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Textile stalwarts come together to explore the untapped potential in Tier II markets

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The second day at InFashion 2012, the international textile and ingredient innovation show, witnessed unremitting brainstorming over the untapped potential in Tier II and III markets. As 45 percent of the revenues generated in textile industry are garnered from these markets, it is the target region for textile manufacturers to expand in, industry captains said.

Addressing the session on Economy Textiles – Growing in Tier II and III Markets, Ram Bhatnagar, Vice President (Emerging Markets), Raymond, said: “As a result of brands setting up in these regions, a shift of 15 percent is observed in consumer preference from unbranded fabric to that of brands.”

“Aspirations have caught up with consumers residing in these cities; we need not downgrade or decline our quality or service in order to cater to them. Branded clothing is doing equally well in these regions”, P. S. Rajiv, Head Retail EBO’s Arvind elaborated.

The panelists unanimously agreed that there is a need for up-gradation of soft skills among tailors, who constitute as one of the most important links in the textile industry. “Tailoring industry lacks the infrastructure that an industry of its size should command. There is a need for an efficient distribution network in tier II and III markets, the lack of which shifts consumer preference toward readymade garments”, added Anand Pandey, VP, Future Brands.

The session on ‘Work wear market scenario in India’ involved an intriguing discussion highlighting the challenges, opportunities and trends in the “uniforms” market of India. Mukesh Vijaywargi, President – Klopman initiated the discussion, with an interesting revelation, that the basic difference between the European and Indian market is that in the former country, uniforms are simply rented out by corporate whereas in India, the fabric is bought and handed over to the employee to customize as per their measurements. “This leaves a huge scope for our country to explore”, he added. The panelists lamented the lack of brand recall in this sector.

Anupam Bansal, MD, Liberty, said: “The irony of it all is that although corporates invest a huge sum in the fabric and its tailoring, little attention to detail is provided besides stamping it with company logo.” The panelist felt that till date, people in uniform are looked down upon despite uniforms harbouring and serving as a corporate branding exercise.

InFashion 2012 co-organized by FAITMA, Federation of All India Textile Manufacturers Association, which is in the second year is the only platform in the entire South Asia that showcases textile and ingredient innovations in fibre to finish. The show brings together 200 plus exhibitors from across the world and 30,000 plus trade visitors making it the true reflection of the needs of the Indian Textile Industry.

IFF has been the focal point for fashion captains to converge – Learn, Share and Evolve – and fashion the future of retail in India. Seamless exchange of experiences and innovative ideas at IFF pave the way not just for the fashion industry, but for many other industries that are directly or indirectly interlinked to designing, marketing and retailing fashion and lifestyle products in India. IFF’ 12 promises to be bigger and better than ever before with a new venue, an impressive increase in the number of participating brands and companies, category expansion with four other concurrent and related shows this year.

Images Bureau

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