Indian firm eyes Guiness with world's largest apron

With an aim to expand its overseas business by entering the Guiness Record, the Rs.60 crore revenue company displayed here Wednesday what it said was the world's largest apron.

The all-white apron measuring about 25 metres x 22 metres (total fabric area of 853 sq. metres, weighing 100 kg) is expected to beat the current Guinness record of 15.4 metres x 17.6 metres held by Ignacio Rodriguez of Spain since 2007.

"Apron is one of our largest selling products. We export around 500,000 aprons every year apart from textile fabric, home linen (other than aprons) and floor coverings. Entering the Guiness Books of World Record will give us immense marketing mileage," the company's Vishy Shenoy told IANS.

According to him, the home linen exports out of India is estimated to be in the region of Rs.5,000 crore a year.

Ambadi Enterprises bought the fabric measuring 718 metres of 20sx20s sheeting greige fabric in Karur in Tamil Nadu.

It was transformed to the final apron, by the joint effort of teams at the different units of Ambadi Enterprises.

The fabric was bleached at Erode in Tamil Nadu and the apron outline was sketched at the design studio at Gurgaon in Haryana. Finally, the cutting, stitching and printing was done at the Kannur unit in Kerala.

The cutting team of 26 women spent 182 man-days to cut the fabric and the stitching team of eight devoted 40 man-days to put the apron together.

"The teams had to overcome a few difficulties during the whole process including having to factor in the Kerala monsoon. For instance, they didn't have enough space to lay and cut the fabric and had to lay it in the vacant lot outside the factory even as the rains were pouring down," Shenoy said.

"The company logo measuring 5 sq metres was a critical part of the design and took longer time to print and dry in the damp weather. In all, the efforts have paid off. Today, we have been able to put out a bold statement about our capabilities," he added.
Ambadi Enterprises supplies to the top labels in the world including Target, Williams -Sonoma, Kymo and Crate & Barrel.