies to promote digital manufacturing in the textile sector.