Sutlej textiles & industries Limited has announced a key senior management appointment, bringing in an experienced professional to lead its protective clothing business segment. The company has appointed Shri Narinder Thapa as Chief Business Officer - Protech Business, effective 25th February, 2026.

Appointment Details

The appointment has been made in compliance with Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. Thapa joins the company as a full-time employee in the category of Senior Management Personnel.

Professional Background

Shri Narinder Thapa brings extensive industry experience to his new role, with over 30 years of diverse experience across multiple business functions. His expertise encompasses several critical areas that align with the company's protective clothing business requirements.

Key Areas of Expertise

Thapa's professional background includes comprehensive experience in:

• Marketing strategies for protective garments
• Operations management and profit and loss management
• Collaborative team management
• Product life cycle management
• Compliance standards for protective clothing
• Long term strategic planning

Functional Experience

His functional expertise spans across various specialized domains including technical clothing, specialty fibres and yarns, product innovation, market development, supply chain management, and operational excellence. This diverse experience positions him well to drive growth in Sutlej Textiles' Protech Business division.

Regulatory Compliance

The appointment disclosure follows the prescribed format under amended Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Regulations. The company has confirmed that there are no relationships between directors that require disclosure in connection with this appointment. Company Secretary and Compliance Officer Manoj Contractor signed the regulatory filing on behalf of Sutlej Textiles and Industries Limited.

Sutlej textiles & industries reported its Q3 and nine months FY26 financial results, demonstrating sequential improvement despite challenging global textile market conditions. The company's management outlined a strategic transformation plan during an earnings conference call held on February 13, 2026.

Financial Performance Overview

The company delivered stable performance in Q3 FY26 with sequential improvements across key metrics. Despite persistent industry headwinds including elevated raw material prices and geopolitical developments, Sutlej maintained operational resilience.

CFO Sachin Karwa noted that combined yarn and fiber margins improved sequentially, with the fiber business providing stability and partial insulation from volatility. The company's cost optimization initiatives have delivered 30-40% of targeted benefits, with further improvements expected over coming quarters.

Strategic Market Diversification

CEO Ashish Srivastava emphasized the company's successful market diversification strategy, highlighting three significant strategic wins during the quarter. The company opened new markets in Far East and Africa, reducing concentration risk from Bangladesh, which previously faced severe logistical disruptions.

Key Strategic Developments:

• Market expansion into Far East and Africa regions
• Reduced export dependency on Bangladesh market
• Pipeline development for Southeast Asia and Latin America entries
• Strong domestic traction in synthetic and blended yarns

Business Segment Performance

The company operates across three main segments: yarn, fiber, and home textiles, with each showing distinct performance characteristics.

Home Textiles Growth

The home textiles division demonstrated strong momentum with continued revenue growth and healthy order visibility. Management reported order book visibility extending through Q1 of next year, representing approximately 120 days of forward orders.

The division focuses on design-intensive products that cannot be easily replicated or substituted, positioning the company in premium market segments where customer switching costs are higher.

Yarn Business Transformation

The yarn segment, while facing margin pressure from raw material inflation, is undergoing strategic repositioning toward value-added products. Management outlined a clear roadmap for product portfolio enhancement.

Value-Addition Strategy:

• Target: Move one-third of yarn portfolio to value-added segments within one year
• Focus areas: Technical textiles, automotive fabrics, protective textiles
• Margin potential: Up to 2.5x improvement over basic cotton yarn
• Applications: Industrial, automotive, flame-retardant segments

Cost Optimization and Operational Efficiency

The company implemented comprehensive cost reduction measures targeting multiple operational areas. These initiatives focus on sustainable improvements rather than one-time cost cuts.

Future Growth Platform

Management outlined the company's evolution from a commodity textile player to an integrated platform company with specific defensible capabilities. The transformation strategy encompasses multiple adjacency opportunities leveraging existing competencies.

Platform Capabilities:

• Backward integrated fiber manufacturing with polyester
• Multi-category yarn production across synthetic, cotton, and blended segments
• Design-led home textile manufacturing
• Distribution network across 15+ countries
• Process excellence meeting global technical standards

Identified Growth Paths:

• Technical textiles and performance fabrics
• Sustainable and circular products including recycled polyester
• Vertical integration into downstream applications

Market Outlook and Strategic Direction

Despite external headwinds including raw material volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, management expressed confidence in the company's strategic direction. The recent FTA announcements have created positive sentiment, though actual benefits are expected to materialize over 2-3 quarters due to seasonal order placement cycles.

The company maintains a disciplined approach to capital allocation, prioritizing asset-light models through partnerships and tolling arrangements where possible. Management emphasized focus on improving returns through a more resilient, higher-margin business model rather than pursuing growth for growth's sake.

Sutlej Textiles continues executing its strategic transformation while managing near-term challenges, positioning for sustainable long-term value creation across its integrated textile platform.