Curtain fabrics from Indian mills are typically cotton, polyester, linen blends, jacquard, velvet and sheer voile, and the available finishes include blackout coating, dim-out, flame retardant treatment and lining. Surat is the main centre for polyester and blended furnishing fabrics, while Ahmedabad units are stronger in cotton and printed qualities.
The fabric choice sets the look and the price, and the finish sets the function. A buyer needs to decide both, because a finish that is added after weaving changes the drape, the weight and sometimes the care instructions.
Fabric types
- Cotton: plain, printed or yarn-dyed, with a natural matt look; it drapes well but fades and shrinks more than polyester, so a lining is usual.
- Polyester: the volume fabric from Surat, available in plain, textured and faux-silk effects; stable in size, resistant to fading and easy to coat.
- Linen blends: usually linen with cotton or viscose for a natural slubby look at a lower price than pure linen; check the blend percentage on the label.
- Jacquard: woven patterns, usually in polyester or polyester cotton, for a formal or traditional look; the heavier the construction, the better it hangs.
- Velvet: woven or knitted pile in polyester or cotton; heavy, warm and sold at the premium end, and the pile direction must be consistent within one curtain.
- Sheer voile: fine polyester or cotton for light filtering and privacy, often sold alongside a heavier curtain as a pair.
Finishes
Blackout and dim-out are usually applied as a coating on the back of the fabric. A full blackout coating blocks almost all light, while dim-out reduces it substantially and keeps a softer handle. Both add weight and can affect how the fabric folds, so ask for a coated sample before approving the design.
Flame retardant finishes are required for contract and hospitality use in most markets and for some retail markets. The treatment can be inherent in the fibre or applied as a finish, and the test standard differs by country, so specify the standard you need rather than asking for flame retardant in general terms.
Lining can be a separate plain fabric sewn behind the face fabric, or a thermal or blackout lining. Lined curtains hang better and protect the face fabric from sun, and most units will offer a standard polyester cotton lining as the default.
What to specify
Give the fabric weight in grams per square metre, the width, the finish, the heading type, the finished drop and width, and the hem and side hem allowances. Ask for colour fastness to light and washing to ISO or AATCC methods. Also state the packing, because curtains are bulky and the fold pattern affects how they look when the customer opens the pack.
How we help
We visit the fabric mills in Surat and Ahmedabad and the stitching units that make up the curtains, audit them, and send sealed samples to an NABL-accredited lab for weight, fastness and any flame retardant testing. We check drop, width and packing before loading, supervise the loading and send weekly updates. One approved supplier plus one backup, from a free 20-minute sourcing review.