Directa Plus signs further agreement with Indian firm Arvind

(Sharecast News) - Graphene-based materials producer and supplier Directa Plus has signed a non-exclusive agreement with Arvind, it announced on Tuesday, covering two additional vertical markets - composites and water purification in India - following the collaboration between the companies in textiles, which was announced in May.The AIM-traded company noted that itself and Arvind launched the world's first graphene enhanced G+ jeans and jackets last week at the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam - an invitation-only denim conference and trade show attended by key market players, with an objective of shaping the future of denim.Under the terms of the new agreement, Directa Plus and Arvind would collaborate to expand their existing cooperation in textiles products to include advanced composite materials and water treatment services, using Directa Plus' 'G+' branded graphene products, and its 'Grafysorber' product.The board said it expected that the agreement would help to compress the time-to-market for its non-textile products, in securing a greater number of commercial contracts.It was signed by Directa Plus CEO Giulio Cesareo and Arvind CEO Aamir Akhtar as part of the DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit 2018 in New Delhi.The summit was attended by an Italian delegation led by prime minister Giuseppe Conte, and by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, with the agreement was presented to the prime ministers as one of the results of the positive cooperation between India and Italy.Directa Plus explained that the positive effect of printing a graphene layer on the inside of denim jeans and jackets was to increase the thermal distribution of the fabric, such that the clothes could be worn comfortably, even in hot climates.It said the innovation should help drive demand for jeans and other items of denim attire in India in particular, where consumers had expressed a desire for fashionable denim products compatible with hot temperatures.Working with Arvind to meet that need was said to be in accordance with Directa Plus' strategy of capturing more value from its downstream supply chain through close cooperation with customers."Signing this agreement with Arvind will help Directa Plus expand further and faster in one of the world's biggest markets," said Directa Plus founder and chief executive officer Giulio Cesareo."The India-Italy Technology Summit is an excellent opportunity for companies from two of the world's leading manufacturing nations to meet and form the basis for mutual agreement, and the support from the very top levels of government is very welcome."Cesareo said the company had enjoyed close co-operation from Arvind in recent months, and was confident that developing a common understanding would help both companies meet their commercial goals."The launch of the G+ range of denim wear could prove transformational for the sale of jeans in India and elsewhere, and Directa Plus is delighted to be able to participate in that trend."