Ciel Textile had the honour of celebrating its 50th anniversary on Wednesday, 26 October in Mauritius, with a positive outlook for the future. Born in 1972 in the small and at that time very isolated island of Mauritius, CIEL Textile is today a global reference in the field of textile and clothing.

With a presence in Mauritius, Madagascar, India, and Bangladesh, it has 19 production units employing more than 23,000 people and exporting 43.5 million pieces annually. As apparel industry trends are ever-changing, the group is continuously reinventing itself to remain a dynamic and innovative partner for its local and international clients.

The future of the company will be built, according to Eric Dorchies, CEO of CIEL Textile: "On a solid mix of boldness and agility and a strong corporate culture. Our Mauritian historical pioneer spirit combined with our multicultural background have been, all the way through, a real asset to establish ourselves successfully in Madagascar, India and Bangladesh."

"With the current and future capacities of its factories, Ciel Textile is in a position to increase its production by 50% over the next five years. A goal that the company will achieve by pursuing its vision of being a partner of choice for mid and high-end retail chains through the unmatched quality of its production. We must also pursue this rich collaboration between the private and public sectors, which has been fundamental to our success," he said.

Ciel Textile has become a key regional player in the sector through the vertical integration of its operations, offering solutions from spinning to apparel. With its three segments, Woven, Knitwear and Fine Knits, the group can provide a wide variety of products to its customers, including leading brands and retailers in Europe, USA, UK, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

The vertical integration practised by Ciel Textile's factories promotes a culture of sustainability, explained Amit Khullar, Chief Executive Officer of Floréal. However, sustainability is first and foremost about the garment, he added. "We are Gold WRAP certified, BSCI certified, and have certifications like RWS (Responsible Wool Sourcing), GRS (for synthetic fibres), and GOTS (for cotton). These are the new standards our customers are looking for. Floréal uses the Higg Index, which assesses environmental and social sustainability throughout the supply chain and is part of the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) programme."

www.cielgroup.com