Menswear Brand Estilocus Plans South and West India Expansion, with 8 Stores in Pipeline
Bengaluru‑based menswear label Estilocus is set to roll out eight new stores in South India during the next quarter, adding three outlets each in Kerala and Telangana and two in Tamil Nadu. The brand is also scouting locations in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa as part of a broader pan‑India push. Estilocus reported an 83% year‑on‑year revenue surge between FY 2024‑25 and FY 2025‑26, driven by strong online and offline sales. Founder Ladeesh PC says the rollout targets high‑footfall commercial hubs while preserving the brand’s minimal, everyday aesthetic.
Ajmera Fashion Targets 400+ Stores by FY ’27
Ajmera Fashion Ltd, a Surat‑based textile maker, plans to grow its retail footprint to more than 400 stores by March 2027, up from roughly 250 today. The rollout targets metro, Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 cities, especially in North and East India, while...
India Advances Regenerative Cotton Adoption as Industry Seeks Traceability
India is accelerating regenerative cotton adoption, with roughly 5,000 smallholder farmers in Maharashtra now certified under the Regenerative Cotton Standard. The certification provides end‑to‑end traceability, meeting growing demands from international fashion brands for transparent, sustainable sourcing. Independent audits report strong...
TechnoSport Appoints Sachin Tandon as Chief Planning & Supply Chain Officer Amid Retail Expansion
TechnoSport, the Indian activewear brand, has hired Sachin Tandon as its Chief Planning & Supply Chain Officer to bolster manufacturing and distribution as it expands its retail footprint. Tandon will lead demand forecasting, inventory management and end‑to‑end logistics, drawing on...
Sangam India Secures Hybrid Renewable Energy Supply for Rajasthan Manufacturing Units
CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions and Sangam India have signed an agreement to supply hybrid renewable power to Sangam’s five Rajasthan textile plants. The deal provides 30 MWp of solar, 20 MW of wind and a 2 MWh battery storage system to deliver continuous...
Citykart Opens 22 Stores in 40 Days as Value Retail Competition Intensifies
Citykart accelerated its footprint in India by opening 22 new stores in just 40 days, investing roughly ₹1.5 crore (about $180,000) per outlet. The rollout concentrates on northern and central states, adding ten stores in Bihar and expanding into Tier‑2, Tier‑3...
High Testing Costs Under QCOs Risk Squeezing MSMEs, Says GTRI
The Global Trade Research Initiative warns that India’s expanding Quality Control Order (QCO) regime is driving testing and certification costs to as high as Rs 20 lakh ($21,500) per import, threatening the viability of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These costs...
Apparel Drives 25% of Retail Leasing in Top 7 Cities
Apparel drove roughly one‑quarter of the 4.3 million sq.ft. retail space absorption across India’s seven largest cities in the second half of 2025, according to ANAROCK’s RELEAP 2026 report. Chennai posted the highest city‑level share at 34.1%, followed by Mumbai (30.5%) and Pune...
Textile Sector Gets a Boost with 52 New PLI Approvals
The Indian government has cleared 52 new applications in Round III of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for textiles, bringing the total approved firms to 148. These companies will collectively invest about Rs 6,708 crore ($718 million) and aim for a turnover of...
Himatsingka Seide Strengthens Leadership Team with Key Senior Appointments
Himatsingka Seide Limited announced two senior appointments to reinforce its leadership. Gaurav Sharma was named President and Business Head of Apparel & Fabric Solutions, bringing over 20 years of sales and marketing experience. Sajjad Mubarak Khan became President and Business...
Noida Garment Hub Disrupted as Wage Protests Escalate
Thousands of garment workers in Noida’s Phase 2 Hosiery Complex launched protests demanding higher minimum wages after Haryana announced a 35% hike. Protesters seek monthly pay of Rs 18,000‑20,000 (US $193‑$214) and demand overtime double pay, weekly offs, and medical coverage. The unrest,...
Renewable Power Curbs Hit Gujarat’s Textile Spinning Mills
Gujarat’s textile spinning mills are facing production and cost pressures as grid operators have curtailed 50‑70% of wind, solar and hybrid power during peak periods over the past 20 months. The curtailments force mills to rely on higher‑priced grid electricity,...
Epic Group to Inaugurate Its First Manufacturing Unit in India in Odisha
Hong Kong‑based Epic Group will inaugurate its first Indian manufacturing unit on 29 April in Khurda, Odisha, a 40‑acre site at the IDCO Industrial Estate. The plant represents an investment of roughly $27 million (₹220 crore) and is designed to be net‑positive in...
India’s Textile, Apparel Exports to US Slide Sharply in Jan-Feb 2026
India’s textile and apparel shipments to the United States contracted sharply in the first two months of 2026, falling from $1.69 billion to about $1.34 billion. Imports dropped 18.2% year‑on‑year in January and deepened to a 28.7% decline in February. By contrast,...
Juliet Apparels Targets 100 Exclusive Outlets by 2027, Eyes Global Expansion
Juliet Apparels announced a plan to grow its exclusive retail network to 100 stores across India by 2027, up from five currently operating in South India. The company already serves the market through more than 1,600 multi‑brand outlets and is...
India-UK FTA Likely by May, EU Pact Expected by Year-End: Texprocil
India’s free‑trade agreement with the United Kingdom is slated to take effect on 1 May 2024, while a parallel pact with the European Union is expected to be sealed by the end of the year, according to Texprocil. Both deals aim...
Surat Textile Industry Moves to Recall 2.5 Lakh Workers as Energy Situation Stabilises
Industrial bodies in Surat announced a coordinated plan to recall nearly 250,000 migrant workers as energy costs fall and gas supplies improve. The drop in global crude‑oil prices and a state‑led resolution of commercial‑gas shortages have reduced production expenses for...
Off-White Debuts in Bengaluru, Eyes India’s Luxury Streetwear Market
Italian luxury label Off‑White opened its first Indian boutique in Bengaluru, offering a full range of streetwear‑inspired pieces from hoodies to denim. The brand announced follow‑up stores in Delhi later this year and Mumbai in early 2027, with additional locations...
Page Industries Inaugurates Rs. 750 Crore Manufacturing Unit in Odisha
Page Industries, the exclusive Indian licensee for Jockey and Speedo, opened a Rs 750 crore ($81.33 million) 650,000‑sq‑ft apparel plant in Ramdaspur, Odisha. The facility houses a raw‑material warehouse, a men’s inner‑wear line, and dedicated sock and elastic units. On the same day...
Centre Maintains Multi-Ministry Response to Support Exporters Amid Hormuz Disruptions
India’s Department of Commerce and DGFT have launched a coordinated multi‑ministry response to export disruptions caused by tensions in the Hormuz Strait. Measures include the CBIC’s “Back to Town” procedure, waivers on storage and reefer charges at JNPT, and extended...
Italian Footwear Brand Rosso Brunello Plans Multi-City Retail Expansion with EBO Focus
Italian luxury shoe label Rosso Brunello is launching a multi‑city retail push in India, beginning with seven exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) slated for the next quarter. The rollout will span metro, Tier‑1 and Tier‑2 cities as well as high‑footfall malls and...
CII Proposes 20-Point Agenda to Support Indian Firms Amid Iran War Disruptions
India's Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has presented a 20‑point policy agenda to the government and the Reserve Bank of India to mitigate the fallout from the Iran‑West Asia war. The plan calls for coordinated fiscal, financial and trade actions,...
Fashinza Acquires Qckin to Strengthen Technology-Led Manufacturing Capabilities
Fashinza announced the acquisition of Qckin, a design‑to‑delivery manufacturing start‑up, to blend its technology‑led sourcing platform with specialized production capabilities. The deal enables faster, more cost‑effective garment manufacturing for global brands across India, Bangladesh and potentially China. Qckin’s founders will...
Flipkart Expands Across Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities, Targets 1,500+ Dark Stores by 2026
Flipkart is accelerating its quick‑commerce footprint, targeting more than 1,500 dark‑store locations by 2026. The retailer currently runs 750‑850 stores across Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 cities and plans to add roughly 800 new sites before year‑end. Each dark store costs about...
Apparel,Leather Exporter Bhartiya International Appoints Dr G N Venkatesha Babu as Group CEO
Indian apparel and leather exporter Bhartiya International Limited announced the appointment of Dr. G.N. Venkatesha Babu as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 6, 2026. Babu brings more than three decades of experience leading large‑scale manufacturing and export operations at...
Surat Weavers Flag Margin Pressures as Yarn Prices Remain Elevated Despite Duty Relief
Surat's weaving sector is grappling with persistently high yarn prices despite the government's customs duty exemption on 40 petrochemical products. Weavers report that yarn costs have not corrected downward, squeezing margins and prompting many units to reduce shifts or shut...
Tirupur Textile Units Accelerate Transition to PNG Amid LPG Shortage
Textile manufacturers in Tirupur are fast‑tracking the shift from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to piped natural gas (PNG) as a prolonged LPG shortage, driven by Middle‑East geopolitical tensions, inflates production costs by roughly 15%. Industry leaders, backed by Adani Total...
CAIT Seeks Crackdown on E-Commerce Malpractices, Proposes National Retail Council
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has petitioned the Indian government to clamp down on alleged e‑commerce malpractices such as predatory pricing, dark‑store expansion, and preferential treatment of select sellers. CAIT also proposes a National Retail Development Council to...
Karnataka Government Urged for Fast-Track Implementation of PM MITRA Textile Park
The Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the state government to fast‑track the PM MITRA textile park after a site visit revealed modest progress, including a Rs 100 crore (~$12 million) investment, a 1.5‑km entrance road under construction, and a 110‑metre stretch...
Retailers Lose Over US $ 200 Million Annually Due to Logistics Inefficiencies: Report
India’s organised retail sector is losing more than Rs 2,000 crore (about $215 million) each year because internal logistics remain inefficient. The report, covering 48 omnichannel brands and 7.2 million shipments, shows that manual processes and poor coordination delay inventory transfers, especially during peak...
Avenue Supermarts Appoints Anshul Asawa as CEO
Avenue Supermarts, the parent of DMart, has installed Anshul Asawa as its chief executive officer and managing director, completing a year‑long succession plan after Ignatius Navil Noronha’s exit on 31 January 2026. Asawa, a former Unilever senior leader with nearly three decades...
SHR Lifestyles Plans Major Retail Expansion, Targets US $97 Million Revenue by 2030
SHR Lifestyles, the parent of the SHREE ethnic‑wear brand, announced a plan to more than double its Indian store network to roughly 300 outlets within three years. The company targets Rs 900 crore (about $97 million) in revenue by 2030, up from the...
B2B Merchandising Brand Fully Promoted Enters India, Plans Metro Expansion
Fully Promoted, the international B2B merchandising brand, launched its first Indian flagship store in Chennai, partnering with United Franchise Group. The franchise is headed by Suresh Raghuraj and Deepika Loganathan, who also manage the brand’s Australian operations. AI-driven platforms from...
Nike Appoints Ashwin Kumar as India Brand Lead
Nike has re‑appointed Ashwin Kumar as its Brand Lead for India, marking his second stint with the company. Kumar previously spent nearly a decade in Nike’s communications and marketing roles across India and Southeast Asia before moving into independent consulting....
Cotton Yarn Prices Surge in Tirupur Amid Global Market Pressures
Cotton yarn prices in Tirupur jumped Rs 10‑12 per kilogram (US$0.11‑0.13) on the first day of the new fiscal year, extending a series of hikes of Rs 7 per kilogram in February and March. The price of a candy (356 kg) of cotton...
India’s Apparel Exports See Tepid Growth as US Tariffs Weigh on Demand: ICRA Report
India’s apparel exports grew modestly, rising 1.5% year‑on‑year in dollar terms for the April‑December FY 2025‑26 period, while rupee‑denominated growth was stronger at 5.8% due to currency depreciation. The slowdown is linked to a roughly 6% drop in shipments to the...
Life in Focus: Ajay Ajmera, Founder & CEO, Ajmera Fashion Ltd.
Ajay Ajmera, founder and CEO of Ajmera Fashion Ltd., has grown a Surat‑based textile company from a Class 12 dropout to a global exporter serving more than 30 countries. The firm has empowered over 150,000 textile entrepreneurs, including more than 10,000...
Mirza International Acquires Solethreads to Enter Semi-Premium Footwear Segment
Mirza International has acquired 100% of Gurugram‑based casual‑footwear startup Solethreads, marking its entry into India’s fast‑growing semi‑premium footwear segment. Solethreads, founded in 2020, has raised over $7 million and achieved a monthly run rate of about $638,000, with presence in 600...
Flipkart Hires Senior Executives To Scale Platform Engineering And Execution Capabilities
Flipkart has appointed Smita Ojha as Vice President of Engineering and Amit Sharma as Vice President of Programme Management to bolster its OneTech platform capabilities. Ojha will head the Central Platforms Group, bringing over two decades of platform‑engineering expertise from Mindtickle. Sharma...
Jan Vishwas Bill Eases Export Offence Penalties for Textiles, Handlooms
The Jan Vishwas Bill proposes sweeping de‑criminalisation of export offences in textiles, handlooms and related agricultural products. Imprisonment provisions are removed, replacing them with warnings and fines up to Rs 25 lakh (≈$26,000). Handloom compliance violations now face fines between Rs 10,000 and...
Satya Paul Appoints Aseem Kapoor as Creative Director to Lead Brand Revival
Satya Paul has appointed Aseem Kapoor as its new Creative Director, signaling a strategic pivot toward contemporary storytelling and youthful energy. Kapoor, known for narrative‑driven, layered designs, will steer collections, campaigns, and overall brand communication. The move dovetails with Satya...
US-Iran Conflict Begins to Disrupt India’s Q-Commerce and Logistics Sectors
The US‑Iran conflict is beginning to ripple through India’s quick‑commerce, e‑commerce and logistics ecosystem, driving higher fuel, diesel and urea costs and causing truck delays in key states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Packaging inputs have surged, with plastics up...
Sock Brand Supersox Appoints Ahnaaf Nadeem as Head of Retail
Supersox, an Indian premium sock brand, has appointed Ahnaaf Nadeem as Head of Retail to accelerate its brick‑and‑mortar expansion. Nadeem brings extensive experience in retail development, having led store rollouts for SocksXpress! across malls and airports and managed multi‑city operations...
Italian Apparel Retailer OVS Targets India as Key Overseas Market with Phased Retail Expansion
Italian apparel retailer OVS is targeting India as its most important overseas market, adopting a phased, flagship‑led expansion. The company currently operates two stores in Delhi and Mumbai, plans to open a third in October and reach seven stores by...
Garment Exporters Face Multi-Front Disruptions Amid Middle East Crisis
India’s garment export industry is feeling the ripple effects of the Middle East crisis, as rising raw‑material prices and logistics bottlenecks add cost pressure. At the same time, domestic factories in Gurugram, Surat and Tirupur are grappling with severe cooking‑gas...
India’s Cotton Imports Surge in 2025 as Lower Global Prices Drive Buying Spree
India’s cotton imports jumped 130% in volume and 92.5% in value in 2025, driven by a steep fall in global cotton prices. Lower import prices prompted textile manufacturers to increase purchases, seeking cost savings and higher quality raw material. Brazil...
The Bear House Rolls Out Shop-in-Shop Format Across 15 Shoppers Stop Stores
The Bear House, a smart‑casual menswear label, is launching a shop‑in‑shop (SIS) concept in more than 15 Shoppers Stop locations across India. The rollout spans seven cities—including Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Jaipur—aiming to broaden the brand’s offline...
Rajasthan Garment Industry Launches Training Centre to Tackle Skilled Labour Shortage
The Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR) has launched the GEAR Training & Research Foundation to address a chronic shortage of skilled labour in the state’s garment export sector. The centre will offer flexible programmes ranging from 15‑day short courses...
Krvvy and Ugees Partner to Expand Product Ecosystems and Drive D2C Growth
Krvvy, a women’s innerwear and shapewear brand, and Ugees, an intimate‑wear wash brand, announced a strategic partnership to broaden their product ecosystems and drive direct‑to‑consumer growth. The collaboration will enable cross‑selling and post‑purchase care, aiming to improve retention and lower...
Spanish Sportswear Brand Kelme Enters India with Noida Flagship, Targets 70 Stores in 3 Years
Kelme, the Spanish sportswear label, launched its first Indian flagship store in Noida, backed by local partner RSN Sports. The brand unveiled a national e‑commerce platform and announced a plan to open 70 exclusive outlets across India within three years....