The recently concluded 39th IIGF attracted around 830 buyers from around the globe generating US$155 mn in its three days of operation This year saw a steep increase of 31.8% in business generated as compared to the last exhibition organised in January this year. According to the organisers, the fair saw, for the first time, new buyers from countries like Chile, Spain and Italy participating, which generated an additional business of $33 mn and opened new avenues for our country’s exports.
However, many buying agencies in India did not make an appearance at the fair, which has always been a sore point with the organisers. Many feel that the exporters who participate at the fair are mostly working directly with the buyers – mainly importers, boutique owners and small to medium size chain stores and so it is not a major event on the fair calendar of Indian agents. No wonder the fair was a platform for 392 small and medium exporters. Right from the inauguration, the three-day event was a low-key affair with many finding good business and others having a disappointing show. But then that is what a fair is all about…some attract attention, while others don’t.
The special guest of honour at this edition of the fair was Troels Holch Povlsen, Chairman, Best Seller, Denmark who has a long and fruitful association with the Indian Industry, spanning 30 years. “The Indian garment industry has matured over the years, but some problem areas still remain, which are a hindrance to sourcing from the country even for an Indophile like me,” he cautioned. Among the major deterrents to business, according to him, is lack of infrastructure, commitment and working conditions. “A more targeted effort on social compliance is the key to a bigger market share,” he said. Another very important observation that he made was regarding the need of a grading system whereby buyers could identify the most compatible manufacturing unit thereby saving critical time in finding the appropriate business partner.
As always, the reaction to the products at the stalls was mixed, with many buyers happy at the displays while others went back disappointed. “We have especially flown down from Turkey to seek out manufacturers in men’s wear as we are buying huge quantities for our chain stores, but we could find only few stalls of interest,” said Y Ugur Buyukbeker of Style Cizgi, Turkey.
The fair has emerged stronger on women’s wear and many of the regular visitors come in especially to source ladies’ garments. “Elegant dresses and hand embroidered blouses are what we are looking for this year,” said the duo of Patrike and Lola from Musgo, Spain, long-time attendees. Another regular at the fair who comes specifically for ladies’ wear is Ralph Ohana, an importer from France. “India is an interesting source for women collections and a majority of the stalls are displaying the same,” she pointed out.
The fair sees a sizable number of Indian importers who promote the country through the products. “India is getting better in quality making it easier to market a ‘Made in India’ label, but lead times and delivery still need improvement for deeper penetration into the international market,” said Balwinder Randhawa, Saab Textiles Ltd. an importer sourcing from India for many years. Gulam Bawa of CasaBawa Fashion, Canada, sourcing from India for the last 26 years for retailers such as Zellers and Wal-Mart, felt that the quality of vendors participating at the IIGF had improved over time. He was particularly happy with the dresses on display.
Many new comers also visited the fair. It was interesting to see the surprise on many faces when seeing the range from Indian Exporters. “I did not come with much expectation but am pleasantly surprised to find many commercially viable options in fashion garments,” said Nerina Bataglia, a fashion designer from Australia, who visited the country for the first time and placed orders for her store that will open shortly. First time Spanish buyer Poloma Sainz found the kids’ wear collections very interesting. “I am amazed to see the innovations in the collections,” said Jorge Mitre Saba, a new buyer from Chile. Saba plans to source good quantities from India in the future.
Competitive price and better quality was the concern of most buyers. “India has improved in the variation of designs that it can provide and the quality has also improved, but prices are still higher than other competitive countries,” said Hillel Daniel, Import manager, NTD Apparel Inc, Canada. NTD has been sourcing from the country for the past 10 years and is particularly optimistic of ladies and children clothing. Sugarcane Ltd, UK is another company that has a long relation with India. Deborah Painting, Quality Manager at Sugarcane, visits the country twice a year to meet the vendors and make quality checks. She feels that systems on the production floor are a weak link. “More attention is needed on the quality side to match up with standards of countries like China,” she contended.
Giving an insight on the noticeable trends, Vijay Agarwal, Chairman, AEPC said, “A major highlight of this year was the acceptance of the necessity of growing efficiency amongst our exporters to be at par with the other major players in the industry. A tremendous improvement in quality has been noticed, where exporters have showcased their capability to delivery the utmost quality within a shorter time period as compared to previous years.”
Some of the stalls that received good response included Maharana of India, Skcon International, Mona Designs, SGS Overseas, Kanishka Designs, Fashion Images, Rupayam, Cherub Overseas, Bhatra Exports, Sunlord Apparels, Ahuja Textiles, Go Go International, The Shawhouse and Tushar Handworks to name a few. “A major strength this time is our black and white print range that depicts the rage for positive negative/contrast stories,” said Nikhil Thukral, Maharana Of India.
The patented prints, especially targeted at the European buyers, drew in many visitors at the Mona design Stall, while handwork, based on contemporary themes was popular at the Tushar display. Though the Cherub Overseas stall saw many buyers, Pradeep Malik from the company felt that the overall visitation was slow considering that it was a summer edition, which usually attracts the maximum buyer turnout, a view shared by many. “The July fair is the most happening but this time it is slower and there is almost an absence of buyers from the US, may be because of the effect of rupee appreciations,” concluded Nilesh Bang of Ashoka International, Kolkata.
