Indian brands take on the world with global stores

Fabindia, Gitanjali and Hidesign are a few well Indian brands that are making inroads in highs streets and malls of Europe, US and the Far East. Interestingly, despite a recession in the western countries, many of these Indian fashion and accessories brands

have succeeded in creating a foothold abroad. Take Fabindia, for instance, has made a presence in Italy, Dubai and Singapore. Nalli Silks is making its presence felt in California with its store.

Exports of manufactured goods from India stood at a sizeable 1,20,482 million dollars (Rs 7,23,012 crores) for the six months of April to November 2012, but few of India-made consumer products go overseas are recognizable brands there. On the contrary, many of them, especially garments, are sold by high profile, global retailers under their own brand names.

Desi brands in foreign shores

In recent years, a handful of Indian clothing, accessories and jewellery brands such as Fabindia, Gitanjali Jewels, Hidesign among others have opened exclusive outlets abroad and attracted customers. Take Hidesign for example, the leather accessories brand has nearly a dozen stores across the world, including one in Moscow; where it set up its first store in 1997 and, Vienna and Berlin. Jewellery major, Gitanjali Gems group, has a chain of exclusive outlets in the United States, China and Japan. Beauty brand Shahnaz Husain has a host of stores, including one in the heart of London and another on the Greek island of Mykonos. Similarly well known sari brand Nalli Silks has set up branches in Singapore and Mountain View, California.

Aggressive global expansion

Having set up shop beyond India, these brands are now looking at increasing their retail presence. Husain, for example, opened four more exclusive retail outlets last year, all of them in places where very few Indians venture: Minsk in Belarus, Lima in Peru, Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia. Hidesign recently sent up exclusive stores in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Johannesburg and plans to venture in the US. Fabindia's Singapore store started in January this year. Last year, Gitanjali Gems set up a store to exclusively sell diamond jewellery in Koshigaya Lake Town, Japan.

What’s making these brands click is the Indianness, uniqueness and rich designs, fabrics and colours of India. For Fabindia and Hidesign most of the global outlets are either joint ventures or with a local partner.

While Gitanjali acquired Samuel Jewellers Inc, the fifth largest specialty retail chain in the United States with 111 outlets, in 2006, last year it also acquired a 15 percent stake in the Japanese jewellery retail chain Verite, with a network of 101 retail stores in that country. It has taken 30 percent stake in a 24-hour Japanese TV channel, Gems TV. Last year, Fabindia too fully acquired UK-based women's wear and jewellery retailer EAST, in which it had been investing in stages since 2009. On the other hand, Nalli Silks has gone beyond saris to offer scarves and stoles in its collections and the California store also provides blouse tailoring services.