JCT Ltd. — an India-based supplier of yarns and fabrics to brands worldwide — and Eslight
International Inc. — a Toronto -based distributor of products imported from countries including
China and India to commercial manufacturers in Canada, the United States, Mexico and other markets
— have formed an alliance under which Eslight will distribute JCT’s textile products in Canada.
JCT, the flagship company of India-based conglomerate Thapar Group, has been supplying
product including cotton, blended fabrics and performance fabrics to global brands including
adidas®, Columbia Sportswear, Esprit, Nike, PUMA®, Reebok and United Colours of Benetton. It has a
garment-making facility that caters to European markets, and markets its Tyrock domestic brand of
outdoor-inspired apparel through showrooms in India. The company received ISO 9001 accreditation
for its textile division in 1996, and claims to have been the first textile manufacturer in India
to offer organic cotton fabrics.
According to JCT, it is currently focused on increasing its operations in North America, with
an initial target of developing relationships with Canadian brands. Canada is a new market for its
products, and through its alliance with Eslight, JCT is engaged in preliminary discussions with
some key large uniform and industrial apparel manufacturers.
“Eslight has been sourcing various products in [Asia] for its customers in Canada since
2005,” said Samir Thapar, executive vice chairman and managing director, JCT Ltd. “Their extensive
professional relationships, knowledge of products available in the region, coupled with solid
knowledge of our product offerings, gave us an opportunity to formally secure this relationship and
a distribution partnership for JCT Limited in the rapidly growing Canadian market.”
In addition to textiles, Eslight, led by Founder and CEO Ashlee Dubreuil, has a focus on
energy-saving lighting including light-emitting diodes. The company is a subsidiary of Canada-based
Monroe Industrial Inc., which also does business in the coal and electrical sectors.
July 31, 2012
