Galleria Intima: Ready to showcases India as lingerie hub

The fourth edition of India’s biggest intimate apparel trade fair, Galleria Intima will focus on the transformation of the intimate apparel sector into a major hub for intimate wear.

India, for long, has been a global player in the overall textile and apparel sector, but in the sub-segment of intimate wear, India is yet to make in-roads in the world trade. The show this year will focus on how intimate wear manufacturing in India can be encouraged to attain global importance. It will focus on the strengths of the Indian industry that can be leveraged to position the country as a leading manufacturing destination for intimate wear.

Make in India the new focus

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the nation can tap endless opportunities to become the next big global lingerie manufacturer. To support IAAI in its ‘Make in India’ initiative, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Textiles will inaugurate the show in the presence of Joint Secretary for Textile Exports Sunaina Tomar.

The highlight of Galleria Intima is to show leading intimate apparel brands of the world that the nation has the necessary resources to become a manufacturing centre. The country has been a major player in the overall apparel and textile market worldwide and plans to make an indelible mark in the intimate apparel sector as well. At Galleria Intima 2015, one of the central aims would be on how to ‘Make in India’ and selling ‘Made in India’ in the international market, while driving domestic consumption.

The intimate apparel category includes a vast range of items, from lingerie to underwear, loungewear and nightwear to shape-wear, swimwear, socks & stockings and more. The top five markets for intimate wear are: US, Japan, Germany, UK and France. The US is a leading importer, with a share of 24 percent worldwide. Currently, China is the largest supplier of intimate clothing worldwide, with a share of 44 percent in the global market. Manufacturing costs in Europe and America are excessively high, which has forced brands to source from Asia. China is a top supplier for years, but growing wages in the country have led to higher costs in manufacturing, turning attention of top brands towards other cost competitive countries. India can take advantage of this opportunity by setting up of OEMs of international brands. The event intends to draw the attention of seasoned brands towards the country as a potential site for setting up of their manufacturing units.

Head honchos of top brands will interact with local OEMs and local brands that can serve as potential OEMs. This event will also serve as a platform for these brands to tap opportunities of local markets with help of inputs from experts on consumer trends, besides providing value information on the local market scenario, its patterns as well as the maximum benefits that can be derived from it. Top international brands as well as national OEMs are expected to be present at the show.

About 15 Chinese companies are expected to participate, to showcase raw materials, making Galleria Intima 4.0 an all-encompassing platform for intimate apparel. Yusuf Dohadwala, the CEO of Intimate Apparel Associations of India says, “India has been a sleeping giant in the category of intimate wear. This is the time to wake the giant out of its slumber and show its true potential to the world. The ‘Make in India’ drive initiated by our Prime Minister is sure to help us in commencing the golden age of the intimate wear industry in the country. The next 5-10 years look very promising.”

This year, Galleria Intima will be held on August 26 and 27, in New Delhi. It is expected to be a major global affair. The organisers decided to shift the venue to New Delhi as it offers greater connectivity. This event is organised by the Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI) and has seen exponential growth in footfall and participants over its last editions. The event will showcase everything from fibres to laces, to hooks and packaging. It is expected to draw visitors from a wide variety of sectors including brand owners, manufacturers of intimate wear, designers, export houses, large format retailers, online retailers and buying houses. More than 1000 brands from India alone are expected to visit along with 80 exhibitors from over 10 countries.