The machines can stitch up to 16 and 22 inches respectively. The machines are hand-feed and run at a speed of up to 70 sections per minute.

M Shivakumar, director at Kumaran, said: "We produce 50 to 60 thread sewing machines a year for the Indian market. Ten percent of our total production consists of exports to African and the Middle East."

Shivakumar, who is the third generation inheritor of this five decade old business, is of the opinion that the Indian market is still immature for printers to invest in automated sewing kits. "Most of the imported sewing machines coming to India are fully automatic and being bought by high-end printers. The average Indian printer is more prone to handle manual work, so our machines are best suited to such clientele," he said.