Basics
The Stock-Lot Business in India: Complete Guide
An insider guide to starting and scaling a surplus stock lot trading business in India. Sourcing channels, valuation math...
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Buying Fabric Stock Lots: GSM, Width, Full Rolls and Fents
Textile surplus trading forms one of the largest segments of Indian B2B commerce. From weaving hubs like Surat, Bhiwandi, and Ahmedabad to knitwear clusters in Tirupur and Ludhiana, mills generate surplus fabric after finishing export contracts or seasonal print runs.
Buying fabric stock lots can unlock 30% to 60% savings compared to fresh mill rates. However, a lot quoted at an irresistible rate can quickly turn unprofitable if roll lengths are broken, shade variance is wide, or usable width is narrower than your cutting tables require.
Here is what you must check before closing a deal on fabric stock lots.
1. GSM: weight, thickness, and composition
GSM (grams per square metre) determines fabric weight and density:
- Verification: Always use a circular GSM cutter and a precision digital scale on site. Take sample swatches from both ends of several rolls and the middle.
- Tolerances: In surplus textile lots, a variation of ±5% in GSM is normal. Variations beyond 10% indicate mixed fabric yarn counts or uneven finishing.
- Composition test: If buying 100% cotton, viscose, or rayon, conduct a quick burn test. Pure cotton burns with a paper smell and leaves grey ash. Polyester blends melt with a dark, hard plastic bead. For high-value lots, get a lab testing certificate for fiber composition.
Browse verified weaving mills and fabric merchants directly under Textiles & Fabrics on Bikwao.
2. Total width versus usable cuttable width
Mill rolls have finished edges (selvedges) that carry pin holes from stentering machines:
- Overall width: The total measurement from selvedge to selvedge.
- Usable width: The width inside the pin holes and edge flaws that your garment pattern markers can actually use.
If your garment cutting master requires a 58-inch marker and the lot is sold as 60-inch fabric, verify that the pin marks and edge curls do not take up more than 1.5 inches. Buying a 56-inch usable width roll for a 58-inch pattern results in excessive waste or pattern redesign.
3. Rolls, thans, cut pieces, and fents
The physical length of fabric pieces decides how it can be utilized:
| Trade term | Typical length | Best suited for | Price level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh full rolls (lumps) | 50 to 100+ metres continuous | High-speed automatic garment cutting tables | Highest surplus price |
| Thans | 20 to 50 metres | Small garment workshops, semi-automatic cutting | Medium surplus price |
| Cut pieces | 2 to 10 metres | Shirts, kurtis, kids wear, sample development | Low price |
| Fents and rags (chindi) | Under 1 to 2 metres | Pocketings, lining, piping, quilts, stuffing | Sold by weight (per kg) |
A lot advertised as "assorted export fabric" may contain a mix of 30-metre lumps and 3-metre fents. Always insist on a length breakdown before agreeing on a per-metre or per-kg price.
4. Shade variation and dye lot continuity
Surplus lots often combine leftover rolls from multiple production batches:
- Listing shade numbers: Inspect rolls under standard daylight or D65 textile lamps. Look for side-to-center shading (where roll edges are darker than the middle) and end-to-end shading (where the roll darkens along its length).
- Batch marking: Check whether roll tags have matching dye lot numbers. If making full suits or sets, unmatched dye lots will cause panel mismatches in finished garments.
- Fastness check: Rub a damp white cotton cloth vigorously against dyed fabric to test for colour bleeding (crocking). Poor colour fastness will ruin finished apparel during washing.
If your business manufactures finished garments, explore active buyers and suppliers in Apparel & Garments.
5. Weaving and printing defects: the 4-point system
Industrial mills grade fabric defects using the international 4-Point System or an equivalent penalty scoring method. In surplus lots, expect some flaws:
- Slubs, broken picks, and knots in the weave.
- Print misregistration, dye splatters, or water drop stains.
- Oil spots from loom lubricating systems.
Ask the seller whether the lot was inspected as A-grade overrun, B-grade seconds (with defect tags on selvedges), or uninspected loom state (greige). If inspecting yourself, unroll at least three full rolls on a lighted inspection table to gauge defect frequency per 100 linear metres.
6. Trading by weight (kg) versus length (metre)
Knitted fabrics (single jersey, rib, fleece, interlock) are universally traded by weight in kilograms. Woven fabrics (denim, poplin, twill, chiffon) are commonly traded by linear metre.
When buying woven fabric sold by weight:
$$\text{Metres per kg} = \frac{1000}{\text{GSM} \times \text{Width in metres}}$$
Example: A 150 GSM cotton poplin with 1.45 metre width yields approximately 4.6 linear metres per kg. If the lot is sold at ₹300 per kg, your effective fabric cost is roughly ₹65 per linear metre. Running this arithmetic prevents overpaying when comparing per-metre and per-kg quotations.
Questions
What is the difference between a than and a fent?
A than is a continuous fabric piece typically measuring 20 to 50 metres, suitable for cutting uniform garment batches. A fent is a short, leftover piece usually between 1 and 2 metres, sold by weight for small accessory work, collars, or pocketing.
Can I claim Input Tax Credit on fabric stock lots?
Yes. Fabric trade under GST carries standard textile rates (commonly 5% or 12% depending on fiber and processing stage). Ensure the supplier provides an itemized tax invoice mentioning the correct HSN chapter (Chapter 50 to 60) and an active GSTIN.
How do I check if the fabric has shrinkage issues?
Take a 50 cm x 50 cm cut swatch, mark the exact dimensions with laundry ink, wash it in hot water, and dry thoroughly. Measure the dimensional change. Woven cottons should not shrink more than 3% to 4%; un-compacted knits can shrink up to 8% if not pre-stabilized.
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