The major players in the global home furnishings industry today are India, China, Portugal, Brazil & Turkey. They all target the highly competitive US home textiles market. According to a report by the US Department of Commerce Data, India is a leading player in the production of cotton sheets, terry towels and pillowcases, and is climbing up to the top slot in the table linen, curtain, cushion cover & cotton bed spread and quilt market.

As far as the production of all the items included in the home furnishings industry is concerned, China holds the number one position. In case of pillowcases and cotton sheet product categories, India is a major exporter to the US market and has shown a remarkable growth of 200% over the last 3 years. In 2003, the country proved to be a tough competitor for both Portugal & China in order to capture a combined market share of close to 20 per cent in the two product categories.

Home furnishings items are painstakingly manufactured giving attention to the minutest of details and especially with its market being quite a competitive one, all details are kept in mind. They make use of qualitative fabric which are durable such as cotton, viscose, silk, sheer to name a few. The makers even apply varied novel techniques to produce a magnificent piece. These are generally :

• Printed
• Embroidered
• Woven
• Non Woven
• Dyed
• Stitched
• Handmade