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Indianwear Retail Industry Report 100422 VF
Indianwear Retail Industry Report 100422 VF
Contents
1. Overview of the Indian Economy
2. Apparel Industry in India
3. Women Apparel Industry and Women Indian Wear Overview
4. Competitive Landscape of Women Indian Wear Apparel
5. Key Trends and success factors Enabling Growth of Women Indian Wear Industry
6. Operational & Financial Benchmarking
7. Consumer Survey
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Currently, India ranks sixth in the world in terms of nominal gross domestic product ("GDP") and is the third-largest
economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity ("PPP"). India is estimated to be among the top three
global economies in nominal GDP by Fiscal 2050.
Exhibit 1.1: GDP at current prices (In US$ Tn) and GDP Ranking of Key Global Economies (CY 2020)
Rank in CAGR
Rank CY
Country GDP CY 2010 % Share CY 2015 % Share % Share CY 2025P (2020-
in GDP 2020
(PPP) 2025)
USA 1 2 15 22.5% 18.2 24.3% 20.9 24.7% 26.7 5.0%
China 2 1 6.1 9.2% 11 14.7% 14.7 17.4% 22.5 8.9%
Japan 3 4 5.7 8.7% 4.4 5.9% 4.9 5.8% 6.3 5.2%
Germany 4 5 3.4 5.1% 3.4 4.5% 3.8 4.5% 5.1 6.1%
UK 5 9 2.5 3.7% 2.9 3.9% 2.7 3.2% 3.8 7.1%
India 6 3 0.9 2.5% 1.7 2.8% 2.6 3.1% 4.2 10.1%
France 7 8 2.6 4.0% 2.4 3.2% 2.6 3.1% 3.4 5.5%
Italy 8 10 2.1 3.2% 1.8 2.4% 1.9 2.2% 2.4 4.8%
Canada 9 14 1.1 2.4% 1.5 2.1% 1.6 1.9% 2.4 8.4%
Korean Republic 10 13 1.1 1.7% 1.5 2.0% 1.6 1.9% 2.1 5.6%
Source: World Bank Data, RBI, Technopak Analysis. CY 2020 for India refers to FY 2021 data.
Since FY 2005, the Indian economy's growth rate has been twice as that of the world economy and it is expected to
sustain this growth momentum in the long term.
17 15 13 13 9 7 7 7 6 5 5 5
10.7%
1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018 2019 2020 2021P 2022P 2025P
Nominal GDP
Source: RBI Data, Economic Survey, World Bank, EIU, IMF. 1 US$= INR 75. White boxes at the top refer to India's GDP rank on a global basis. CY
2020 for India refers to FY 2021 data.
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India's share of domestic consumption, measured as private final consumption expenditure, in its GDP was ~60.5%
in FY 2020. This private consumption expenditure comprises both goods (food, lifestyle, home, pharmacy etc.) and
services (food services, education, healthcare etc.). In comparison, China's domestic consumption share to GDP in
CY 2019 was 36.8%. High share of private consumption to GDP has the advantage of insulating India from volatility
in the global economy.
The annual growth rate for FY 1991-2005 was ~13% and this increased to ~14% for FY 2005-2019. While in the short
term, consumption will suffer a setback, it is expected to reach to ~US$ 2.27 Tn by FY 2025, growing at ~8% CAGR
over the period of 5 years. This sustainable growth is expected to increase the Private Final Consumption Expenditure
of Indians, leading to a growth in the Indian retail and Service industry.
India has one of the youngest populations globally compared to other leading economies. The median age in India
is estimated to be 28.1 years in 2021 as compared to 38.1 years and 37.4 years in the United States and China,
respectively, and is expected to remain under 30 years until 2030. A younger consumer class absorbs and interprets
fashion trends faster, has a higher tendency towards discretionary spend and is also more digitally connected &
exposed than their counterparts were in the past. These factors collectively enable the growth of retail.
Exhibit 1.3: Median Age: Key Emerging & Developed Economies in CY (CY2021 Estimated)
Median Age (Yrs.) 28.1 37.4 38.1 34.6 39.6 41.8 42.2 40.5
Women Workforce
The most important factor allowing women in India, in both urban and rural areas, to exercise greater influence on
their families and society, is educational opportunity. Numerous other factors, including better health care and
greater media focus are also contributing to the same.
These changes are expected to have a broad impact on societal factors, including workforce demographics and
economic independence for women. This increase of women in the workforce has seen a shift of patterns in terms
of household activity, including an upward trend towards purchase of branded products including fashion and
lifestyle. The share of women workforce in the services sector has increased from 17.5% in CY 2010 to 28% in CY
2019.
Urbanization
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India has the second largest urban population in the world in absolute terms at 472 Mn. in CY 2020, second only to
China. However, only 35% of India's population is classified as urban compared to a global average of 56%. It is the
pace of India's urbanization that is a key trend to note for implication on India's economic growth. Currently urban
population contributes 63% of India's GDP. Going forward, it is estimated that 37% (541 Mn.) of India's population
will be living in urban centres by FY 2025. Urban population is expected to contribute 55% of India's GDP in FY 2025.
Exhibit 1.4: Urban Population as Percentage of Total Population of Key Economies (CY 2020)
Urbanization is also creating two trends that are impacting India's domestic consumption habits:
Growing Middle Class
The households with annual earnings between US$ 5,000-10,000 have grown at a CAGR of 10% from FY 2012-2020
and their number is projected to further double by 2025 from 2020 levels. The households with annual earnings
between US$ 10,000-50,000 have grown at a CAGR of 20% between FY 2012-2020.
Increase in number of households with annual earnings of US$ 10,000 to US$ 50,000 has been leading to an increase
in discretionary spending on food and beverages, apparel & accessories, luxury products, consumer durables and
across other discretionary categories.
Nuclearization
The growth in the number of households exceeds population growth, which indicates an increase in nuclearization
in India. According to the 2011 census, 74% of urban households have five or less members, compared to 65% in
2001. It is expected that that smaller households with higher disposable income will lead to a greater expenditure
in fashion, jewellery, home & living, packaged food and food services.
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Exhibit 2.2: Share of various categories in overall Indian Retail Basket in FY (in US$ Bn)
Type of Categories FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2025 (P) CAGR (FY 2020 - CAGR (FY 2021 -
Categories FY 2025) FY 2025)
Total Retail (US$ bn) 796 748 1077 6.2% 9.5%
Need Food and Grocery 66.1% 73.3% 63.3% 5.3% 5.6%
based Pharmacy & Wellness 2.9% 3.2% 3.3% 9.0% 10.7%
Primary Apparel &
8.3% 6.0% 9.3% 8.7% 22.2%
Non-Food Accessories*
Jewellery 7.5% 5.7% 8.4% 8.7% 20.6%
Consumer Electronics 6.4% 5.7% 7.1% 8.5% 15.9%
Other Home & Living 4.3% 3.0% 4.4% 6.7% 20.3%
Non-Food Footwear 1.2% 0.9% 1.3% 7.9% 21.6%
Others 3.3% 2.2% 2.9% 3.5% 17.2%
Total 100% 100% 100%
*Accessories includes Bags, Belts, Watches and Wallets; Others include Books & Stationery, Toys, Eyewear, Sports Goods, Alcoholic Beverages &
Tobacco etc. Source: Technopak analysis; Year Indicates FY. 1US$ = INR 75
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While organized retail, primarily brick & mortar, has been in India for 2 decades now, its contribution to total retail
was low at 11.9% (US$ 94 bn) in FY 2020. The organized retail penetration is expected to increase to ~20% by FY
2025.
Exhibit 2.3: Overall Retail Market in FY (US$ Bn)
796 748
492
210
41 94 90
Apparel & Accessories, Jewelry and Consumer Electronics are the three key categories which accounted 8.3%,
7.5% and 6.4% of retail respectively in 2020. Share of Apparel & Accessories is expected to grow to reach 9.3%
in FY 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.7% from FY 2020 to FY 2025. Apparel & accessories is one of the fastest
growing categories amongst all other retail categories and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.2% in the period
FY 2021 to FY 2025. The higher CAGR in the period FY 2021-25, compared to FY 2020-25 is a function of the dip
in market size in year FY 2021 due to COVID impact.
Between FY 2015 and FY 2020, e-commerce sales in the Apparel and Accessories segment have grown at CAGR
of 52% and it is estimated that the share of e-commerce retail in this segment will reach 21.8% of the market
in FY 2025 from 17.5% in FY 2020.
Exhibit 2.4: Share of Brick & Mortar and E-commerce across Categories in FY
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Pharmacy &
3.0% 15 95.0% 4.5% 0.5% 2.9% 23 90.0% 7.8% 2.2% 3.3% 36 80.4% 11.2% 8.4%
Wellness
Consumer
5.9% 29 74.0% 16.5% 9.5% 6.4% 51 68.0% 4.7% 27.3% 7.1% 77 55.0% 9.0% 36.0%
Electronics
Home &
4.5% 22 91.0% 7.6% 1.4% 4.3% 34 85.0% 7.7% 7.3% 4.4% 47 70.0% 11.0% 19.0%
Living
Others 3.0% 15 89.0% 10.4% 0.6% 3.3% 26 86.0% 5.3% 8.7% 2.9% 31 78.0% 11.0% 11.0%
100.0
Total 492 91.7% 7.1% 1.2% 100% 796 88.1% 7.2% 4.7% 100% 1077 80.4% 10.0% 9.6%
%
*Accessories include Bags, Belts, Wallets & Watches. Source: Technopak Analysis. 1US$ = INR 75
Overall, the e-commerce market in India has witnessed an accelerated growth and is expected to reach 9.6% (US$
103 Bn) of the total retail market by FY 2025 from its share of 4.7% in FY 2020 (US$ 37 billion) at a growth rate of
~23% CAGR.
Phase I (Pre 1995) – Till 1995, organized retail for apparel was synonymous with Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs) of a
handful of apparel brands. These EBOs were restricted by their physical reach (number of stores and coverage across
cities) and product offering (fabrics, suits, formal dressing etc.). Brands like Van Heusen, Arrow, Raymond, Vimal,
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and Bombay Dyeing signified organized apparel retailing. Indian Wear focused Brands such as Biba and Fabindia
entered the organised retail sector and became category creators in the segment.
Phase II (1995 – 2000) – Shoppers Stop started the first large format multi-brand outlet in the mid-nineties that
triggered the expansion of multi brand retail for apparel and other retailing categories. Around the same time,
Westside and Lifestyle also started their private brand led large format stores. Indian apparel fashion brands like
Biba and Fabindia also initiated the expansion of their stores beyond their places of origin. Biba was the first women
Indian wear brand to partner with a Large Format Store (Shoppers Stop). They further partnered with Pantaloons
to expand their retail footprint. Hence, Biba has been a part of the four largest retail formats (Shoppers Stop,
Lifestyle, Central and Pantaloons). This period also saw the entry of Benetton into India. These developments
expanded the product offerings for the consumer and aspects around product design, sourcing and supply chain
became key focus areas for organized retailers. This period also marked the entry of global sportswear brands like
Nike that introduced the Indian market to Athleisure as an extension of footwear.
Phase III (2001 – 2015)– This phase was marked by the bifurcation of apparel retailing into specialized groups viz.
Indian, Casual, Sportswear, Daily wear, Denimwear etc. Existing players expanded their physical retail presence
through exclusive brand outlets like Biba and Fabindia in Indian fashion and Shopper’s Stop & Westside in LFS. This
phase also witnessed increase in competitive intensity with the entry of more players. For instance, brands like W,
Soch were launched in Indian apparel. Western wear brands like Zara and Marks & Spencer entered India during the
same period. General Merchandise retailers like Future Group (Central, Brand Factory, fbb) and Lifestyle expanded
their private brand offering into Apparel fashion. This period also witnessed the emergence of brand aggregator
model for international brands into India with players like Arvind Brands and Reliance Brands becoming major India
partners for many international apparel fashion brands. This phase has also witnessed rapid growth of E-commerce.
Online emerged as a key organized retailer channel for apparel in India with the scale up of players like
Myntra+Flipkart and Amazon. Online and offline channels proved to co-exist and jointly grow the organized retail
pie. Product differentiation of organized apparel retailers also became sharper on price points (value fashion, mid
to premium and premium plus offering) and on product attributes (fusion, prints, fabric, look).
Phase IV (2016 onwards) – The current phase represents distinct segmentation of channels of organized retail for
Apparel. This phase also represents emergence of category leaders in respective groups of Western (formal and
casual), Indian, and Athleisure etc. Value fashion retailer such as fbb, Max Fashion, Vmart are working towards
bridging the price gap in the branded apparel market by offering quality products at affordable prices. Exclusive
Brands Outlets (EBOs) have emerged as a core channel for most national apparel retailers irrespective of the
category (type of apparel sold) or fashion (Indian or western) play. This phase also saw the entry of existing leading
players into value-mid segment, like Biba launching Rangriti and TCNS launching Aurelia. LFSs have also grown their
footprints with the expansion of Central, Brand Factory, Shoppers Stop, Reliance Trends, Westside, Decathlon and
Pantaloons in towns beyond Metros and Tier I cities and are important growth drivers for organized apparel retailing.
Increasing Omni-channel approach by Retailers - ‘Omnichannel’ approach improves customer service by providing
multiple communication options. The back-end integration of channels also allows for more flexibility, as the
customer can switch between channels throughout an interaction. Hence more flexibility is achieved through back-
end integration of channels and provides for a seamless experience for consumers.
Retailers and brands are prioritising the listing of products across online and offline channels including EBOs, MBOs,
LFSs, E-commerce marketplaces and verticals. Retailing in India is witnessing scale up of many multiple category
single brand stores such as Biba, Fabindia, Zara, H&M, Marks & Spencer etc. providing customers with a wide
assortment and options, across many categories under a single roof.
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India has also witnessed growth in internet penetration and mobile connectivity resulting in increased online
presence of the Indian population directly resulting in a boom in e-commerce activities. Option of payment across
various methods whether card, cash, wallets, and e-commerce transaction security has led to increasing trust in
these payment systems. The option of easy returns at e-commerce portals has led to trial of products and services.
Although household spending declined during the pandemic in FY2021, it is expected to recover quicker and witness
much higher growth in FY2022.
2015-20 2020-25
Internet Users (Mn) 72 350 662 900-1000 14% 6-8%
Mobile internet Users as a share of Total Internet Users (%) 34% 45% 73% 82% - -
Mobile Internet Users (Mn) 24 159 480 730- 820 25% 9-11%
Source: Secondary Research, Technopak Analysis
OTT consumption
The rise and acceptability of alternate streaming and OTT platforms tapped into the market vacated by Indian
multiplexes during COVID. Independent film producers and established film production houses are increasingly
taking on this medium by creating content exclusively for OTT platforms. Advertisement and acceptability also led
to a significant rise in the number of paid subscribers and the number of subscriptions, increasing from 11 million to
29 million and 21 million to 53 million from 2019 to 2020 respectively.
Online/E-tailing Opportunity
E-tail in India has witnessed a rapid growth trajectory and is expected to reach 9.6% (USS 103 Bn.) of total retail by
FY 2025 from its share of 4.7% in FY 2020 (US$ 37.4 Bn.), expected to grow at rate of 23%. Between 2015 and 2020,
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the e-commerce sales have grown at CAGR of 44%. In 2012, the e-tail pie was INR 4,500 Cr (US$ ~0.6 Bn) and that
was limited to key categories of Electronics, Books, Stationery, and Music which catered to nearly 50% of the pie.
Exhibit 2.7: Growth of E-retail in India in FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021, FY 2025P (in US$ Bn)
103
44
37
Retailers across categories are moving towards online channel to expand their offerings, in an attempt to have a
place in the ‘Omni-channel Ecosystem’ where all channels of retail are essential to reach the consumers. The lines
between offline and online retailing are blurring gradually, whereby consumers connect with brands through any
medium of their preference. A purchase made by a consumer is often a mix of various mediums. E.g., A consumer
searches online and reads reviews about a product before making a purchase decision, then goes to an offline store
to look and experience the product, and the eventual purchase could be through either of the channels. This makes
presence across mediums essential for retailers to connect with the consumer at every touch point.
India’s online retail penetration was 4.7% in CY 2019 compared to 19.4% in UK and 15.9% in Germany. There is
immense potential for growth of online channel in retail in India to reach the level of developed nations.
Apparel market size in FY 2020 was INR 4,47,666 Cr (US$ 59.7 Bn) and expected to grow at a CAGR of ~8.9% between
FY 2020 and FY 2025 to reach INR 6,87,263 Cr (US$ 91.6 Bn) by FY 2025 on the back of factors like higher brand
consciousness, increasing digitization, greater purchasing power and increasing urbanization.
While the CAGR of total apparel market between FY 2020 and FY 2025 is expected to be ~8.9%, the branded apparel
and organized apparel retail are expected to grow at CAGR of ~13.8% and ~16.6% respectively in the same period.
In other words, growth of both branded apparel share and organized apparel retail share in apparel category will
outpace the overall category growth. COVID-19 gave impetus to the growth of e-commerce which is expected to
become a significant growth driver for the organised market.
Exhibit 2.9: Apparel Market Size in India (in INR Cr) (Year in FY)
687,263
447,666
277,500 306,225
Exhibit 2.10: Branded Apparel and Organized Apparel Retail as a share of Apparel Market (Year in FY)
Product Segmentation
Men’s apparel constituted ~41% and Women apparel share was estimated to be ~36% of the total apparel market
in FY 2020. The balance ~23% is contributed by kids’ apparel. Out of the total apparel market, Indian wear accounted
for approximately 31% or INR 1,40,964 Cr (~US$ 19 Bn) (FY 2020) and the balance 69% of the market comprised of
western wear. The high share of Indian wear in the total apparel is a unique feature of apparel market in India. In
women wear market, Indian wear contributed ~71% to the total market and is expected to be the fastest growing
segment in Indian Apparel market. However, for men and kids, the contribution of western wear is significant.
Exhibit 2.11: Growth Projections of Total Apparel Market by Gender (Year in FY)
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155,659
101,117 253,733
11.9%
57,605 163,291
Indian wear market comprised of 31% of the total apparel market in FY 2020 with INR 1,40,964 Cr (US$ 18.8 Bn) in
size. This market is dominated by unorganized sector which was 77% of the Indian wear market. In men’s segment,
Indian wear accounted for 7% of the total menswear market of INR 1,83,258 Cr (~US$ 24.4 Bn), while in women,
Indian wear held a significant share of 71% of the total INR 1,63,291 Cr (~US$ 21.8 Bn) womenswear market. This
implies that women Indian wear is the mainstay for Indian wear in India. The Men Indian wear market is expected
to reach INR 17,496 Cr (US$ 2.3 Bn) in FY 2025, from the INR 12,754 Cr (US$ 1.7 Bn) in FY 2020, growing at a CAGR
of 6%. The Women Indian wear market is expected to reach INR 1,68,222 Cr (US$ 22.4 Bn) in FY 2025, from INR
1,15,139 Cr (US$ 15.4 Bn) in FY 2020, growing at CAGR of 7.9%.
The disproportionate size of Indian wear in womenswear is an outcome of the distinct positioning of Indian wear for
women compared to that for men in India. For Indian women, Indian fashion is a mainstream need for daily wear
use (in addition to strong occasion wear) whereas for men it is currently restricted to occasion wear viz. weddings
and festivals.
Within Indian wear for kids, Indian wear for boy’s accounts for 7% of overall apparel for boys, while Indian wear for
girls is ~21% of the overall apparel market for girls.
Western wear market accounted for close to 69% of the overall apparel market, with FY 2020 market size of INR
3,06,702 Cr (US$ 40.1 Bn). Organized sector forms 36% share of the western wear market, while unorganized sector
was 64%.
Exhibit 2.12: Organised Apparel Market Segmentation across Organised Retail Channels (in INR Cr) (Year
in FY)
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49%
21%
17%
52% 55% -10%
35% 50% 6%
-35%
67%
15% 4% 17%
29% 5% 7% -63% 29%
13% 15% 53%
43% 3% 22% -48% 4%
15%
FY 2015 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2025P
EBO MBO LFS Ecommerce
Source: Technopak Analysis
The share of sales from EBOs in total organised apparel retail is expected to increase from ~22% in FY 2020 to ~29%
in FY 2025. The share from LFS is expected to stay the same at ~17%. Online sales is expected to grow at a CAGR of
14% between FY 2020 and FY 2025.
Exhibit 2.13: Channel wise – Segment wise Market size Across Men, Women & Kids (in INR Cr) (Year in FY)
Total
in
1,15,763 1,83,258 2,77,871 1,04,132 1,63,291 2,53,733 57,605 1,01,117 1,55,659
INR
Cr
43%
56% 58%
68% 73% 73%
81% 88% 81%
26%
4% 23% 22%
32% 3% 15% 15%
28% 20% 21% 3% 12%
16% 12% 10% 8% 12%
Men 2015 Men 2020 Men 2025 Women Women Women Kids 2015 Kids 2020 Kids 2025
2015 2020 2025
Organised B&M Organised Ecommerce Unorganised
The share of organised retail for women apparel is expected to increase from 27% in FY 2020 to 42% in FY 2025.
Organised market for men and kids apparel is also expected to increase to 57% and 27% respectively by FY 2025.
Apparel E-tail
The share of E-tail in apparel & accessories in overall retail share was 3.5% in FY 2015. In FY 2020, E-tail’s share in
Apparel & Accessories was over 17.5% and the share is expected to reach to 21.8% by FY 2025.
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FY 2020 FY
– INR 71,250
2020 - US$Cr
9.5(US$
Bn 9.5 Bn)
(Wide category; (Narrow category; (Narrow category; (Narrow category; (Narrow category;
Multi-brand focus) Multi-brand focus) Single-brand focus) Multi-brand; Single/Multi-brand
Niche) focus)
Global equivalent: Global equivalent: Global equivalent: Global equivalent: Global equivalent:
Amazon Net-a-porter Asos Gilt Gap
Lifestyle E-tailers fall into 5 key types based on merchandize offering and business models:
A ‘digital first’ approach is an increasingly critical driver of growth across many consumer categories in India, as well
as globally, with millennial and generation Z demographic segments now entering the workforce and driving
digitization as active adopters of technology and digital media. Hence, digital presence and activations have become
increasingly important with the growth of social media in marketing & branding. Indian Apparel players in India have
presence on key social media platforms like Instagram & Facebook, with Fabindia and Biba leading the number of
followers on Instagram. These platforms are used by brands to connect to consumers directly, for digital marketing
& product discovery. Other players such as Global Desi, W, Soch are also focused on social media presence. Biba
ranks the highest in terms of website ranking in India amongst its competitors in Indian apparel.
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Fashion during the pandemic relied heavily on online sales as in-store sales had been restricted due to lockdowns
and also because people were hesitant to go into stores and try on clothes. Favourable return and exchange policies
adopted by brands helped increase consumer faith and increase their sales. Women Indian wear sales through e-
commerce increased from 3% in FY 2015 to 12% in FY 2020 and is expected to rise to 21% by FY 2025. As bigger and
established brands like Biba, Fabindia increased their online presence, many small-scale D2C apparel retail brands
also emerged retailing through social media platforms, marketplaces & websites.
Exhibit 2.16: Market size for adjacent categories in India (in INR Cr)
Category FY 2015 FY 2020 FY 2025P CAGR 2015-20 CAGR 2020-25
Exhibit 2.17: Presence of Key Women Indian apparel players in adjacent categories
Category Footwear Fashion Jewellery Bags Perfumes
Biba ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓
W ✓ - - -
Soch - - - -
Global Desi ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓
Fabindia ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓
Source: Secondary Research, Technopak Analysis
Presence of Indian Diaspora Globally & Potential for Women Indian wear Brands
The expansion by Indian apparel retailers outside of India is primarily to meet the demands of Indian diaspora abroad
who have similar product preferences as Indian customers. Therefore, the sale by Indian retailers of their apparel in
the international market is largely viewed as an extension of their domestic businesses.
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3.8 Mn Indian diasporas respectively. The total addressable population i.e relevant population (excluding students,
low and semi-skilled workers etc.) for apparel is 9.2 Mn (out of 23.4 Mn). Middle- and high-income groups are the
key target consumers for Indian wear brands.
Presence of Indian diaspora across the global, and primarily in North America, Asia Pacific and Africa presents an
opportunity for Indian wear brands to expand international presence in these regions. Players like Biba (2 stores in
Canada, 2 stores in Dubai and 1 store in Nepal), Fabindia, W and Manyavar also have physical store presence outside
India. Biba and W also have their websites specific to Canada & Mauritius respectively. Key players also sell through
international marketplaces like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.ae etc.
Exhibit 3.1: Growth Projections of Women Apparel Market (in INR Cr) – FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021, FY
2025P
253,733
163,291
104,132 111,420
The women apparel market is expected to grow from INR 1,63,291 Cr (US$ 21.8 Bn) in FY 2020 to INR 2,53,733 Cr
(US$ 33.8 Bn) by the end of FY 2025. It is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the apparel market in India,
with a forecasted growth rate of 9.2% between FY 2020 and FY 2025. This market is projected to grow owing to
factors like sustained growth of Indian daily wear; casualization of fashion leading to growth of new categories like
fusion wear, denims, loungewear; rising share of organized retail; design innovations and changing consumer
demographics.
Exhibit 3.2: Share of Organised and Unorganised Retail as a percentage of Women Apparel Market (in INR
Cr) – FY 2015, 2020, 2021, 2025P
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Historically, consumption of women’s apparel was centred around the informal market through standalone
boutiques selling unbranded products and the sale of unstitched fabrics, allowing women to use tailors to create
their desired garments through made-to-measure services. The share of organised retail in women apparel which
was 19% in FY 2015 increased to 27% in FY 2020 and is expected to reach 42% by FY 2025. Emergence of Multi-
channel organized retail (EBOs, LFS/ MBO, Value Retail, E-commerce) and scale of organized players that have now
emerged as Pan India Players (Biba, Fabindia, Reliance Trends, Trent Westside, ABFRL) have managed to address the
consumer demands better over unorganized segment enabling this transition in favour of organized retail in Women
Apparel sector.
Women Indian wear is the dominant segment within (27%)women apparel market in India and the preferred form of
apparel for approximately 71% of the market (FY 2020). Despite having a high current share, the share of Indian
wear in the overall Women apparel segment will continue to be resilient in future. The high share of Indian wear in
the total apparel is a unique feature of apparel market in India. In any other major apparel markets (China, Japan,
Southeast Asia etc.) nearly the entire apparel category is made up of western wear. Therefore, Indian fashion is
influenced by Indian ethos and values which impact the apparel’s cut, shape, silhouette and nature of raw material
used (not restricted to power loom but also extends to handlooms fabrics). In this context, the Indian women apparel
industry’s categorization into Indian wear and western wear is significant given the Indian wear categoy’s size and
its unique existence compared to other major markets.
Exhibit 3.3: Segment Contribution: Women Apparel market – FY 2015, 2020, 2021 & 2025P (in INR Cr)
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19
35,453
10%
25%
50,058
14%
23%
22,044
10% -33%
26,108
-16% 14,718
13,946 10%
16,536 21,995 22% 168,222
115,139 -35%
73,650 74,704
9% 8%
Indian Wear Innerwear and Activewear Western Wear (Excluding innerwear & activewear)
Source: Technopak Analysis. Western Wear (excluding Innerwear & Activewear) includes Tops/shirts, T-shirts, Denim, Formal Jackets, Sleepwear,
Trousers/skirts, Winterwear & clothing accessories
Exhibit 3.4: Segmentation based on Product type of Women wear market FY 2020 (in INR Cr) and CAGR
2020-2025
Total Women's Wear Market INR 1,63,291 Cr
61,796
20.2%
53,342
14.9%
12.8% 13.2% 13.6%
9.4% 10.3%
6.5% 7.4% 25,020
5.9%
5.1%
3.8%
3,166 5,093
3,419 1,635 1,088 633 1,666 4,851
1,581
Western Wear (INR Cr) CAGR (2020-25) Indian & Fusion Wear (INR Cr)
Source: Technopak Analysis. Note: Year indicates FY. Others: Women Clothing Accessories. ‘Others’ in Saree & Others includes Lehenga set,
Indian dresses/gowns etc. SKD includes Sets, Mix & Match and Dupattas/ Stoles etc
T-Shirts, Denim, Activewear, Sleepwear, and Tops/Shirts are among the western wear categories in Women apparel
segment. While denim brands initially focussed on the men’s segment, they started catering to women consumers
as well as they witnessed change in the demand and preferences of women. In Women Indian wear segment, SKD
emerged as a fast-growing category with a CAGR of 9.4% from FY 2020-25.
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Impact of COVID-19
Apparel and Lifestyle sector has been one of the hardest hit sectors during the COVID induced lockdown since March
of 2020 that impacted whole of FY 2021 in form of nationwide or regional lockdowns. First two months of FY 2022
also saw the second wave of COVID that caused unfortunate damage to life & businesses leading to hardships on
many fronts. However, June 2021 onwards there was recovery in business and revival of consumer sentiment.
Consumers started moving out of home for leisure and work, which led to an increase in merchandise shopping.
Diwali 2021 saw consumer spending worth INR 1.25 lakh Crores, which was the highest in a decade for the same
period.
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Brands and consumers alike have adapted to the changes due to COVID, while business cycles come back to
normalcy. E-commerce saw a major boost with consumers taking it as a means of ordering merchandise both across
need and aspiration-based categories. COVID-19 gave impetus to the growth of e-commerce that is expected to
become a significant growth driver for the organised market.
The women apparel industry saw a decrease in formal wear due to COVID-19, but also witnessed increase sales of
casual wear driven by work from home and awareness towards wellness due to the pandemic, and hence active
wear gained traction during this period. The sleepwear, loungewear and athleisure categories saw rise in sales, along
with fusion wear that works as both formal/ smart casual and comfort wear. Marks & Spencer’s and Shoppers Stop
added a separate section offering loungewear. Online majors like Amazon India and Myntra expanded offerings for
comfort-wear. Indian Wear brand Biba launched its range of sleepwear and loungewear to cater to the consumers
seeking comfort wear mixed with smart casuals, along with more offerings in comfortable fusion wear such as kurtas,
palazzos, pants etc.
In this context, the Indian women apparel industry’s categorization into Indian wear and western wear is significant
given the Indian wear category’s size and its unique existence compared to other major markets. The broad
categorization of Indian and western comprise many sub-categories. The women Indian wear category can broadly
be classified into Saree & others (includes Indian dresses, Lehenga etc.) and SKD (including Sets, Mix & Match,
Dupattas. Stoles etc.). It also comprises of fusion wear, which is an amalgamation of other cultural influences on
Indian wear.
INR 1,63,291 Cr
Western
Wear INR 48,152 Cr
29%
Indian
Wear
INR 1,15,139 Cr
71%
Exhibit 3.7: Women Indian Wear Market (in INR Cr) and share of Organised & Unorganised – FY 2015, FY
2020, FY 2021 & FY 2025P
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INR 73,650 Cr 9.3% INR 1,15,139 Cr -35.1% INR 74,704 Cr 22.5% INR 1,68,222 Cr
19%
38%
33%
23%
16% 18% -22%
28%
18%
84% 62%
7% 77% -39%
72%
3%
The Women Indian wear market is expected to increase from INR 1,15,139 Cr in FY 2020 to INR 1,68,222 Cr by FY
2025, growing at a CAGR of 8%. Sarees & Others category forms almost 54% of the Indian wear market for women,
the rest of the market of 46% is contributed by SKDs (salwar, kameez, dupatta) etc .
Exhibit 3.8: Split of Women Indian wear Market across Organised Formats- FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021 &
FY 2025P (in INR Cr)
INR 63,924 Cr
7,570
3,364
18,504
INR 26,482 Cr
46%
22%
INR 20,543 Cr
4,260 -21%
3% 2,072 53%
INR 11,779 Cr -64% 3,362
6,333 747 34,486
2% -47% 3,362
27%
3,681 4%
1,841 13,817 -5% 13,073
5,153 66%
1,104
FY 2015 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2025P
E-Commerce EBO MBO LFS
Source: Technopak Analysis
The organised Indian women apparel market in India is estimated to grow from INR 26,482 Cr in FY 2020 to INR
63,924 Cr by the end of FY 2025 at a CAGR of 19%. Online penetration within the organised women Indian wear
market was approximately 52% as of financial year 2020, which has grown at a rate of 66% over the past five years.
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These dynamics are advantageous for players like Biba given their strong digital presence. Brand focus on digital
activation is expected to be a growth enabler for the online channel.
Women Indian wear market is further segmented into key categories- Saree & Others (Lehenga, Indian
dresses/gowns etc) and SKD (Sets, Mix & Match & Others (Dupattas/Stoles etc). SKD category is expected to grow
at a CAGR of 9.4% from FY 2020-25, while Saree & Others category will grow at a comparatively lower rate of 6.5%
for the same period.
Within SKD, Mix & Match category will lead the growth with a CAGR of 13% and Sets are expected to grow at CAGR
of 7.6% from FY 2020-25. Within Saree & Others, the Others category of Lehenga set, Indian dresses/gowns is
expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1% for FY 2020-25 while Saree will grow at a CAGR of 5.9%. In particular, the
women’s apparel market in India has evolved from traditional apparel such as sarees to a two-piece market,
dominated by Salwar Kameez Dupattas (SKDs) and Mix & Match wear, and was estimated at INR 53,342 Cr as of FY
2020 and is expected to grow to INR 83,746 by FY 2025.
Exhibit 3.10: Women Indian Wear Market (in INR Cr) – FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021 & FY 2025
INR 1,68,222 Cr
53,342
INR 73,650 Cr (46%) INR 75,704 Cr
34,321 36,275
(47%) (49%)
84,476
61,796 (50%)
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Exhibit 3.11: Further split of Saree & Others and SKD category – FY 2015, FY 2020 & FY 2025 – Market size
in INR Cr
SKD
FY 2015 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2025 CAGR FY CAGR FY
2015-20 2020-25
Sets 22,995 32,005 21,039 46,061 6.8% 7.6%
Mix & Match 10,296 18,670 13,603 34,336 12.6% 13.0%
Others- Dupattas/ Stoles etc 1,201 2,667 1,632 3,350 17.3% 4.7%
Total SKD 34,321 53,342 36,275 83,746 9.2% 9.4%
Source: Technopak Analysis
The women’s apparel market in India has evolved from traditional apparel such as sarees to a two-piece market,
dominated by ‘Salwar Kameez Dupattas’ and Mix & Match wear, and was estimated at US$ 21.8 Bn, or 36%, of the
total apparel market in India as of financial year 2020. Women Indian wear has rapidly transitioned towards
contemporisation driven by trends like fusion wear. This transition is led by Indian EBO led brands who are creating
trends and capturing consumer mind share. This is making them stay ahead on fashion curve and emerge as fashion
forward category leaders that can both charge premium and lead the mid to premium price bands. These EBO led
brands comprise home grown Indian, fusion brands like Biba, W & Fabindia. Their current size now signifies brand
stickiness and entry barriers for others. New entrants in this space are increasingly referenced by the consumers
with these brands (Viz. Biba Size, Fabindia fabric, W’s print). Value segment brands also refer to them for trends and
look up to them as fashion leaders. In this backdrop, branded market of Women Indian Wear has evolved in the past
decade and is currently dominated by ‘fashion forward’ and ‘fashion follower’ retail brands.
Fashion Forward brands such as Biba, Fabindia, Anokhi, W etc follow a 3-month cycle time for designs constructed
from scratch for every season and generate an average of ~35-50% of their revenue from exclusive brand outlets
(EBOs) and can go as high as 80-90% of revenue. Biba, which was launched in 1986, is one of the first national brands
in the Indian wear segment. It also has a rich legacy of stores with a large online presence. Biba has emerged as one
of the Category Creators within the Indian women apparel segment and has since evolved into one of the largest &
leading lifestyle brands with a ~4% market share in the branded women’s Indian wear market (excluding Sarees) in
India for FY 2020.
Fashion follower brands such as Soch, Jashn, Meena Bazaar etc., take design inspiration from vendors, fashion
forward brands, celebrity fashion and commercialize their product offerings. This allows them flexible lead times
(about 45-60 days from design selection to store) but limits their ability to command a price premium. In the case of
fashion followers like Soch more than 70-75% of the sale comes from EBOs and the balance is contributed by LFS,
MBOs and online, with online contributing close to 12-15%.
Indian wear category offers a unique blend of comfort and fashion to the consumer making it the preferred apparel
for most occasions. The category association revolves around comfort, ‘contemporisation’ as well as relevance of
the occasion. Whilst the consumers in Tier I cities, compared to the metro-centric consumers, tended to be strongly
governed by traditional usage of the saree, the Indian wear category is increasingly becoming the category sought
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for as it offers both conformity and style. Indian women wear in the form of Kurtas, Mix & Match, Saree, Indian
dresses etc has found a universal appeal across states as these categories are being worn by women across the
country. With increased online presence and social media marketing, consumers across have become aware of, and
have adopted various Indian & Fusion wear apparel like Kurtas, sets, palazzos, dhoti, Indian jackets, saree etc.
Indian apparel fashion is uniquely an India focused opportunity and one that provides a natural and sustainable
advantage to homegrown players to seize it. This advantage is reflected in structure of the Indian wear category that
comprises of home-grown brands in leading positions.
Exhibit 3.12: Kids Apparel Market (in INR Cr) – FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021 & FY 2025
9%
The kids Indian apparel market is highly unorganised with organised players representing 19.4% of the Indian apparel
market as for FY 2020. The share of organised market is expected to increase from 19.4% in FY 2020 to 27.1% by FY
2025. Within organised market, EBOs and Online retail are the biggest channels of retail. The share of EBOs within
Organised channel is expected to increase to 27% by FY 2025 from 22% in FY 2020.
Exhibit 3.13: Split of Kids wear Market across Organised Formats- FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021 & FY 2025 (in
INR Cr)
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INR 42,114 Cr
23,986
INR 19,570 Cr
Exhibit 3.14: Split of Kids wear market- Indian & Western (in INR Cr) – FY 2015, FY 2020, FY 2021, FY 2025P
22%
13,071 -37%
9%
8,288 23% 137279
8,526 -32%
12% 88,046
49,079 59,995
Exhibit 3.15: Kids Indian wear market split by gender (in INR Cr) – FY 2020
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13,071
3,377
(26%)
9,695
(74%)
Within Kids Indian Wear, the market is dominated by Girls Indian wear holding a 74% share amounting to INR 9,695
Cr for FY 2020. Boys Indian wear amounts to INR 3,376 Cr for FY 2020. Girls Indian wear market is expected to grow
at a CAGR of 7.3% to reach INR 13,778 Cr by FY 2025.
Few Indian wear brands are offering kids Indian wear apparel like Biba, Fabindia, etc. Biba Girls’ was launched in
2011 and is a festive season product range offering Indian wear collections for girls aged 2-12 including ‘Anarkalis’,
dresses, ‘lehengas’, suits, tops, bottom wear, and footwear. Biba is amongst the first Indian wear brands to launch
a range for girls. Hence, Biba has a first-mover advantage in this market and has already made progress through its
brand Biba Girls. Over the years, it has expanded its product offerings beyond women’s Indian wear to kid’s wear
and women’s accessories market and have continued to maintain its position as one of the top brands in the
women’s Indian wear market.
1. Retail Led Brands: Retail led brands comprise players like Biba, W, Fabindia, Global Desi that have a pan-
India footprint in terms of the presence of their EBOs and / or through partnerships with LFS and MBOs
and through online channels. Retail led brands also comprise regional brands like Neeru’s, Meena Bazaar
that are restricted to specific region/s through their own stores (EBOs) and also sell through LFS and online
routes. Online channels of retail for brands comprise of own websites and Apps & marketplace listings.
2. Multi Brand Outlets & Large Format Stores (MBO & LFS): Large Format store include players like Lifestyle,
Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, Reliance Trends, Max, Westside etc. MBOs include players like Vama, Iconic
etc that are primarily fashion & lifestyle focussed. These formats keep extensive range of Women Indian
wear (along with other categories) with multiple brands (both Pan-India & Regional retail led brands) and
their own private labels viz. Melange is a private label of Lifestyle; Rangmanch, Akkriti, Trishaa & Indus
Route is of Pantaloons & Avaasa is of Reliance Trends. These labels are offered by their respective LFS
stores in addition to retail led brands like Biba and W and other external labels/ brands. However, there
are exceptions to this trend in the form of LFS like Max and Westside that keep only private labels and
offer no scope for external labels or brands.
3. Value Focused Retailers: Retailers like Vishal Mega Mart, V Mart, V2 Retail etc. sell multiple product
categories ranging from food & grocery, personal & home care, home improvements, electronic &
appliances, and fashion & lifestyle with a strong value pricing pitch and a focus beyond Tier I cities. In this
context, value fashion retailers are primarily focussed on their own private labels or on other smaller
trade-labels for Women Indian Wear (and for other fashion categories).
4. Online Focused Brands/Retailers: Online focussed retailers include E-commerce marketplaces like
Amazon, Flipkart etc, and vertical specialist websites like Myntra, Ajio, Nykaa Fashion etc. While
marketplaces sell multiple product categories, vertical specialists as the term suggests are fashion &
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lifestyle focussed. However, both retail types offer various brands, for eg. retail led brands, smaller
brands/labels, private labels (like Myx for Amazon, and Anouk for Myntra). There is also an emerging third
group of ‘online focussed/online-first’ Women Indian wear brands that are only or primarily available
online. Brands such as Jaypore, Pinklay, Okhai are examples of such online focussed/online-first brands.
EBO led retail brands emerge as fashion forward choice on products in the online channel: Various National and
regional brands have adopted online channel for their sales as digital enablement paves way for the growth of an
Omni-Channel retailing ecosystem. Having said that, the product differentiation on designs of Women Indian apparel
is led by retail led brands selling online. There are a few pure play online vertical specialists with focus on women
Indian wear. While leading online fashion portals and marketplaces have invested in private label development of
western product categories, they also offer limited range of Women Indian Wear.
Exhibit 4.1: Leading Players across Four Segments of Women Indian Wear
Key Players Year of Inception Operating Company No. of Stores # Cities where
stores present
1. Retail Led Brands
Biba 1986 Biba Fashion Ltd. 308** 160
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Retail led brands of Women Indian Wear are focussed pre-dominantly on Indian Wear and use that as a basis for
differentiation and being fashion forward. Product design led category creators in Women Indian Wear to have also
extended into Fusion with the objective of contemporizing the Indian wear to broaden the appeal in a manner that
Fusion and Indian wear are interchangeable in a consumer’s mind. A similar design-based approach is now selectively
extended to Denim, Athleisure and Comfort Wear by few players like Biba and W. For instance, Biba is amongst the
early Indian wear brands to have a range of sleepwear, loungewear & athleisure (joggers), and is a trendsetter in the
Women Indian apparel market, while Fabindia offers a range of sleepwear. LFS/ MBOs and Value Focussed Retailers
position themselves as ‘all under one roof’ and therefore their Women Indian Wear is offered alongside all other
categories of apparel fashion across product and gender types.
The flagship brand ‘Biba’ has also maintained its position as one of India’s leading fashion brands since inception.
Biba’s products compete with local retailers, online retailers, non-branded products, economy brands and products
of other established brands.
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Ajio ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Online Focused Brands
Jaypore ✓ - - ✓ -
Okhai ✓ - - ✓ -
Pinklay ✓ - - ✓ -
Source: Company Websites, Secondary Research
SKD (Salwar Kurta & Dupatta) & SK (Salwar & Kurta) Sets, Tops, Bottoms, Indian Dresses, Dupattas are synonymous
with Indian wear offering and are offered by all players that offer Women Indian Wear. The design play within this
can range from daily wear to occasion wear or from traditional to fusion, dependent on an individual brand’s overall
pitch and positioning in the market.
For a few brands like W, Aurelia, Rangriti, saree as a product offer is not part of the business strategy. However,
many brands do extend their Women Indian Wear offering to include sarees but this is done only to complete the
product offering (viz. Biba, Global Desi, Anita Dongre, Reliance Trends). For other brands such as viz. Soch, Fabindia,
Okhai, Pantaloons, it is a part of their core offer.
Key Players Daily Occasion SKD/ Saree Tops Bottom Dupatta Indian Lehenga
Wear Wear Sets (Separa s s Dresses Set
tes) (Separa /
tes) Gowns
Retail Led Brands
Biba ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓
Fabindia ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓
W ✓ - ✓✓ - ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓
Aurelia ✓ - ✓✓ - ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓
Soch ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓
Ritu Kumar ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓✓
Global Desi ✓ - ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓
Rangriti ✓ - ✓✓ - ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ -
Anita Dongre ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓
LFS & MBO
Lifestyle ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓
Pantaloons ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓
Shoppers Stop ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Reliance Trends ✓ - ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Max ✓ - ✓✓ - ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓
Westside ✓ ✓ ✓✓ - ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓
Value Focused Retailers
Vishal Mega ✓ - - - ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ - -
Mart
V Mart ✓ - ✓✓ - ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ -
Online Focused Brands
Jaypore ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓
Okhai ✓ - ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ -✓✓ -
Pinklay ✓ - ✓✓✓ - ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ -
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Source: Company Websites, Secondary Research. ✓ Ticks in Occasion type signify presence. No. of ticks in Product category signify intensity of
presence basis SKU range.
The acceptance of Women Indian Wear as an apparel of choice for daily wear purposes has been a key growth driver
for this category in the last decade. This is reflected in the rising share of daily wear in the overall Women Indian
Wear sales. The organized players’ ability to contemporize and make products with high quotient of functionality,
comfort and affordable prices is what has led to their individual growth trajectory and driven share away from
occasion wear to daily wear. Therefore, within all leading brands in Women Indian Wear segment, the product
offering is skewed towards Daily Wear. For many brands like Biba; Fabindia; Lifestyle; Myntra, Occasion Wear offers
an incremental opportunity for further expansion and deeper penetration. It will enable them to offer occasion wear
to consumers that already buy daily wear from them.
Exhibit 4.4: Average Selling Price (ASP), Discounts and No. of SKUs at a category-brand level
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Vishal Mega Mart (Mavie & 114 200-300 99-349 Upto 50%
Pink Almirah)
V Mart (Desi Mix) 351 300-500 99-899 Upto 50%
Lehenga Set
Retail Led Brands
Biba 23 3,998-4,498 2,498-14,360 Upto 50%
Fabindia 6 3,000-4,500 2,994-4,990 Upto 40%
Soch 88 4,000-5,000 3,499-19,998 Upto 50%
MBO or LFS
Pantaloons (Akkriti, 23 1,500-2,000 1,049-3,499 Upto 35%
Rangmanch)
Reliance Trends (Avaasa) 9 1,700-2,000 1,679-2,999 Upto 30%
Indian Dresses/ Gowns
Retail Led Brands
Biba 112 2,000-2,200 1,079-3,799 Upto 50%
Fabindia 175 2,000-2,500 792-4,999 Upto 55%
W 297 2,000-2,500 799-14,999 Upto 70%
Soch 79 1,500-2,000 749-3,374 Upto 250%
Rangriti 199 1,200-1,400 450-2,999 Upto 50%
MBO or LFS
Pantaloons (Akkriti, 161 1,000-1,200 539-3,999 Upto 55%
Rangmanch)
Shoppers Stop (Haute Curry) 103 800-1,000 499-1,499 Upto 50%
Online First Brands
Jaypore 20 1,500-2,000 945-3,590 Upto 60%
Okhai 145 2,000-2,500 925-11,550 Upto 15%
Pinklay 16 2,000-2,500 2,299-3,499 -
Source: Brand Website, Technopak Analysis. Note- Different sizes of same style not included in SKU count. SKU count for MBO, LFS, Value Retailers
is total of Private Labels only. Private Labels of MBO, LFS & Value Retailers are mentioned in brackets along with the Retailer. Prices basis currently
retailing final selling prices on brand websites (Feb 2022)
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Large Trends, Shoppers • Wide range of brands (retail led and private labels) and price options to choose
Format Stop from
Stores • The wider options allow LFS to leverage cross selling categories
(MBO & MBO- Vama, • High footfall to the stores due to larger variety of brands and product offerings
LFS) Kapsons across price range
• Focused on top 50 cities
3 Value Vishal Mega Mart, V • All under one roof that offers diversified product range across categories
Retailers Mart, V2 Retail • Value pricing targeting price conscious consumers by catering to a large and
value seeking consumer base that is style conscious but not necessarily brand
loyal
• Flexible sourcing & supply chain comprising of both aggregators/distributors and
manufacturers who provide access to multiple choices and flexible order
quantities
• High footfall due to diversified product category range which helps in cross
selling
• Operating across city types including Tier, I, Tier II, Tier III and Tier IV cities
4 Online Marketplaces: • Wider reach through presence in multiple city types (Amazon and Myntra deliver
Retailers / Amazon, Flipkart, to more than 20,000 pin codes across India)
Online TataCliq • Extensive range in terms of brand availability, product range and pricing
Brands • Multiple brands and product choices across segments
Vertical Specialists- • Convenience in purchase, returns, exchanges
Myntra, Ajio, Nykaa
Fashion
Online Focused
brands- Okhai,
Pinklay, Jaypore
Source: Technopak Analysis
Exhibit 5.1: Share of Organised Women Indian wear in Overall Women Indian wear – FY 2020, FY 2020, FY 2021, FY
2025P
38%
28%
23%
16%
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Key Trends and Success Factors enabling the growth of Organized Women
Indian wear Industry
1. Consumer Demographics
The median age of India estimated to be 28.1 years for CY 2021, has had a profoundly positive implication on many
merchandise and service consumption categories including Indian wear. This advantage of age makes the Indian
consuming class more open to experimentation without preconditions. These factors enable them to absorb and
interpret trends faster than before. India’s demographic composition that is young is also more literate and digitally
connected & exposed than their counterparts were in the past. This is manifested in the growth of internet habitual
consumers and rise of online shopping.
Heterogeneous wardrobe has been a unique feature of the Indian woman consumers that stands out in the business
of fashion globally. Consumer research on Indian women wear has always shown ownership of both western wear
and Indian wear apparel by Indian women. While the extent of ownership of each type may vary, the ownership of
both Indian wear and western wear has been a unique feature of the Indian Women wear market. For instance, in
other markets (viz. Japan, China), consumers replaced their traditional attires with western wear for daily wear
purposes or restricted their use to specific occasions. However, Indian women have continued to own and use Indian
wear for daily and occasion wear, while not holding them back from owning western wear (viz. Denims). This unique
behaviour (partly a positive outcome of demographic profile like age as stated in point 1) has enabled the growth
and rise of Indian wear industry, particularly the organised segment.
Fusion wear implies an amalgamated apparel or any other lifestyle product that imbibes sensibilities of both
International and Indian wear design sensibilities. It may mean a print or a combination of colours that is in vogue
globally and to use such a print on a kurta. It may also mean alterations in a kurta with a silhouette that gives it
global appeal. For instance, Palazzos and leggings from the Indian wear segment have emerged as a piece of clothing
that women pair with both Indian and western tops.
Such innovations in designs, primarily undertaken by organised Indian Wear players have played a key role in
contemporizing the Indian wear segment and made it desirable for the Indian consumer. While traditional Indian
prints are being used on modern outfits, the style of Indian clothing is being altered to make it more comfortable
and modern viz. dhoti pants along with short or long kurtas which is being worn by Indian women. Retail led brands
in India have managed to lead this trend by being at the forefront of product development, trend setting and brand
stickiness with customers. This is an important factor to consider because it implies that the consumers’ aspirations
(young Indian women) were understood, and Indian wear was re-imagined by organised Indian wear players to cater
it. Brands like Biba for instance launched modernised ‘saree kurta’, gowns and casual wear section.
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One of the key reasons for cultural fashion trends to not be able to hold their ground in other countries like Japan
and China while up against western wear trend was their inability to broad base their appeal both for daily wear
(office wear, at home, etc.) and occasion wear (celebrations like festivals and weddings) in the post-industrial world.
The appeal of an apparel for daily wear is crucial for its growth because it then caters to a significantly larger
opportunity pool enabled both by higher frequency purchases and acceptance by a larger section of the society.
Occasion wear as the names suggests becomes restrictive for its limited appeal (weddings and festivals). Indian wear
has faced no such limitations, partly for cultural and social values and partly for the design interventions by organised
Indian wear and growth of multi-channel retail that ensured continued acceptance of the Indian wear both for daily
wear and occasion wear purposes.
The growth of fusion wear and broad basing of the appeal of Indian wear (points 3 and 4 above) were greatly enabled
by the significant enhancement of the product design ability of category leaders. This capacity building was a function
of growth and scale. It took time for Indian wear brands to pace it accordingly, but it enabled the transition of the
product design of Indian wear from individual centric / artisanal approach to an institutionalised response, involving
design teams (process orientation towards prototype development & fashion forecasting, design partnerships &
collaborations etc. The strengthening of design capabilities by category leaders had three positive outcomes for the
growth of organised Indian wear: -
a. The design response created products with pan India appeal and the Indian wear products that were
earlier perceived to be a category with regional and local preferences transitioned to homogenised
pan India appeal. This is validated by the overall growth of share of organized Indian wear in the
overall Women Indian wear segment and the growth of Indian wear category leaders’ retail presence
to Pan India status in 2020
b. Broad-based appeal to include both daily wear and occasion wear (point 4)
c. Growth of fusion wear (point 3)
Indian apparel fashion in India is uniquely an India focused opportunity (catering to Indian diaspora as well) and
that provides a natural and sustainable advantage to homegrown players to seize it. This advantage is reflected in
structure of the Indian wear category that comprises of home-grown entities, and in it being a harder to enter
category for global brands, with global brands having little to no share in this category.
Exhibit 5.3: Evolution of Indian Wear Brands from Regional to Pan-India Play
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Leading players like Biba, TCNS, Fabinda & Vedant invest in Product design and development and have around 3-
5% of its employees in these functions.
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Multi-channel retail includes various options of route to market to reach the consumer. Since early 2000, Indian
retail landscape has been in a constant state of transition that has enabled activation of new points of sales and
outreach. Today, multi-channel retail options include Exclusive Brand Outlets, Large Format Stores, Multi-Brand
Outlets, E-commerce marketplaces, Own website commerce among others. Multi-channel retail outreach involves
making the products and services available to the consumer through all these retail channels. It involves using
different channels like B&M stores (EBOs, MBOs, LFSs), as well as online channels like website and marketplaces.
It is important to bifurcate the understanding of this trend separately into role of digital enablement and of
technology on the growth of Indian wear in India. Digital enablement implies digitisation efforts across the value
chain of the Indian wear segment involving supply chain, procurement, route to market, customer relationship
management etc. Digital adoption of Indian wear brands has been rapid more so during and post COVID transition.
Both for cost and business imperative considerations, Indian wear brands have embarked on digital adoption at rapid
pace. This transition is demonstrated through the rising share of E-commerce in the total sales for the organised
Women Indian wear. Prior to the pandemic, the industry’s share of E-commerce in its total business stood at ~12%,
post covid it has grown to 18%. This includes ecommerce growth of industry leaders like Biba that have a share of as
high as 35%+ of sales via E-commerce. Biba has made significant investments in its IT infrastructure and digital
capabilities since 2014.
Exhibit 5.7: Rise of share of E-commerce in Total Women Indian Wear Segment
Role of technology implies adoption of new tools and technology advancements that enables normalisation of new
ways of conducting business and of consumer engagement. Visualisation, Chat bots, Artificial Intelligence and
Machine Learning are such tools that have seen wide application in the business of fashion globally. For instance,
use of virtual reality within the stores through interactive digital screens is now being deployed by quite a few global
fashion brands (viz. Nike) for better customer engagement and sales outcome. Indian Wear brands have initiated
the adoption of such technologies in line with the emerging global trends.
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CAGR CAGR
Brands 2015 2018 2021 2022
(2015-18) (2018-22)
Biba 168 248 290 308** 14% 6%
Rangriti - 46 107 119** - 27%
Fabindia 200 275 306 309* 11% 3%
Aurelia 69 183 223 231** 38% 6%
W 166 281 319 333** 19% 4%
Source: Technopak BoK and Analysis; *Data as of Sept’2021. **Data as of Dec’2021
Rangriti and Biba showed one of the highest CAGR of 27% and 6% respectively in rollout of EBOs for the period 2018-
22 among its peers. The total number of EBOs of Biba (308) is one of the highest in the Women Indian Wear segment.
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Exhibit 6.3: Number of Stores (EBOs) split by city type for Key Apparel Brands
Exhibit 6.4: Store Distribution (EBOs) by Region for key apparel brands
EBO Split
Brand Total EBOs
East West North South
Biba** 308 55 67 102 84
Fabindia* 309 45 65 97 102
W** 333 62 48 134 89
Aurelia** 231 58 25 84 64
Indya 190 16 67 50 57
Rangriti** 119 29 26 49 15
Global Desi 105 15 30 39 21
Ritu Kumar 68 8 19 29 12
Neeru's 43 2 3 5 33
Anita Dongre 5 0 1 3 1
Top 2 Cities: Delhi NCR &Mumbai; Next 6 Cities: Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune
Tier 1 Cities: Cities with a population in the range of 1 to 5 million; Tier 2 Cities: Cities with a population in the range of 0.3 to 1 Million; Tier 3
Cities: Cities with a population less than 0.3 Million. Note: Madhya Pradesh Considered in West India.Data as of Feb’2022. Source: Secondary
sources, Store locator of brands, Technopak Analysis. Note*: As on Sept 2021. Note**: As of December 2021
Major Retail led Women Indian Wear brands have presence across all formats but EBOs remain the mainstay for
them. Post-Covid through brands have gradually expanded their Online channel, and brands like Biba, which already
had an industry-leading online presence within their category before 2019 were able to undertake this transition
faster than others. This is reflected both in Biba’s share of E-commerce in its total sales and the rank of Biba’s website
compared to that of other brands.
For FY 2021, 37% of Biba’s revenue share was attributable to sales through online channels and is one of the highest
in the industry.
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As of February 2022, Biba had the highest website ranking in India amongst competitors in the Indian wear segment
as per www.similarweb.com. Fabindia & Biba are among the most visited websites within women Indian wear
segment.
Exhibit 6.8: SPSF (Sales per sq. ft. per year) for Key players
Brand Average Store Size Range (sq. ft) SPSF/Year Range (INR)
Biba 1,400 1,500 8,400 9,000
Fabindia 2,600 2,800 11,400 12,300
Aurelia 1,000 1,200 6,000 7,300
Soch 1,400 2,400 8,300 14,300
W 1,000 1,200 7,000 8,400
Source: Secondary sources, Technopak Analysis
Notes: SPSF calculated basis Fiscal 2020 Store and Revenue data, as Fiscal 2021 data will not give the correct inference owing to COVID-19
impact in Fiscal 2021. Few players selected basis data available in public domain
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Biba’s revenue from operations was INR 526 Cr in FY 2021 making it one of the largest brands in Indian women’s
apparel wear segment. Among the brands of scale above INR 300 Cr, Biba emerged as a resilient brand with a
degrowth of 31% during FY 2020-21 owing to COVID, compared to other players with higher degrowths.
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In FY 2020, Biba, Fabindia, TCNS, HOAD and Vedant Fashion are the only brands that were able to maintain a positive
PAT and PAT Margin
Exhibit 6.13: Profit After Tax (INR Cr.) & PAT Margin %
Biba, Fabindia, TCNS and Vedant Fashion are amongst key players which have been able to maintain a positive Return
on Net Worth in FY 2020.
ROCE (Return on capital employed) indicates the company’s efficiency because it measures the company’s
profitability after factoring in the capital that has been used to achieve that profitability. As of financial year 2020,
Biba has one of the highest ROCE amongst competition, which reflects their efficient capital model when measured
against their profitability.
Exhibit 6.14: ROCE (Return on Capital Employed) and RONW (Return on Net Worth)
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Advertising Spend as a percentage of Revenue, or advertising to sales ratio indicates the efficacy of advertising
strategies of the company. In absolute terms of spend, FabIndia, Biba, TCNS and Vedant spent were amongst the
highest in the industry in FY 21. However, in terms of this spend as % of revenue from operations, Biba, Fabindia,
HOAD and TCNS were better with efficiency of this spent that was in the 2-5% range in the same period. Biba has
invested in digital marketing initiatives to build online presence (including advertising on social media and
collaborations with influencers) and their flagship brand ‘Biba’ has the highest brand recall online amongst Women
Indian wear brands as of February 2022, as per consumer survey.
Store Economics
Store economics for Biba are comparable to industry standards and show store level profitability. On certain
parameters like Capex per store, Typical store area, Steady state store-level ROCE, Biba performs higher than
industry average. This allows the business to be self-sustaining without the need for sizeable external capital.
Typical store Area (sq. ft.) 250-500 1,500-2,500 3,500-5,000 1000-1500 1400-1500
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Employee Cost as % of
4-5% 5-8% 1-2% 8-10% 8%-10%
store revenue
Capex per store (INR) 4-8 Lacs 15 - 20 Lacs 1.5 Cr 35-45 Lacs Rs. 45-Rs. 50 lacs
Pay Back Period ~3 yrs ~3 yrs 3-4 yrs 2-4 yrs 2-3 yrs
For FY 2021, 37% of Biba’s revenue share was attributable to sales through online channels and is one of the highest
in the industry.
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Majority consumers (59%) prefer to buy both ‘Ready to Wear’ (RTW) and ‘Ready to Stitch’ (RTS). A significant number
of consumers (33%) prefer to buy only RTW Women Indian wear, while 8% prefer to only get it stitched (RTS). This
shows inclination of consumers for ‘Ready to Wear’ Indian wear.
40% Consumers buy Women Indian wear 2-3 times a month, while 33% buy once a month, followed by 21%
consumers buying once in 2-3 months.
Exhibit 7.1: Women Indian wear Purchase Preference & Frequency of Purchase
1%
5%
8% 21% 40%
33%
59%
33%
Brand Recall
When consumers recalled (unaided) their top 5 brands, Biba was recalled by majority of the respondents (63%),
followed by Fabindia (38%) and W (30%). Biba, Fabindia and W were also the top 3 brands in the First top of the
mind recall for consumers. Hence, the flagship brand ‘Biba’ had (i) a higher top-of-mind awareness amongst its users,
compared to top-of-mind awareness of other comparable brands (in the women’s Indian wear market), and (ii) a
higher unaided recall than other comparable brands in the women’s Indian wear market, which has contributed to
the growth in their business.
Exhibit 7.2: Overall & First priority- Top of the Mind Recall Brands
Recalled by %
Recalled by %
Top 10 Brands Top 10 Brands respondents (First
respondents (Overall)
Recall Priority)
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W 30% W 6%
Biba was the most frequently purchased brand with 64% respondents (overall) following by 39% respondent
purchasing Fabindia. Biba was also the top brand with 42% respondents giving it the first purchase preference
among all Women Indian wear brands.
Most frequently
Most frequently
purchased by %
Top 10 Brands purchased by % Top 10 Brands
respondents (First
respondents (Overall)
Purchase Priority)
W 29% W 4%
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Biba was associated with both Daily wear and Occasion wear by majority consumers (70%), while 24% consumers
associated it with only occasion wear and 7% with only daily wear.
Exhibit 7.4: Biba Brand Association with Daily & Occasion wear
7%
24%
69%
As of February 2022, an estimated 96% consumers browse for women’s Indian wear on online channels, including
own-brand websites and online marketplaces with online marketplaces the preferred channel of purchase for 54%
consumers.
Exhibit 7.5: Browsing & Purchase of Women Indian wear on Online channel
Purchase of Women's Indian wear from Preferred Online Channel for Purchase of
Online Channel Women Indian Wear
13%
40%
54%
87% 6%
The overall top three marketplaces for consumers to buy Indian wear are Amazon (90% respondents), Myntra (81%
respondents) and Flipkart (76% respondents). Biba is the most preferred brand purchased from these marketplaces
(48% consumers), followed by Fabindia (19%) and W (17%). Hence, as of February 2022, the flagship brand ‘Biba’
was ranked as the number one women’s Indian wear brand in India on leading online marketplaces in terms of ‘top
brands purchased by respondents in the unaided survey’.
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Biba’s own brand website is also the most preferred brand website where consumers purchase from (as responded
by 70% consumers).
Exhibit 7.6: Preferred Marketplaces and Brands Purchase, Top brand Websites from which consumers
purchase
Top 3 Brand
% Respondents
Websites
Biba 70%
Fabindia 23%
Soch 16%
Number of respondents = 374
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• Only leading players are profiled and benchmarked for the purpose of the report and does not
necessarily cover all types of players.
• The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the facts
and figures of any particular individual or entity. The content provided here treats the subjects
covered here in condensed form. It is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter
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Ankur Bisen
Senior Partner & Head of Retail
[email protected]
Madhulika Tiwari
Partner
[email protected]
Priyanka Abrol
Manager
[email protected]
Meghna Mishra
Associate
[email protected]
Kushal Madke
Associate
[email protected]
Ravindra Negi
Senior Associate
[email protected]
www.technopak.com
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