Indian Archives - GUJRAT INDIA

Government Job Search Techniques for Rural Indian Women

India is a traditional country in which women are coming out of their shells, only recently. The IT boom in the country paved way for many young women to study further and earn a job. While the urban women have been exposed to various kinds of job opportunities from the previous generation, the employment market still seems a very scary one for the rural women. Such women who have little exposure to outer world can try their luck in the government jobs. It doesn’t require very high English fluency. Here are a few important guidelines helping rural women to streamline their government job search.

1. Start planning your future right from a very early stage in your life. Survey the public sector job opportunities in and around your area. Plan your study accordingly.

2. Focus your government job search on fields like teaching, medical services and studies related to accounts and commerce. Most of the villages have severe shortage of doctors, teachers and people willing to serve in the rural branch of the banks. You can easily fulfill this gap if you choose to particular subjects.

3. Make it a habit to visit your local government library regularly. The library will have journals like Employment News which will list all the vacancies in the public sector. They will help you a lot in the government job search.

4. Start preparing for the UPSC and other state government oriented exams from the first year of your college. Check how the examinations are conducted throughout your study. Gather the various years question papers. Talk with your seniors appearing for such exams and improvise your preparation.

5. There are lots of quotas allocated for rural women in these jobs. There are quotas for poor women, daughters of farmers, daughters of widowed mothers, first generation graduates and community based grants for women. Make full use of this advantage in your government job search campaign. Check with your teachers and village administrative officers and get all the necessary documents ready before you appear for the exams.

6. Remember the early bird gets the fruit. The sooner you apply for such jobs, the better chance for you to land them earlier. If possible engage yourself in the part-time jobs related to the job you are planning to apply. You can show this as a previous experience when you appear for the final interview.

Landing in a public sector job is no rocket science. Comparing to the efforts taken by the urban youth to enter into institutions like IIT, these efforts are very limited. Try your level best for guaranteed success.

Indian Furniture Exporters: Going Strong in the International Market

The Indian furniture exporter are making huge profits in their business owing to the increasing demands of Indian hand crafted wooden furniture in the global markets. The furniture exporters of the country are heading towards a brighter future with enormous export orders of ethnic Indian furnishings made with contemporary designs and exclusive woods like Sheesham, Sandalwood, Teak, Rosewood, Oak, etc. Export of furnishings is an age old business and the success of the industry lies in its strength to cater to the varying demands of the global market. Besides making a landmark in the international trading contexts, this industry has also made substantial additions to the Indian economy.

Having handcrafted real wood furniture built in the contemporary styles in your house is a matter of pride for the owner. There is nothing quite like exclusive hand crafted rustic furniture that would add a touch of traditional and royal styling to the house. Remember that wood is a natural material, and hence make sure that the one you are going to buy does react suitably to your country’s environment. Before placing an order with the Indian furniture exporter you must ensure that you are buying quality product that is best as per your knowledge. Within India, Rajasthan is known to have the best furniture exporters and manufacturer, operating in cities like Jaisalmer, Udaipur Jodhpur and Jaipur.

The demand and supply for antique Indian wood furnishings all over the world has increased manifolds in the recent decade. The Indian furniture exporters are enjoying their position of being the leading suppliers in the world. Over a period of time the country has established a chain of leading furniture manufacturing brands like Godrej & Boyce, Furniturewala, Zuari, Yantra, Renaissance, N R Jasani & Company, Furniture Concepts, Durian, Kian, Millenium Lifestyles etc. According to the statistics of a recently conducted survey, it has been revealed that the industry is generating an approximate turnover of Rupees 3,500 crore annually and is expected to grow by 20 percent in the years to come.

The furniture importer of numerous foreign countries like USA, Jordan, Djibouti, UK, Mauritius, Canada, Italy, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, and so on are always on the look out for genuine furniture exporters from India. Different kinds of furniture including all those required for residential, contractual or institutional purposes are exported in bulk quantities every year from. The international furniture importers can easily track the details of Indian furniture exporters and importers data with the help of online database companies like Infodrive India. These companies provide authentic records of exporters and importers data related to the trade with useful fields like Company’s Names, Address, Telephone, Fax Numbers, Product description, Quantity, Price, Duty, Date of Shipment, HS Codes, etc.

Indian Powerloom Sector With Special Focus On Powerloom Cluster

Overview of the Indian Power Loom Sector:

India manufactures 5% of cloth through organized sector, 20% through Handloom sector, 15% through knitting sector and 60% of Indian cloth is produced through decentralized power loom sector.

The decentralized powerloom sector is the lifeline of Indian Textile Industry. India is having approximately 19.42 lakhs of powerlooms weaving almost 19,000 million meters of fabric, and provides employment to more than 7 million workers. The industry now produces wide range of fabrics ranging from grey, printed fabric, dyed fabric, cotton fabric, various mix of cotton, synthetic, and other fibres. The country exports Rs. 44,000 million worth of goods to countries like U.S.A., France, Germany, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Italy etc.

Although the growth of power loom industry was slow initially; it has started gearing up now. Number of shuttle less looms has augmented to almost 50,000 and from this about 35,000 looms are working in the decentralized sector.

Most of the Power loom units are concentrated in semi urban, or rural area. Among all; Maharashtra has highest number of powerlooms amounting to approximately 8 lakhs of powerloom, Tamilnadu is second with 5 lakh units, and Gujarat ranks third with 4to4.5 lakh worth of power looms.

Powerloom sector of Bhiwandi:

Bhiwandi, known for its powerlooms is situated at about 30 kilometers away from Mumbai in Maharashtra state. Bhiwandi is a key textile center of western India.

Bhiwandi has approximately 6 lakhs powerlooms, which is 33% of countrys total powerlooms. Turnover of this segment is projected to be around Rs. 10,000 Crore annually. With approximately 1.6 lakh customers this industry is spread across 700 sq. km of area. Bhiwandis powerlooms support family of about 15 lakh workers; most of them being migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Nearly 40 % of the national production from the powerloom sector is contributed by this township.

Indian SMEs Set Their Sights on the UK Market

The United Kingdom (UK) is one of the leading export destinations for Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across most industry verticals. This region is also one of the most favoured markets for small scale optical goods manufacturers and exporters. The eyewear market in the UK has witnessed a rapid growth over the past few years. This provides ample opportunities for Indian small and medium optical goods suppliers and exporters to reap maximum benefits.

The UK accounts for a substantial share of the total Indian exports. Textiles, readymade garments, footwear, gems and jewellery, leather goods, engineering goods, metals and optical goods constitute the chief items exported by India to UK. The India-UK trade figure touched £6,737 million in 2007. Strengthening bilateral relations has proved to be mutually beneficial for both UK and Indian SMEs across diverse verticals, including the eyewear industry.

Indian small scale optical goods Manufacturers and suppliers should further capitalise on the healthy trading relationship between the two countries to expand their business. There is immense scope for optical equipment makers and frames suppliers since the spectacle sector accounts for more than 63.2% of the UK eyewear market. Increasing their frames supplies and export of sunglasses can help Indian eyewear companies increase their market share in the UK.

In order to attract the attention of UK buyers, Indian companies must focus on adopting the latest technology in production of lenses, glasses, optical frames and magnifiers. Photochromatic lenses, designed using variable tint optics technology to protect eyes against harmful rays, are also in great demand in the UK market. Besides, stylish sunglasses, rimless frames and bigger acetate frames in vibrant colours are also in much vogue in the UK. Given the high level of fashion consciousness among people in the UK, Indian eyewear designers must focus on introducing bright, multi-coloured and attractive designs of sunglasses.

Small scale lens and optical makers can also introduce a wide range of lenses including single vision, bi-focal, multi-focal or progressive lenses, high-index lenses, polycarbonate lenses, anti-reflective coatings, tinted lenses and polarised lenses, which are much in demand in the UK market. Small and medium eyewear companies should focus on introducing improved optical goods keeping in mind factors like functionality, wearability, style, comfort and durability in order to gain a foothold in the UK eyewear market.

Indian Sleepwear Market

There is a huge untouched potential in non-metros

Producers of women’s pajama sets are increasing R&D capability to raise the range and functions of designs. Companies are also making efforts to enhance product quality and decrease operating costs through vertical integration. With the elimination of export taxes and import limitations on China-made sleepwear to the EU and the US, suppliers from China and India find themselves in a strong competition for market share. In the Indian market, the sleepwear and lingerie market is emerging quickly as a fashion segment, and has, over the last decade, observed the existence of organised players such as Juliet, Sleep-ins, etc

What was Kashmira Nightwear Company started with a single standalone store in Pune many years ago is today the Sleep-ins brand of complete nighrwear solutions possessing a chain of many exclusive Sleep-ins stores and existence in many of the country’s major retail chains. This change has been promising on account of the single-handed effort by only one person, Kishor Chhabria, who is managing director of the Pune-based Kashmira Nighrwear Company -¬ Sleep-ins today is a brand with a national manifestation. Chhabria experienced that Indian consumers have awareness of about selecting of occasion-wear and sleeping dresses were as important as office, casual, party or sports wear, and commence to offer consumers what they required.

Sleep-ins is among the leading players in the segment, and has been beholding considerable growth in its market share over the last few years. This market even today is largely in the unorganised sector where price is the only its consideration. Organised players are not contending with products that are being traded on the streets. The growth in retailing, the rising level of fashion consciousness has supported sleepwear and lingerie move into a higher market step.

Sleep-ins has increased by almost 150 per cent over the two-three decades, they were highly focused in the western market, but this year the brand performed well locally. They have appointed distributors in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, UP, MP, Punjab, etc. and possessed more than 20 exclusive outlets in the country, and will add to this by another six. Besides the exclusive outlets, the brand retails from a many large departmental stores too.

This increasing in retail space is encouraged by the remarkable response the brand has gained in various parts of the country. Many of their garments are in the range of Rs 2000-4000. When introducing these, they believed that sales in this price segment would be optimum in Delhi and Mumbai, and they were staged to see sales growth gained in Punjab. This just set to observe that fashion awareness is high in every part of the country, and there is still a lot of unexploited potential in cities other than the metros. And this is where the fashion aspect plays an important role. The company finds the finest of fabrics from within the country, imports the satins from Korea, and makes the prints in-house.

Sleep-ins is possibly the only far-reaching sleepwear brand for whole family. It satisfies a hidden demand for quality sleepwear which the Sleep-ins exclusive brand stores offer – the whole range for women, men and kids. Within a lesser time from its establishment, the chain stores have registered a good growth all over India. As of now, women in the 18-50 years age group comprise the major buyers though men too make significant purchases. There is a large segment of consumers who wish to wear high quality nighrwear with features that match international standards.

Chhabria himself is a designer and thinks not just making, but real pieces of art. The Sleep-ins variety covers sleepwear and loungewear. The matchless and marvelously confined ensembles in cottons and cotton blended satin and Lycra are all made in-house. Nightshirts are offered in satins and georgettes and animal prints; Robes in soft fabrics; and Chemise in shimmering soft and tender pastel silhouettes. They also offer nighties with spaghetti straps, provoking teddy suits, stylish shorts with bikini tops, pajamas, Capri, etc. For men, Sleep-ins provides an elegant and sophisticated variety of night suits in pure cottons and imported polyesters and robes in soft suede and satins with pajamas.

They believe that men and women of today look at wearability, affordability and comfort; hence, the pricing factor cannot be unnoticed. The brand has helps to match the budget as well as the premium class of customers. Sleep-ins in Pune, which is possibly the biggest sleepwear stores in the country with 1500sq.ft of floor area holding a rich collection of more than 4000 garment pieces at a time. Their exclusive franchisees stores are situated in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Surat, Ludhiana, Kolkata, Baroda and Gurgaon. The brand is also offered at leasing retail chains like Globus, Shopper’s Stop, Piramyd and Pantaloons.

The speed at which the brand is growing its market reach states that there is huge experience that gives a solid foundation of self-belief. He started retailing business with a little investment of rupees one crore,” “and today aimed at setting up Sleep-ins as a standalone brand, which needs a healthy investment for brand imaging.

Sleep-ins is very well known to the existing competitors and is arranged to take on the new entrants. And they do not bother about stiff competition, as they have a complete range of nightwear and loungewear for women, men and kids. Its close competitor is “Sweat Dreams”, but Sweet Dreams has so far not made any branding effort and is currently in all types of stores in the country whereas Sleep-ins is offered at exclusive stores only that placed on a firm territory.

Sleep-ins’ immediate object is to go through the premium malls setting up in major cities. But that’s not all, the company is foreseeing to setting up Sleep-ins nightwear and loungewear as a quality brand in the international market. They are aimed at identifying the product to the brand, which customers should ask for Sleep-ins rather than any night dress product.

Sleep-ins is now planning to set its product range into the quite lower range of the market too, where the price points would be about Rs 200-400. They could perhaps be retailing these from stores like Big Bazaar.

The company has a production capacity of 15,000 garments per month, and is planning to enhance the same by another 25 per cent. They are bringing in 30 more machines, making the total to 130. They are setting in place IT systems for good quality control and monitoring.

Sleep-ins has started business jointly with Disney for supply of 5,000 garments per month, and the enhanced production would mostly go to Disney. The company has also been gaining a plenty of export enquiries from Europe and the Gulf, but is taking time to go in this segment.

Another India supplier, Poppy’s Knitwear (P) Ltd, can functions from spinning, weaving and knitting to sewing and finishing, at its factory. The plant is set with Rieter spinners, Vanguard and Orizio knitting machines and Tubetex dyeing units. In India, women’s pajamas from Poppy’s are ranges in between $3.50 and $8.50 per set. Low-end models are produced by lightweight single-jersey cotton. Midrange designs normally have overall printing and more garment features such as pockets and collars. High-end versions are largely used for winter and produced by heavier fabric such as polar fleece and cotton interlock.

Clifton provides designs priced between $3 and $7. The midsize company makes women’s pajama sets for OEM customers like Ethel Austin and Littlewoods of the UK, Carrefour of France and Canada’s Teenscene India’s Sentinel Clothing Co. engaged in manufacturing of nightwear, kids-wear etc possessed with Taitexma circular rib and interlock knitting machines as well as equipment for making single and flat knitted fabric. Apart from these, the company has machines for silk-screening and embossing.

At Sentinel, women’s pajama prices range between for $2.50 to $6.50. Models are normally produced by single-jersey cotton. New entrants have lace trims, ruffles and bows on necklines and sleeve openings. The company possesses three factories in India making more than 3 million women’s pajama sets per year. Its 10-member R&D team makes 20 innovative models a month. Leeds’ nighwear product ranges from $3.25 to $8. Models are produced by pure cotton or polyester-cotton blends. The company also makes T-shirts, shorts, bathrobes, tank tops and children’s wear.

Indian Fashion Industry

Colourful fashion trends of India

With the end of the 20th century came the end of all hype which has created a more practical and pragmatic environment and has given a more stable picture of the fashion business.

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, the Indian fashion scenario wasn’t exactly colorless. It was exciting, stylish and very graceful. There were no designers, models, star or fashion design labels that the country could show off. The value of a garment was judged by its style and fabric and not by who made it.

It was regarded as ever so chic and fashionable to approach any unfamiliar tailor, who could make a garment for a few rupees, providing the perfect fit, finish and style. The high society lady, who wore it, was proud for getting a good bargain and for giving her name to the end result.

In 60s, tight ‘kurtas’, ‘churidars’ and high coiffures were a trend among ladies. It was an era full of naughtiness and celebration in arts and music and cinema, manifested by liberation from restriction and acceptance of new types of materials such as plastic film and coated polyester fabric.

The 70s witnessed an increase in the export of traditional materials outside the country as well as within. Hence, international fashion arrived in India much before the MTV culture with the bold colors, flower prints and bell-bottoms. Synthetics turned trendy and the disco culture affected the fashion scenario.

It was in the early 80s when the first fashion store ‘Ravissant’ opened in Mumbai. At that time garments were retailed for a four-figure price tag. The ’80s was the era of self consciousness and American designers like Calvin Klein became popular. In India too, silhouettes became more masculine and the ‘salwar kameez’ was designed with shoulder pads.

With the evolution of designer stores in Mumbai, the elegant fashion design culture was a trend among Indians along with their heavy price tags. No doubt that a garment with a heavy price tag was at the bottom stage of fashion. But clients immediately transformed into the high fashion fold where they were convinced that that the word ‘elegant fashion design culture’ means, it had to have a higher price tag.

Garments were sold at unbelievable prices only because the designers had decided to get themselves noticed by making showy outfits and getting associated with the right shows, celebrities and events.

Later, fashion shows shifted to competitive events each attempting to out-do the other in theme, guest list and media coverage. For any newcomer, the fashion business was the number one professional art that time.

In the 90’s, the last decade of the millennium, a move towards the drastic pairing down returned with ethnic wears (Today, ethnic wear market in India is accounted to Rs. 9000 crore). This led to the decline and the recession, the push to sell at any cost and keep staying in the limelight. With heavy cut throat competition and sound awareness of the client, the inevitable occurred. The price tags, which had once reached at a peak, began their downside journey.

At those times the downturn was not only being experienced in the price tags of the garments, but also in the business of fashion shows. More models, choreographers, make-up men, hairstylists and designers streamed down into their business.

The fun and party time in the Indian fashion scenario had not ended with this, but continued. It was a point, where it reached at a certain steady level and from there, in the beginning of the 21st centaury, with new designers and models and some sensible designing; the fashion hype accelerated its speed.

Indian fashion industry spreads its wings globally

For the global fashion industry, India is a very big exporter of fabrics and accessories. All over the world, Indian ethnic designs and materials are considered as a significant facet for the fashion houses and garment manufacturers. In fabrics, while sourcing for fashion wear, India also plays a vital role as one of the biggest players in the international fashion arena.

India’s strengths not only depend on its tradition, but also on its raw materials. World over, India is the third largest producer of cotton, the second largest producer of silk and the fifth largest producer of man-made fibres.

In the international market, the Indian garment and fabric industries have many fundamental aspects that are compliant, in terms of cost effectiveness to produce, raw material, quick adjustment for selling, and a wide ranges of preference in the designs in the garments like with sequin, beadwork, aari or chikkon embroidery etc, as well as cheaper skilled work force. India provides these fashion garments to the international fashion houses at competitive prices with shorter lead time and an effective monopoly in designs which covers elaborated hand embroidery – accepted world over.

India has always been considered as a default source in the embroidered garment segment, but the changes of rupee against dollar has further decreased the prices, thereby attracting buyers. So the international fashion houses walk away with customized stuff, and in the end crafted works are sold at very cheap rates.

As far as the market of fabrics is concerned, the ranges available in India can attract as well as confuse the buyer. A basic judgmental expectation in the choosing of fabrics is the present trend in the international market. Much of the production tasks take place in parts of the small town of Chapa in the Eastern state of Bihar, a name one would have never even heard of. Here fabric making is a family industry, the ranges and quality of raw silks churned out here belie the crude production methods and equipment used- tussars, matka silks, phaswas, you name it and they can design it. Surat in Gujarat, is the supplier of an amazing set of jacquards, moss crepes and georgette sheers – all fabrics utilized to make dazzling silhouettes demanded world over. Another Indian fabric design that has been specially designed for the fashion history is the “Madras check” originally utilized for the universal “Lungi” a simple lower body wrap worn in Southern India, this product has now traversed its way on to bandannas, blouses, home furnishings and almost any thing one can think of.

Recently many designers have started using traditional Indian fabrics, designs and cuts to enhance their fashion collections. Ethnic Indian designs with batik cravat, tie-and-dye or vegetable block print is ‘in’ not just in India but all across the world.

In India, folk embroidery is always associated with women. It is a way of their self expression, and they make designs that depict their native culture, their religion and their desires. Women embroider clothes for their personal use, and the people linked with the pastoral profession prepare embroidered animal decorations, decorative covers for horns and foreheads and the Rabaris of Kutch in Gujarat do some of the finest embroidery. Embroidered pieces are made during the festivals and marriages, which are appliqué work called ‘Dharaniya’. One of the significant styles of Saurashtra is ‘Heer’ embroidery, which has bold geometric designs, woven on silks. The Mutwa women of the Banni area of Kutch have a fascinating embroidery where they make fine embroidery works with designed motifs and mirrors in the size of pinheads, the Gracia jats use geometric designs on the yoke of long dresses. Moreover, the finest of quilts with appliqué work are also made in Kutch.

Garments embellishment with bead work is another area where it in demand in the international market. Beads are used to prepare garlands and other accessory items like belts and bags and these patterns now available for haute couture evening wear too.

According to a survey, in recent times Indian women have given up their traditional sari for western wears like t-shirts and shorts, as they feel more comfortable in skirts and trousers instead of saris and salwar kameez. It’s been noted that women spend just $165 million on trousers and skirts against 1.74 billion dollars spent by men on trousers. With more women coming out to work, the (combined) branded trouser and skirts market has been increasing at a whopping 27 per cent in sales terms. Women feel that Western clothing is more suitable, particularly when working or using public transportation. Many corporate offices are also in favor of their employees wearing Western wear.

In India, Western inspiration is increasing due to the influence of TV and films. Besides, shopping malls selling branded clothes have also mushroomed in India and are fascinating the youngsters. Recently, designer wear is being promoted through store chains such as Shopper’s Stop, Pantaloons, Westside, etc. Companies such as Raymond and TCNS have also set up their exclusive stores for designer wear such as Be: and W.

The market of India fashion industry

Recently, a report stated that the Indian fashion industry can increase from its net worth of Rs 200 crore to Rs 1,000 crore in the next five to ten years. Currently, the worldwide designer wear market is amounted at $35 billion, with a 9 per cent growth rate, with the Indian fashion industry creating hardly 0.1 per cent of the international industry’s net worth.

According to approximations, the total apparel market in India is calculated to be about Rs 20,000 crore. The branded apparel market’s size is nearly one fourth of this or Rs 5,000 crore. Designer wear, in turn, covers nearly about 0.2 per cent of the branded apparel market.

At present, the largest sales turnover within the designer wear segment is about Rs25 crore, with other well-known names having less turnovers of Rs10-15 crore. In view of the prospects of the Indian fashion industry for growth, the figures are not very hopeful.

The figure of fashion industry

o The organized market for designer apparel is about Rs 250 crore

o Designer wear calculates to less than 1 per cent of the apparel market

o The global market for designer wear is 5 per cent of total apparel market

o The global market for designer wear industry is largely dependent on the small-scale sector

o Consumers for designer wear have a yearly household income of Rs 10 lakh-plus. There are 3 lakh such households developing at 40-45 per cent

o Designer wear industry is projected to increase to Rs 1,000 crore by 2015.

o More than 81 per cent of the population below 45 years of the age is fashion conscious.

Many fashion designers and management experts foresee an average growth of about 10-12 per cent for the Indian fashion industry in the coming years. Though, the growth rate could be more than 15 per cent, if infrastructural and other logistical bottlenecks and drawbacks are over come.

India needs more effort to overcome

However, despite the benefits available in India there are also some disadvantages. India is not a remarkable player in the global market with reference to brands because of its inability to add value to products. This is observed by the fact that nearly 50 per cent of its exports are apparel and made-ups where value addition is essential. Likewise, 75 per cent of domestic apparel market is commoditized and unbranded and very few Indian brands do survive in the foreign markets. Evidently, the Indian market has not made a strong stand and hence it is difficult to make Indian brands that can compete with global brands in India.

Another reason for the fashion industry’s inadequate growth is the limited experience of the designers and the platform they are offered. The insignificance stalks from the reality that most of the young talent is hired by the bigger names to work in their studios, thus imprinting their work with the label of the big designers.

Though performing individual presentation is not an alternative choice for most of the young talent, because of the limitation of finance, a beginner designer’s name fails to come to the forefront.

Another thing, with regards to the ramp, is what the designers offer is barely appropriate to be worn ordinarily. You’ll see there’s dissimilarity between what is there on the ramp and what the Page Three crowd wears. Some believe at present the fashion is in, but the tendency hasn’t changed much as it is the old ones coming back. We have had short kurtas, long kurtas, flowing skirts, etc. coming back into fashion with only a new variety of designs.

Many management consultants and professionals believe that the Indian fashion industry will be boosted if the new comers are paid proper attention. What they require is more support so that their work gets due recognition. According to the consultants and professionals there should be a panel of people who choose designers for showcasing according to their work and not their name or who they’ve worked for earlier, and hence selection would be purely based on quality. Besides this, the panel of judges should comprise of people from the fashion schools rather than designers.

It has been observed that the media-hype around the big designers and blatant commercialism has hindered business in the Indian fashion industry. No clear cut picture is provided about the feasibility of the products. Basically it is only the famous names that are being talked of. What they offer is not quite daily-wear. The entire focal point of the industry is on commercialism. The discussion is only regarding how much is sold and for what price and nothing about the designs or styles.

Efforts to develop global fashion brands

It needs innovative designers, a seamless supply chain, control over retail and distribution and concentration of quality while dealing with some image. While a few have accomplished something in the west covering Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci, Zara, Armani, Versace, Ralph Lauren, etc, India has not been capable to track on.

A serious reason for India not being successful has been its isolation in the fashion system. Each stakeholder including designers, exporters, textile players and retail chains need to come together along with the government to make sure that the position of Indian fashion is strong in the coming years.

There are various agencies and industry associations that can support in brand-building practice. Many of these agencies require attractive resources and making a global image of Indian fashion rather than independently trying to promote particular brands or textile segments.

Efforts to create strong global image

Large textiles players require more and more to target on the market facing activities while developing an association with small medium enterprise (SME) clusters. Such kind of networks would be a benefit to that which can focus on demand making and branding as well as for clusters that can focus on quality production.

Efforts to create value networks

After the entry of large retail chains like Wal-Mart, Gap etc in India, Small scale manufacturers in India will find it very difficult to satisfy the demands of these international buyers if they continue to promote their products individually. Therefore, it is very important that value networks are created between large textile and apparel companies in India and small scale manufacturers, so that the marketing muscle of the leading players can be utilized for receiving large orders while the bigger players then assign the orders to the small-medium enterprises according to their past record of quality and service. For this to be put into practice, it will be vital to well-organize the information on small-medium enterprise clusters in a perfect manner so that supplier selection decisions are made according to the information in the long run, only the more efficient small-medium enterprise players survive and develop.

Efforts to concentrate on designers and designs

Designers have a fundamental role to play in the future of Indian fashion scenario. There should hence be an effective process for preparing these designers. This can be done by sponsoring exchange programs with international schools, increasing participations in the fashion capitals of the world, motivating and offering business incubation to new designers and rewarding efforts through proper design awards.

Even in India, well-known designers are incapable to tap finances from well-organized resources, since a vital part of their assets are brands and design talent which are not measured in terms of money and hence it becomes difficult to judge the value. This has severely inhibited their development and capability to raise retail existence across the country and abroad. Likewise, there is no systematic approach of existence in the fashion capitals of the world like Paris, Milan and New York. Due to this, designers have to depend on their personal contacts and relationships for organizing fashion shows and making retail alliances. The French government as well as the British government helps designers of their particular countries appreciably in these areas as they understand that value creation through design is the only way to carry on in the competitive landscape of the global fashion industry. The Indian government and related agencies should also accept this aspect of textile, apparel and fashion industry sincerely if they need to see India on the global fashion map.

Work in collaboration: designers-corporate efforts

Designers and many organizations can work globally through various models and with many working relationships. The Indian fashion industry has many views but only one such model, wherein a designer creates a retail venture with his/her own brand through organized retail chains. There are many other models according to brand ownership and division of operational activities.

Globally, many models of collaboration between designers and corporates are available. For example Ralph Lauren has made an agreement with Jones Apparel for producing and retailing various Polo brands. Likewise, Armani had an agreement with Zegna for production, even while it was competing with them in the marketplace. There are many cases of designer brands being co-owned by the designers and corporates, Gucci-Alexander McQueen and Gucci-Stella McCartney being some of them.

In the end, many designer businesses have been obtained by corporates where designers play a major role in the design elements of the business, but the brand and the organization is owned completely by the corporate.

The current possession of Calvin Klein by Philips Van Heusen and earlier holdings of Hugo Boss and Valentino by Marzotto are some related examples in this segment. These examples strongly point out that not only designers find such relationships important for development, but also corporates find these attractive for rising their profitability and growth. Likewise deals in India could go a long way in developing the brand values of corporates and designers.

Developing clusters

Making common infrastructure for functioning such as design and sampling, affluent treatment, product testing, etc can help in increasing the capability of the clusters since noteworthy investments could be made by the cluster itself rather than any single player.

Well-managed databases can help in decreasing search costs and through data mining, rating of players can be done so as to make the procurement process easier for buyers. Cooperative marketing programs at different clusters can also support players to grow up in the value chain by mixing their strengths within the cluster.

Cluster based battle in the fashion industry is characterized by the Italian industry. The National Chamber for Italian Fashion for example, supports the development of the fashion clusters at Milan and Florence in a well organized manner. Indian industry can learn a lot from Italy because India has a similar cluster based scattered production base, but has been incapable to link it with design and branding capability.

If the above activities are successfully considered, India could have an extraordinary development in the fashion industry, which could increase from a negligible size to Rs 8,000 crore in the coming decade.

Conclusion

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, the Indian fashion scenario was colorful and stylish, in the end of 20th century it was quite subdued and with the beginning of the 21st century it has geared up and is still experiencing the growth with many spectrums of colours. Though this industry is growing at a very good pace, besides achieving a negligible share in the global market, still it needs to make severe efforts to stand amongst international fashion market in various aspects.

Indian SMEs Capitalising on Armenian Avenues

In the Soviet era, Armenia was a highly industrialised nation and a leading manufacturer and exporter of textiles, machine tools and automotive components. Following the disintegration of Soviet Union, Armenia shifted its focus to the agriculture sector that was once an insignificant segment of the economy.

Today, Armenia is known for its stable economy, steady growth and openness towards privatisation. The country is also an important energy exporter to a number of European and Asian nations. Owing to the investment friendly climate in Armenia, several Indian SMEs are eyeing this Central European country for trade and investment opportunities.

In recent times, India has become an important Asian trading partner of Armenia. Notably, total exports from India to Armenia in 2008 were pegged at around $48.9 million, while Armenian exports to India during the same period hovered at around $2.4 million.

India’s export basket for Armenia consists of electrical equipment, plastics, pharmaceuticals, chemical goods and optical equipments. Alternately, Armenia exports raw rubber, textiles, books and non ferrous metals to India.

Sectors of growth

According to market experts, India and Armenia are yet to tap the opportunities that exist in bilateral trade. Indian SMEs in the IT sector can enter into strategic alliances with their Armenian counterparts for knowledge-sharing and technology transfer. Armenia too has sought assistance from Indian SMEs in the IT segment to boost its evolving IT industry.

Armenia is a lucrative trade destination for Indian SMEs engaged in the textiles sector. By setting up manufacturing units in Armenia, Indian SMEs can gain easy access to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries that do not levy taxes on Armenian goods.

The thriving gems and jewellery sector in Armenia is another segment that Indian SMEs, particularly those engaged in exporting diamond can explore. Armenia imports raw diamonds primarily from Russia. Indian diamond exporters can strengthen their foothold in the gems and jewellery sector by supplying their B2b Productsin the Armenian market.

Promoting bilateral Trade Leads

To promote increased economic exchanges between the two countries, the Armenian embassy in India initiated a “four plus one” policy of sector-specific cooperation. Under this policy, Armenia has sought assistance from India to boost its four key sectors. These include IT, agriculture, science and technology (S&T) and SME.

India is assisting Armenia by conducting training programmes on a regular basis. With both countries adopting a positive approach to enhance trade relations, Indian SMEs can be optimistic about their growth prospects in Armenia in the near term.

Indian Pharmaceutical Sector And The Stunning Growth Rate!

As per the recent study by the industry body, ASSOCHAM, it is estimated that the domestic generic market is likely to reach USD 27.9 billion from current position of USD 13.1 billion. It further added that the current compound annual growth rate (CAGR) recorded at 16.3%, which is the due to the approval by The Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) makers. The market is estimated to witness an 85% share in the domestic pharma market by 2020.

The Growth of Domestic Pharmaceutical Market

The domestic pharmaceutical market which stood at USD 15.4 billion in 2014 is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.3% to USD 32.7 billion by 2020. With this, India is likely to figure among the top three pharmaceutical markets by incremental growth and 6th largest market globally in absolute size.

Who Are The Major Exports Markets?

The key exports markets for the nation’s pharmaceutical products are listed below, take a look-

· America

· Europe

· China

· Japan

· Africa

As a matter of fact, India is the third highest exporter of drugs to the US market. The reason behind is the large number of approvals from the USFDA.

Things Which Needs Attention

· Quality Control

· Formulation of Robust Supply Chain Network

· Support to other states

· Implementation of Modern Technology

· Development of High End Infrastructure

Employment Opportunities Abound

Job prospects are wide and far reaching. The sector offers diverse range of career options to an individual who wants to pursue a career in this sector. Given the pace of growth and development in this sector, pharma jobs are likely to rise in the coming years. There would be ample opportunities for the candidates seeking jobs into the following-

· Sales promotion

· Marketing and consulting services

· Retail/wholesale distribution

· Product management

· Data management

· Public Relations

· Research and development

· Quality assurance and testing

· Manufacturing

The Indian market for drug manufactures is in full swing, much accredited to the ever rising population, growing economy and an increasing demand of western medicines. Along with the burgeoning pharma sector, jobs within the industry are also increasing at a rapid pace.

Job Seekers Watch out for Indian Pharma Expo 2015!

The Indian Pharma Expo is going to be held on 24th and 25th October, 2015 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. It will present the latest trends and technologies in pharmaceuticals, drugs and formulations. It is a golden opportunity for the job seekers as well as the businesses as they have direct access to high-profile senior pharma executives, buyers, and contract manufacturers and so on.

Uganda Opens Avenues of Growth For Indian SMEs

Over the years, Uganda has made a successful transition from an agriculture-based to an industrialized economy. Since 1987, the Ugandan government has actively undertaken economic reforms to facilitate overall economic development.

As a result, Uganda has recorded an average economic growth rate of 6.5% per annum in the last decade.[1] Today, this country is ranked as one of the fastest growing nations in the African continent.

The economic policy changes initiated by the Ugandan government have played an important role in boosting production and export earnings. Significantly, Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in 2008 was pegged at around 6.9%.

Uganda’s business-friendly environment, diversified economy and openness to foreign direct investment (FDI) are making it a lucrative destination for Indian SMEs.

Trade relations

India is one of the most prominent trade partners of Uganda. It exports coffee, tea, sugar, inorganic chemicals, automobile components, sports goods, plastic and rubber to Uganda.

Alternatively, Uganda’s export basket for India comprises commodities like spices, cocoa, wood, wool, cotton, ceramic products, leather, copper, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances

In recent times, there has been a sharp rise in Indo-Ugandan joint ventures and trade collaborations. Notably, Indo-Uganda bilateral trade has increased from $112.06 million in 2006-07 to $168.76 million in 2007-08.[3] Riding on this stupendous growth witnessed in recent times, industry experts opine that Indo-Uganda bilateral trade will double in less than 5 years.

Areas of trade and investment

Given the high demand for Indian products in Uganda, Indian SMEs can tap the business opportunities present in sectors such as textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, glass, paper, leather and food processing.

Indian SMEs can further make inroads into the Ugandan market by exploring the mining sector. Uganda has large unexplored deposits of minerals such as gold, tungsten, cobalt, iron ore and kaolin.

In addition, Indian SMEs in the hospitality and tourism sectors can cash in on the surging demand for luxury resorts, serviced apartments and business hotels in Uganda and expand their operations in the African nation.

Considering that there is nearly 50% bed capacity deficit in the 3-5 star hotel categories in Uganda, Indian hoteliers can venture into this market to bridge the demand supply gap.

Realizing the abundant scope of growth for both Indian and Ugandan SMEs, governments on both sides have agreed to facilitate increased cooperation between the SMEs in the two countries.

At a recently held India-Africa business summit in New Delhi, India has committed U$500 million for Ugandan projects from its Aid to Africa budget.

Indian Carpet Industry and Its SWOT Analysis

Carpet Industry is one among the industries prevailing in India since centuries. Indian Carpet Industry has always been a crucial part of Indian export industry. Moguls brought and introduced carpet weaving in India which survived and flourished greatly. Over the period, ancient weavers has transformed into modern artist who imbibe the magical colours to the Indian carpets. These artists bring aesthetic touch to the carpets by doing magic with colours and provide carpets an unusual beauty and elegance. The study revealed that the total carpet exported last year was worth Rs 2600 crores whereas the size of the domestic market was condensed to about Rs 200 crores. Carpet holds a grace and recognition from over centuries. Earlier, only a few centers in India were involved in carpet weaving but slowly, various clusters have risen in northern part of India for the same purpose. Each center has its own competitive advantage. These centers employ nearly millions of people all across the country. Mojor belts of carpets include Bhadohi, Mirzapur and Agra belt in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, Bikaner in Rajasthan, Panipat belt in Haryana and Kashmir belt.

Carpets are broadly classified into two categories, traditional and modern. Otherwise, Indian manufacturers make carpets in various types, these are;

o Chainstich Rugs

o Tufted Woolen Carpets

o Hand-knotted Woolen Carpets

o GABBE Woolen Carpets

o Pure Silk Carpets

o Handmade Woolen Dhurries

o Staple or Synthetic Carpets

Each type has its own individuality in terms of design, look and the wool used in its manufacturing. The variety in carpets caters to various needs of customers.

The distinct variety added to the carpets is inclusion of silk and cotton which are innovatively mixing with the wool to give an attractive look to the carpets. Silk carpets are considered high quality pieces and are comparatively high in price. Indian carpets are fundamentally following the old popular patterns such as floral, rhomboids, animal patterns and arabesques in its designs. These traditional Oriental styles are preferred even today. However, Indian carpet industry seems to be highly influenced by western patterns and designs which are giving a competitive edge to Indian traditional carpets, such as Chinese patterns and Persian designs.

Swot Analysis of Carpet Industry

Indian Carpet Industry is a unique industry which is highly unorganized but lacks proper channels. Somehow, it has managed to perform impressively in the past years. The industry has made significant contribution in Indian exports till 1990s. What was there behind the industry that drives the export? SWOT analysis brings forth the value drivers and tentative blocks this industry has experienced and experiencing even today;

Strengths- Over the years, carpet industry has flourished in India due to availability of artistic skills, cheap labour and low cost raw material, innovations in selling carpets and flexibility in manufacturing all kinds of carpets.

Weaknesses- The industry’s greatest weakness is its highly being unorganized. The carpet exporters and manufacturers lack marketing channels. Indian suppliers suffer due to poor infrastructure and internal competition, and lack professional approach and Intellectual Property Rights.

Opportunities- Home furnishing market is moving towards Carpet industry, which results in evolution of new carpet designs. It is used as a marketing tool, and gives opportunity to provide stocking and warehousing services to various players in the market.

Threats- Industry is suffering a lot due to unhealthy competition exiting within it. If not handled properly, current rebound in the industry may not be sustainable. Social evil such as Child labor has strong bonding with the industry. Hence, the industry invites risk of possible backlash on itself.

Carpet Industry in India has experienced a major change in recent years. The industry is moving towards the emergence of new market and old existing market is saturated and lost its identity. Low-end carpets manufactured in modern designs like hand-tufted carpets are highly preferred by new customer base. Chinese industry is emerging as the biggest threat to Indian carpet industry, in terms of pricing and volumes. However, innovative products range with lower volume could be a success mantra for Indian Carpet Industry. Inefficient coordination and ill management are what exist predominantly in the industry. Apart from it, industry needs to consolidate on the activities such as quality standards, cost reduction, better development of products and their on-time delivery to drive its growth.