Turtle: Aiming for bigger brand appeal

The absence of affordable menswear brands in the 90’s and the growing demand in the Indian textile sector inspired Turtle to launch a men’s clothing label in 1993. What started as a small unit with a production capacity of just 20 shirts a day

is today recognized as a complete menswear brand and has achieved a turnover of more than Rs 86 crores.

Turtle has made its presence felt in 550 cities across India with 55 exclusive Turtle stores and Turtle merchandise being retailed through 1,600 MBOs and over 100 large format stores like Central, Pantaloons and Shoppers Stop. Shedding light on the brand’s successful journey and expansion plans, Amit Ladsaria, Director, Turtle says, “Walking all those miles hasn’t been easy. Now, we want to position Turtle as the most respected brand for men’s apparels in the country by making apparels of global standards. We want to make it a brand synonymous with style of the highest standard at affordable prices.”

“We are present in cities like Kolkata, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad Allahabad, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Siliguri, Gorakhpur, Jorhat, Cuttack, Silchar, Tezpur, Gangtok, Indore, Jamshedpur, Hissar, Raipur, Ranchi and Patna amongst others. We are increasing our presence in smaller cities like Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Durgapur, Patna, Raipur etc. The response is good and our products are being accepted well. In the international market, we have a presence in the Middle -East – Dubai and other countries like Bahrain and Kuwait. We are looking to strengthen our foothold in the Gulf region. We have also started getting part of our shirts and trousers requirements made in Bangladesh,” he adds.

The brand offers a wide array of products that includes shirts, trousers, T-shirts, suits, blazers, denims, ties, cufflinks, wallets, belts, socks, innerwear, handkerchiefs and laptop bags, suited for every occasion. “Our positioning as a brand that offers excellent value for money has worked. We offer the best quality products at affordable prices which makes our customers brand loyal,” Ladsaria opines. Commenting on the journey ahead, Ladsaria says, “Our plans for the future are very optimistic and we are confident of achieving a growth target of 60-80 per cent. Apart from our quantitative targets we have set a lot of qualitative targets and have ushered in new systems and processes. Per employee output and profitability is also improving and being monitored consistently. The current year will be very crucial for us as we are putting in various building blocks to take us to the next level.”

The company has targeted a sales growth of 40 per cent this year and plans to strengthen its foothold by opening new outlets across the country. The aim is to open 25 new EBOS by this fiscal end. As a part of its green initiatives, Turtle plays an important role in saving the turtles in Orissa. Every time one buys a Turtle product, he/she contributes to the Wildlife Society of Orissa. Currently, Turtle is involved in two conservation projects for freshwater and marine turtles.