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The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Indian MMF sector should tap the potential in 'affordable synthetic fashion', says study
The rising mid-income populations across Africa, South East Asia, and Latin America has led to a growth in demand for performance-driven, climate-adapted, and cost-sensitive apparel that the Indian manmade fibre (MMF) sector can tap, according to a knowledge paper released recently by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and Wazir Advisors. The study, which highlights the white spaces in the global MMF economy where India can build first-mover advantage or regional dominance, said one such area is affordable synthetic fashion, especially for the global south. Most of the global MMF suppliers are currently geared towards premium western brands. The Indian textile industry can develop and export lightweight synthetic hijabs, wrinkle-free uniforms, and weather-resistant workwear. The study also underlines the need to prioritise expansion and modernisation of India's downstream MMF capabilities. While the country has established a strong base in polyester staple fibre and filament yarn production, its capacity to weave value-added fabrics and garments is limited. Strategic investments are required to expand the capabilities across MMF fabric processing and apparel manufacturing. There is also for vertically integrated MMF apparel clusters equipped with common infrastructure. Compared to countries such as China and Vietnam, India lacks synthetic-focused garmenting units that can serve volume orders with global quality standards. Infrastructure-led schemes such as PM MITRA Parks must prioritise plug-and-play facilities for MMF apparel, coupled with incentive structures to attract large domestic and international investments in synthetic garment production, the knowledge paper said. The government policies must support raw material security, ensuring that quality inputs are available at competitive prices, it said.
Mint
03-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Affluent shoppers ditch the pricey designer wear for affordable chic
New Delhi: India's young and affluent shoppers are increasingly opting for multiple, more affordable outfits for special occasions rather than a single, expensive designer piece of clothing that mostly sits in the wardrobe. The trend has spawned new brands while compelling established designers to expand their collections. 'We're seeing strong demand for lighter silhouettes like embroidered kaftans, especially from women in their 40s," said designer Jayanti Reddy, who operates two stores in Delhi and one each in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The prêt or ready-to-wear segment contributed nearly 50% to overall sales for Reddy in the past few years. She now plans to double down. The future second stores will be focused mainly on occasion wear rather than bridal, she said. At her DLF Emporio store in Delhi, the focus is entirely on non-bridal pieces under ₹1.5 lakh, aimed at shoppers building their trousseau or looking for elegant festive wear, Reddy said. 'With a range of lighter pieces, we're seeing a lot of walk-in customers, including international shoppers, buying off the rack. That's very different from the bridal segment, where clients usually visit by appointment." Also read: Inside India's underground network of fake e-commerce reviews India's wedding and bridal clothing market is huge, with scores of small and big designers feeding into the demand. But most designers and brands have very high price points, which many Indians still can't afford, said Harminder Sahni, co-founder, managing director and partner at Wazir Advisors. The under ₹50,000 category has a lot of potential, he said. Anniversaries, birthdays and more Consumers, too, want to dress differently for more social occasions such as anniversaries, milestone birthdays or even smaller wedding events. 'We're seeing a very clear shift in India toward lighter, more versatile occasionwear—and it's being driven by a younger, more style-conscious consumer who wants their clothes to do more than just show up for one event," said Ashray Gujral, founder, Dash and Dot, which operates an outlet in Delhi, aside from an online store. The retailer is seeing demand for draped dresses, coordinated or co-ord sets, embroidered jackets, and statement separates that feel festive without being overwhelming. Social media and destination celebrations have also influenced this change, according to Gujral. The retailer offers outfits priced between ₹8,000 and ₹15,000, but buyers are willing to spend up to ₹30,000, especially for occasion wear, said Gujral. 'Today's customer is looking for pieces they can re-wear, restyle, and even travel with. Heavy formalwear has its place, but there's growing fatigue around one-time, ornate purchases." Most retailers said the demand is being led by consumers aged 25 to 40. "For larger multi-brand Indian occasion players operating in this segment, about 20% of the entire business by volume is being driven by this segment, and ethnic wear and occasion wear is a strong category because of the growing middle class," said Sahni of Wazir Advisors. 'India is at an aspirational buying behaviour stage, and it will remain this way for some time to come, making room for many such brands and designers." The founder of a large Indian multi-brand retailer told Mint that about 20% of the entire sales come from sub- ₹35,000 designer wear products. About 34% its entire sales volumes come from this category, and about 60% the company's business is contributed by products below ₹50,000 from designers like Anushree Reddy, Seema Gujaral and Amit Aggarwal, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. However, there is not much demand for the ₹10,000 and below category, so the retailer is phasing out those products and collections. Also read: Return fraud is rising. E-commerce platforms are done playing nice A new crop of designers Homegrown ethnic wear brand Libas, backed by ICICI Ventures, recently launched an occasion wear line, adding to its more casual collection. 'Consumers are getting smarter with their choice: spending ₹10 lakh on a one-time outfit which they may not repeat? They are now wondering if they can spend that money on something else," said Sidhant Keshwani, the brand's founder. 'The younger audience is driving this shift." While global fast-fashion retailers offer occasion wear outfits, more shoppers are looking for 'westernized Indian silhouettes", said Pushpa Bector, senior executive director and business head of DLF Retail Ventures. 'A lot of millennials and Gen Z buyers are looking at pret collections of slightly younger designers. Designers, too, are changing over some parts of their collections from what used to be big, multi-occasion-wear to easy-to-wear cocktail lines which are multi-use and occasion," Bector said. 'Evening wear is being bought quite a lot, and that's why designers are getting into diffuse or experimental collections and pret collections to capture the younger audience's market." Also read: Does e-commerce threaten corner stores? India's consumption survey data has some clues Aza, a multi-brand retailer of high-end designer wear, has expanded its offerings beyond bridal to include lightweight kurta sets, co-ord sets, statement jackets, embroidered kaftans, and festive loungewear–all designed for celebrations that don't require full-scale bridal dressing. It has also onboarded emerging and contemporary Indian designers who specialize in elevated everyday and semi-formal wear, making fashion more inclusive across budgets and occasions. "The shift towards more accessible Indian wear is being driven by evolving consumer needs, where occasion dressing is no longer limited to big bridal events. With a rise in celebrations like anniversaries, bridal showers, festive office gatherings, and intimate parties, shoppers are seeking ethnic styles that are elegant yet wearable," said Devangi Nishar Parekh, managing director of Aza Fashions. 'Consumers today also value repeat wearability and are more conscious about investing in pieces that offer versatility across multiple occasions," said Parekh. 'Adding to this is the growing influence of contemporary Indian designers who are reinterpreting tradition through a more minimal, functional lens–favouring breathable fabrics, modern cuts, and subtler embellishments."
