How two Ghaziabad-based lingerie and hosiery manufacturers are making big …

GHAZIABAD: Eugene Chapus once said, “A woman in a corset is a lie, a falsehood, a fiction, but for us, this fiction is better than the reality.” It has, in fact, become a reality with lingerie gaining immense popularity in India and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Two Ghaziabad-based companies, which currently manufacture lingerie and hosiery, have made it big both in India and abroad.

Rajnish Bansal, proprietor of Mangli Hosiery, based out of Ghaziabad has not only carved a niche market for itself in NCR but has also made it to the Limca Book of Records for having 22,000 varieties of intimate wear collection – the highest number till date. Bansal said, “We manufacture lingerie for women and vests and briefs for men, and supply it to clients based out of Gurgaon and Delhi.” Mangli Hosiery has an average turnover of Rs 6 crore to Rs 7 crore and Bansal has five other such companies.

Similarly, Sona Lingerie based out of Sahibabad Industrial area that manufactures a wide range of moulded patterns, fancy sets cotton bras etc. has around 60-70 showrooms across North India and six showrooms in Ghaziabad itself. “Our USP is manufacturing good quality products. Every need of our customers is our priority. Products are made with 100 percent combed cotton fabrics that make customers feel comfortable. With the increase in demand for our products, we are striving to deliver best quality goods,” said Prateek Gupta, director of Sona Lingerie. He added that Sona Lingerie has managed to clock an annual turnover of Rs 15 crore. They did it with a workforce of only six people, which varies according to market demand.

MARKET SIZE

Talking about market for this business, Bansal said, “There is great potential for our business. The intimate wear market in Ghaziabad is more competitive than Delhi as there are more players here and the market is worth Rs 10 crore to Rs 12 crore.”

According to accounting firm Ernst Young, the Indian lingerie and nightwear market was valued at about $2 billion in 2011 and is expected to grow at CAGR of about 15 percent till 2015. The market is largely unorganised, with organised players accounting for less than a third of the market.

Bansal informed, “At present, the lingerie and hosiery market in India comes under the home industry. There are mostly unorganised players. For instance, in Old Delhi, families keep three to four sewing machines and stitch lingerie.” He added that undergarments are worn by all – rich and poor, hence, this market has a huge potential.”

A Mc Kinsey report suggests that consumers worldwide typically spend an average of five-six percent of total income on apparels; but the figure is significantly higher in emerging markets. Reports say that over the next 20 years, population in Indian cities will grow by 300 million. Urban dwelling will give rise to aspirations and need for new fashions and styles to meet their lifestyle.

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Sonari: The changing face of Indian lingerie industry

Innerwear label Sonari has come a long way from offering basic lingerie sets for mid-segment to premium class series under Sonari Breeze, which would be unveiled in September this year. The parent company Shalibhadra Trading

is also looking at exploring markets beyond India. Explains Dipesh Kubadia, Director, Shalibhadra Trading, “The brand’s positioning was mid-level till and now we are taking it to the premium level. We will launch the new range this September. We want to be compared with international brands. The product will have separate packaging and different styles, colours and patterns.” A new factory is coming up at Bhiwandi near Mumbai which will be operational by March 2013. Spread over one lakh sq. ft., it will have 200 machines and the capacity will be 20,000 pieces a day. A part of the production will be for the exports market since the brand is are looking at exploring the Gulf, Africa and Asian markets like Sri Lanka.

Sonari has a deeply ingrained culture of understanding the lifestyle of its target audience and this is reflected in its lingerie line. With the creativity of in-house designers, the company sets new standards using innovation as a tool. Sonari products are present with 3,500 retailers in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. “We are in metros like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai. We have 60 to 70 distributors all over India. Every year we add 200 to 250 MBOs. We are also with Pantaloons, D Mart and Big Bazaar stores,” Kubadia adds.

The brand was launched in 1972 by Bhogilal Kubadia and Dhiraj Kubadia, who started with a small lingerie manufacturing unit in Dadar. Today, the company boasts of a collective spread of 20,000 sq. ft. in various locations. Even without much advertising or fanfare the brand is known for its quality and fits. “Every year we grow by 25 to 30 per cent and currently have a capacity of producing 10,000 pieces a day. Attaining new heights with every new collection, it has truly established itself as leader in the Indian intimate apparel industry,” Kubadia opines.

Meanwhile the company has invested heavily in adopting modern technologies that match up to international standards and employs the best practices and processes of operation to give a new dimension to the lingerie industry in India. Kubadia signs off by saying, “We undoubtedly have the most well-equipped design studio in the country. Going the complete distance, a large amount of market research is undertaken to determine the latest developments in the world of lingerie and forecasts from international experts are also incorporated in their strategies, as the design team works hard to shape the face of the lingerie industry in India.”

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