15 January 2022, Mumbai:

Six Jharkhand migrant labourers were freed from a garment manufacturing plant in Karnataka, where they had been held, hostage.

According to a government statement, migrant labourers from East Singhbhum district were forced to work for 18 hours a day by a contractor and were insulted and beaten up on several occasions for refusing to work long hours without appropriate nourishment.

"After receiving training at the Skill Development Centre, Dimna, the ladies went to work at a garment factory in Bengaluru, where they were compelled to labour under inhumane conditions," the statement reads.

They were held captive and not permitted to return." When the problem was brought to the attention of Jharkhand's Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, it was claimed that he asked officials to ensure the safe return of the migrant workers.

There have been stories of such occurrences in the past, when Jharkhand workers were rescued from other states. Jharkhand police rescued 17 women (including one kid) who were allegedly being trafficked after being promised sewing operator work at a Tamil Nadu textile factory about a year ago.

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13 January 2022, Mumbai:

The Saundh (luxury wear label for women) division of Gujarat-based textile and textiles behemoth Sahiba Ltd. is gearing up to expand its retail footprint. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the brand established three new locations, with plans to build 50 more in the next ten months. For this expansion, Rs. 30 crore would be invested.

For its expansion, the brand will concentrate on metros, Tier-I, and Tier-II cities. "The brand, which has a current turnover of Rs. 30 crore, is set up for enormous development as it is aiming sales of Rs. 80 crore in the current fiscal," Sarabjeet Saluja, Founder and CEO of Saundh.

Having an omnichannel presence and great vertical integration, in addition to a rising retail presence, adds to the expansion of our brand."

"Our passion for textiles and our desire to create a worldwide label inspired by India" he said, "Saundh as a brand derives from our love for textiles and our vision to establish a global label inspired by India." We want to carve out a space where the divide between designer apparel, aesthetics, and affordability is narrowed.

Our collections are inspired by our rich artistic history and reimagined as print stories in modern shapes." The company, which debuted in 2019, already has ten locations and a presence in a number of designer retailers.

Sahiba Ltd. is a major vertically integrated company with a grip on fabric manufacturing, embroidery, and digital printing. It has a capacity of 2 million metres per month for embroidery and 3 million metres per month for digital printing.

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CREDITS: Apparel Resources.

15 January 2022, Mumbai:

Mulmul, a Delhi-based womenswear brand is gearing up to widen its retail footprint. In the year 2021, the brand inaugurated three new stores at prime locations, in the heart of Mumbai and Bangalore, India. With plans to build 5 more stores in the next twelve months.

The brand will start off its expansion in cities like Kolkata and Chandigarh over the next few months.

Mulmul's ideology is rooted in creating exquisite pieces of Indian craftsmanship without compromising on comfort and design based on an ethical design process that sufficiently embodies the essence of Mulmul as a brand.

Mulmul is owned by Modi’s, a Delhi-based business family. This label, true to its name, specialises in pure mulmul cotton kurta sets that have become a sworn favourite with Bollywood celebrities.

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11 January 2022, Mumbai:

Only one factory has stepped forward to take advantage of the Karnataka Government's free bus ticket initiative, which will benefit 15 of its employees, out of more than 800 garment manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru.

This demonstrates that the initiative has received a tepid reception, despite the fact that it might have been a huge help to women employees. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) launched 'Vanitha Sangathi', a free monthly bus ticket scheme for women textile workers, three weeks ago. The BMTC predicted that the plan will help roughly 3 lakh workers.

Apparel manufacturing companies and the state government would each bear 40% of the cost, while the BMTC would cover 20%. The cost of a regular monthly bus pass is Rs. 1,050.

Workers had known about this programme for six years, and it was finally implemented last month. One of the reasons why it is not benefiting the poor is the government's requirement of the garment industry's management to contribute 40% of the cost - or Rs. 400 per worker. The employees have no way of knowing why their bosses are not paying for the free passes.

Jayaram KR, Legal Advisor of the Garments and Textile Workers Union, is of the opinion that the plan has failed since the authorities are requiring the garment factory managements to furnish the list of beneficiaries.

Instead, they could have urged the female workers to submit applications directly to the Board by supplying their personal information, such as their Aadhaar card, ESI, and other documents.

Passes should have been provided to the beneficiaries after verification with the respective managements and receipt of their share. Poor women employees will not profit if the task is delegated to management.

It's also worth noting that some workers in the textile manufacturing industry rent residences close to their plants and walk to work. Many people rely on alternative kinds of transportation, such as auto-rickshaws, for which they pay a monthly fee. Because the facility is located in the city's interior, public buses are unable to drop them off at the factory's doorstep.

Those who work on the outskirts of town are likely to gain from the free bus pass programme.

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14 January 2022, Mumbai:

Currently, Madbow has a few in-house brands catering to lifestyle and fashion like stalkbae.com, streetstylestalk.com, slaydeal.com, lovedamoda, and SlayXO.com.

Madbow Ventures Ltd is one of the leading names in the fashion industry. Co-founded by Naveen Mahlawat in August 2016, it is a platform for brands where it creates brands across the categories and moves them to scale them at a fast pace with the help of technology, marketing, and years of experience in operations to make successful D2C brands.

Currently, Madbow has a few in-house brands catering to lifestyle and fashion like stalkbae.com, streetstylestalk.com, slaydeal.com, lovedamoda, and SlayXO.com. All these websites cater to different customer segments like one deals particularly to the masses segment whereas StalkBae is more toward the premium products.

The brand has a base of around 12,00,000 + satisfied customers in a market of more than 25K serviceable PIN codes throughout India. Recently in 2021, MadBow owned an export license and catered to international borders like Europe and Africa.

Madbow’s private label brands have got huge success on social media and have collected more than 1 million followers on social media. At the same time brand/label 

Revenue Targets

Since its inception, the company has sown a positive growth rate. MadBow Ventures Ltd is targeting to close FY 2021-22 with GMV of Rs 30 crore revenue whereas their aim for the next 18-24 months is at least Rs 100-120 crore. During the last 12 months, Madbow has received more than 600K orders across all the channels.

Expansion Plans

The fashion e-commerce started the business from the scratch and currently owns 5 fashion labels into Western wear, Footwear, Lingerie with more than 1,500 SKUs in total across the categories. MadBow Ventures Ltd is planning to launch fashion brands /labels into kids, ethnic, high fashion, cosmetics, and General merchandising as well as bringing all the fashion and lifestyle requirements under one roof. After experiencing amazing responses from various events and exhibitions, the management is also planning for 100+ MBO stores and 10 EBO by end of 2022. 

Recently Madbow has done strategic tie-ups with leading marketplace players like Myntra, AJIO, Amazon Fashion, etc, and provided curated designs after discussing with their fashion teams.

Fund Raising

Currently, Planify is a strategic investment banker for Madbow Ventures for fundraising. Rajesh Singla, CEO of Planify told "We have seen great traction from the investors for Madbow Ventures Ltd. Investors today are looking for positive cash flow companies which can scale the business exponentially. Madbow fits this investment framework beautifully." The company is raising funds for expansion with the help of investment banking firm Planify and GYC Advisory.

Funds and IPOS

With a blueprint of the expansion ready, Naveen Mahlawat, also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MadBow Ventures Ltd., discusses sourcing funds in the coming months.

“We are in constant talks to raise $5 million funds in the coming months and are expecting to float our Initial Public Offerings (IPO) in the next 24-36 months. There is a lot of demand for the latest fashion and with our in-house designing, we introduce innovative designs of garments and footwear to bring freshness in our portals at reasonable rates.”, says Naveen Mahlawat.

The brand is promoting itself majorly through new-age marketing channels like social media platforms, Influencer marketing, roadshows like participating in events and exhibitions on a pan India basis.

Madbow built its competency in retail tech over time and have developed their own private label brands with unmatchable quality and competitive pricing of products. The brand is growing rapidly with repeat and referral customers since 2016.

INDIAN RETAILER 

(The news article has not been edited by DFU Publications staff)

11 January 2022, Mumbai:

The high price of cotton and cotton yarn continues to be a source of worry for apparel exporters. On the 17th and 18th of January, Tirupur's clothing exporters have already indicated that they will go on strike over this problem.

In response, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has sent a letter to the Ministry of Textiles. The council has asked the Ministry to recommend mills that may reduce the price of yarn by Rs. 40 per kilogramme. Cotton candy cost Rs. 67,000 in October 2021, while yarn cost Rs. 331. Cotton prices were raised to Rs. 74,000 in January, an increase of Rs. 7,000, while yarn prices were fixed at Rs. 401. (an increase of Rs.70).

"The growth in pricing is not according to the formula set by the industry," stated A. Sakhtivel, Chairman of AEPC. According to its price-increasing formula, the yarn price would rise between Rs.3.50 to Rs.4 for every Rs. 1,000 increase in the cotton price. However, with a Rs.7,000 increase in the price of cotton, the yarn price has risen to Rs.401... while it should be about Rs.359."

The mills have been increasing prices often and arbitrarily, according to Lalit Thukral, President of the Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) and an executive member of the AEPC, but the purchasers or importers are not prepared to increase their pricing as well. This has exacerbated the situation for exporters, particularly in Noida and Greater Noida.

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13 January 2022, Mumbai:

Khadi India, a handloom brand of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, will invite eight Indian designers to Dubai to display their inventive interpretations on Khadi textiles at the present Expo2020 event.

Khadi India will present a 'Sustainable Khadi Exposition' at Dubai's Expo2020, the Fashion Design Council of India said on Facebook, as part of its efforts to promote Khadi fabrics and items created from them on worldwide market.

The project is part of KVIC's 'Khadi Goes Global' campaign, which is being run in collaboration with the FDCI.

Designer Ujjawal Dubey will feature a collection of androgynous forms for men and women to highlight the mobility of Khadi textiles as part of the exhibition. Antar-Agni, Dubey's label, is noted for its gender-neutral and natural aesthetic, as well as a combination of modern and traditional aesthetics.

Designer Ashish Satyavrat Sahi will show pieces from his label Khadiwala, including neutral-toned outfits that accentuate the intricacy of the handloom fabrics used to create the ensembles. Womenswear by Charu Parashar will feature bold floral motifs and brilliant colours for a more colourful take on Khadi.

Rina Dhaka, Shruti Sancheti, Swatti Kapoor, Sushant Abrol (Countrymade), and Rahul Singh are among the designers who will be included in the event. After being postponed from 2020 owing to the pandemic, Expo2020 debuted in Dubai on October 1, 2021.

From heavy industries to tourism, the Indian Pavilion at the global expo is presenting a diverse range of Indian enterprises to foreign investors.

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13 January 2022, Mumbai:

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) on Wednesday announced collaboration with Germany's GIZ, a move aimed at strengthening circular business practices for the Indian market.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) on Wednesday announced collaboration with Germany's GIZ, a move aimed at strengthening circular business practices for the Indian market.

The joint project will focus on material innovation, reducing inputs of harmful substances, increasing textile-to-textile recycling, developing alternatives to plastic packaging, and fostering traceability, said a joint statement from ABFRL and GIZ.

This initiative is part of the 'develoPPP programme' and is being implemented by ABFRL and GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The programme will complement existing business practices such as downcycling, recycling, reusing and introducing new sustainable production processes.

"With the support of GIZ, ABFRL along with the Indian industry players will be able to leverage circular business practices and adopt complex processes that are technically superior and consumer friendly," it said adding "this will support the industry to match supply and demand which was witnessing pressure due to resource constraints."

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations.

It supports the German government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education. GIZ assists people and societies in shaping their own future and improving their living conditions.

ABFRL Managing Director Ashish Dikshit said: "There is a need to 'self-disrupt' existing practices and transition to a more circular approach.

Promoting a common understanding is therefore crucial from a sustainable development perspective for the entire textile sector in India. Along with GIZ, we aim to create awareness among key stakeholders to drive circular approaches, reduce waste, and create closed-loop systems.

GIZ India Director Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management Ashish Chaturvedi said: "The cooperation with ABFRL has great potential to help improve the sustainability of the Indian textile industry.

In our opinion, combining the strength of both public and private partners is a win-win scenario, as it can create both developmental benefits for the local population and business benefits for the private companies."

ABFRL, part of the Aditya Birla Group, has a repertoire of leading brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England established for over 25 years. It also own fast fashion store brand Pantaloons.

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11 January 2022, Mumbai:

Women's Indian fashion label Before the end of March 2022, Saundh intends to expand its retail footprint by opening 25 new outlets.

As it seeks to expand its consumer base across the country to drive its growth, the brand will concentrate on metros, tier 1, and tier 2 cities.

Over the following several weeks, the brand will begin expanding in cities such as Kanpur, Bangalore, Indore, and Mumbai. "Our love for textiles and our desire to develop a worldwide label inspired by India motivated us to launch Saundh as a brand." 

We want to carve out a space where the divide between designer apparel, aesthetics, and affordability is narrowed. Sarabjeet Saluja, founder and CEO of Saundh, stated in a statement, "Our collections are derived from our rich creative legacy and reinterpreted as print stories in modern shapes." Saundh is owned by Sahiba Ltd, a Gujarat-based textile and apparel company.

With its designer fashion label Saundh, Sahiba is trying to make greater inroads into India's fashion business after gaining a major portion of the country's garments and textiles market.

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