West Bengal Garment Fair, all set for big business

The 39th edition of West Bengal Garment Fair organised

by the West Bengal Garment Manufacturers and Dealers Association is scheduled to be held from July 18 to 20, 2012 at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata. Expecting a positive season and good footfalls, R K Patwari, President, West Bengal Garment Manufacturers and Dealers Association is optimistic. “I agree this summer was not good but we expect a good season ahead. Retailers too expect a good season and the future looks bright. Since even last year during the excise impact, there was growth, bulk purchases are expected this year too.”

He points out that even though past editions of the fair witnessed numerous participants, now the numbers are falling. One reason is that big brands hesitate to participate because they feel that they already have sales. Or probably they don’t get the right environment. “But we continue with our efforts to bring them back on board,” Patwari adds.

This time, the exhibition would be spread over 15,000 sq. ft. area and the organizers expect 70 participants to be a part it. Elaborating on the response to the fair over the years, Patwari says participants look for country-wide exposure and business. “It provides them a good business platform. We have players not only from West Bengal but from New Delhi, Indore and Mumbai mostly from children’s and women’s wear category. To facilitate better interaction, we are creating a special area where buyers and sellers can interact. We are also finalizing on a fashion show.”

He feels West Bengal has some good brands but they fail to reach out at the national level. “For a brand to be national, it needs customers from all over India. But since West Bengal is not centrally located like Delhi or Mumbai, it gets customers only from Northeast, Orissa, Bihar and eastern UP,” he adds.