Ironically, though India has a strong domestic manufacturing base for innerwear/lingerie products, still the country has not been able to penetrate into the export market, holding just about 3 per cent share in the global intimate wear category, which was US $ 28 billion in 2012.
“The mindset of our manufacturers have to change, instead of remaining satisfied by just catering to domestic demands, they must upgrade his manufacturing techniques, explore new areas and develop new strategies to spread their reach,” views Rakesh Grover, MD, Groversons. The Group with a turnover of Rs. 105 crore offering Paris Beauty, Queen of Hearts, Miss t, Sparsh, Poems and Sunaina like brands of bra, panties, slips & camisole sets, is one of the few that is exporting its products overseas. He candidly adds, “Manufacturers prefer investing in real estate than investing in the industry. We have grown just because of new innovations, expanding supply chain and deeper market reach.”
Understandably, manufacturing of accurate fit bra for a different country is not an easy job and most of the Indian companies which are exporting, are doing so to Asian countries where fitting is almost same to Indian women. “Indian’s are not skilled in manufacturing underwire bras, which are popular in western countries, as it requires high technique and superior technology,” avers Gautam Makhija, Director, Sherry Apparels. Supporting Gautam’s point is Sanjay Mantry, Proprietor, Sam Inc., Mumbai, who also adds that costing is a big factor as Indonesia, Vietnam and China are all cost wise much cheaper to us.
Despite the many drawbacks, there are some industry watchers who feel that India has the capability to capture some of the business now being diverted from China, as companies in India like MAS Holdings, Triumph, Pratibha Syntex, Intimate Apparels, TT Limited to name a few, are already successfully exporting these items. “It is the will power which is lacking, besides the need to upgrade manufacturing setups,” avers Prashant Agarwal, Jt. MD, Wazir Advisors, Gurgaon. However, it cannot be ignored that India is not able to compete with its immediate rivals – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in the innerwear segment since it lacks the duty-free benefits and costing advantages which these two countries enjoy. “Yet, a strong will power and commitment, which too is wanting with Indian exporters, could make a difference,” concludes Jainendra Kumar Singh, MD, JKME Craft, Gurgaon.
