CMAI FAB reflects optimistic Indian garment industry

For the third time, the Fabrics, Accessories & Beyond trade show (FAB 2023) took place in Mumbai from 26th to 28th April 2023 and generated about 20 billion rupees (around 194 million British pounds / almost 245 million US dollars) in business. The fair is organised twice a year by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) and took place alongside the CMAI’s Vendor Sourcing Fair (VSF 2023).

More than 12,000 visitors came to the show over the course of three days, among them international buyers and representatives of brands such as Amazon, Anita Dongre, Jack & Jones, Killer, Lifestyle, Max, Myntra, Raymond, Nykaa, Pantaloons, Pepe Jeans, Shoppers Stop and Westside.

On the exhibitors’ side, there were about 166 fabric exhibitors, including Arvind, Grasim Industries, Jindal Worldwide, Topman International and the School of Fashion Technology (SOFT). More than 30 exhibitors covered the accessories and beyond part of the fair, and about 44 exhibitors took part in the Vendor Sourcing Fair, which was held in a separate hall.

Stiff competition

Despite busy halls and an overall satisfactory turnout, the footfall could have been better but was influenced by one big competitor: With India’s wedding season drawing to a close before the start of the monsoon, quite a few potential visitors decided to forego the event and don festive wear instead of business attire.

“There will be more attendance during the later show, which also features more of womenswear. The April show focuses more on menswear,” said one attendee who wanted to remain anonymous when talking to FashionUnited.

Manish Kapoor, CEO of Pepe Jeans, echoed this sentiment, expecting the denim sector to pick up once the Indian summer in May/June draws to a close: “Summer will be very promotional with growth driven by price and little volume growth. Volume growth is expected to come in from mid second quarter.”

Innovation, sustainability and tradition

While innovation and sustainability were prominent themes at the booth displays, with the latest in techniques and fabrics presented, going back to the roots and India’s long textile history was also of importance. Traditional dyeing arts were on display as well as the history and future of fashion. “Consumer preference for sustainable and on-trend products is also seeing a positive trend. We are expecting a 15-18 percent growth during the festive season,” confirmed Kapoor.

Compared to the second edition of the show, which took place in September 2022, the organisers decided to change the smaller theme pavilions by region and fabric type in favour of one centralised hall. The venue shift from Jio World Convention Center at busy Bandra Kurla Complex to Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon East also worked out as visitors could take advantage of the recently expanded metro line to reach the venue.

Though largely an event that caters to India’s domestic apparel brands and regional markets, according to official accounts, international buyers from Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Nepal, New Zealand, UAE and UK also attended and the opening was witnessed by members of the International Apparel Federation’s board of directors representing the Taiwanese Textile Federation, Europe, Turkey and Bangladesh.

Outlook

While the growth of the textile and garment industry post-pandemic has been minimal and in-line with India’s GDP growth rate of about 7 percent, the industry also had to contend with an increase in cotton yarn prices of almost 50 percent. This has led to garment manufacturers and retailers increase prices by 15-20 percent, which in turn caused slower demand especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

“The overall garment retail segment in India is estimated to be 8 trillion rupees [about 98 billion US dollars/77 billion British pounds]. Over the years, the garment segment, which grew 18 percent in the last year, has seen a significant consumer shift towards branded apparel with online buying picking up pace. The garment industry is hopeful of the upcoming festive and wedding season and is expecting healthy growth for apparel, especially occasion wear, this year,” commented CMAI president Rajesh Masand.