India exports two main families of viscose yarn: viscose filament yarn, which is continuous strand extruded from regenerated cellulose, and viscose spun yarn, which is ring or rotor spun from viscose staple fibre. Spun viscose is by far the larger export category, since India is one of the world's biggest producers of viscose staple fibre and has a large spinning sector built around it. Both are sold under the generic name viscose, so a specification needs to say which one you mean.
Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fibre, so it drapes well, absorbs moisture and dyes to deep, bright shades, but it loses strength when wet and can shrink if finishing is not controlled. These properties are the same in filament and spun form, but the yarn structure changes how the fabric looks and feels.
Viscose filament yarn
Viscose filament yarn, often called rayon filament or art silk in the Indian trade, gives a lustrous, smooth yarn used in sarees, linings, embroidery thread, labels and dress fabrics. It is sold by denier and filament count, in bright or dull lustre, and is produced by both continuous spinning and pot spinning processes. Surat is the main consumer and exporter of fabric made from it, though the yarn itself is also exported.
Viscose spun yarn types
- 100 percent viscose ring-spun yarn: the main export product, typically in counts from Ne 20 to Ne 40 for knitting and weaving, used in dresses, tops, home textiles and lightweight fabrics.
- Combed or compact viscose yarn: lower hairiness versions for fine knits and premium wovens.
- Open-end viscose yarn: coarser counts for denim-look fabrics, towels and some home textiles at lower cost.
- Modal and lyocell-based yarns: the same cellulosic family with better wet strength, spun on the same machinery and often grouped with viscose in export statistics.
- Blends: polyester-viscose for suiting and uniforms, and viscose-cotton, viscose-linen or viscose-elastane for apparel.
- Melange and dope-dyed viscose yarn: fibre dyed before spinning, giving heather effects and colour consistency across lots.
What to specify and check
State whether you want filament or spun yarn, the count or denier, the spinning system and the fibre origin, since viscose staple from different producers can dye slightly differently. Ask whether the fibre carries a sustainability certification if your brand requires one, and whether the yarn is OEKO-TEX tested. Viscose yarn is sensitive to humidity, so agree the commercial moisture regain in the contract and insist on polythene-lined packing.
Shade consistency is the usual complaint with viscose. Ask the spinner to supply from one fibre lot per order where possible, and have a dyed sample made before bulk if the fabric will be solid dyed.
How Creston & Co helps
We visit viscose spinners in Gujarat and the neighbouring states, check which fibre they are using and whether the lot is consistent, and send sealed samples to an NABL-accredited lab for count, strength and evenness. We supervise loading, send weekly updates, and keep one approved spinner plus a backup for each yarn. A free 20-minute sourcing review will help you decide between filament, spun and blended viscose for your fabric.