Kurtis bring cheer to Ludhiana hosiery units

Raj Awasthi,Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Sportking group,which has a pan-India presence,says that while north India sales are highest,kurtis are also marking their presence in Guwahati and Shillong in the east,and Ooty,Bangalore and Hyderabad down south. “It’s a very versatile garment,and can be worn with jeans or slacks,” said Awasthi. “The industry needs something new to grow. What is helping us is that kurtis have become a trend statement,making women dump their heavy woolen suits and cardigans,” he pointed out.

Kazaro International,which supplies kurtis to high-end retail stores in north India,was earlier into the manufacture of cardigans and woolen coats for women. “We have now taken exclusively to the production of kurtis. Initially,we only made sizes Medium,Large and Extra Large (XL) in kurtis. The demand is so much that,now,we are making sizes 2XL,3XL and 4XL too. Kurtis make women look younger and smarter. Who doesn’t want that?” quipped Sanjay Kapoor,MD Kazaro. “There is a great demand for these among NRIs too,who buy in bulk from here. We are now getting inquiries for kurtis from Canada,London and the US.”

Parveen Jolly of Jolly Apparels revealed that even if a woman buys only two to three kurtis in a season,the sales volumes become huge. “This is the reason that the entire hosiery industry in Ludhiana has taken to making kurtis. At the manufacturer’s end,the clearing of goods is very fast,” he added.

The industry is pleased that this is one segment where the Chinese don’t have a presence. “This is a major benefit for the industry here,that we are not getting kurtis from China,” said Sanjay Kapoor. “They can make if they want,but they will not be able to get it right in shape and styling,just the way Indian women want it,” he stressed. That,of course,is a challenge the Chinese may just want to accept.