India news and archive

Global fashion giants fret over India cattle slaughter crackdown

Indian exporters were scrambling Tuesday to assure global clients like Zara and Giorgio Armani their shipments would arrive despite a government crackdown on cattle slaughter which threatens the lucrative leather industry. The government last week declared a nationwide ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter, startling major fashion labels who...

Fashion

Amazon & Flipkart battle for e-commerce's 'last frontier' in India

With 100 million new internet users every year, Amazon is betting big on India, but a major new investment in homegrown rival Flipkart means the battle to dominate the fast-growing e-commerce market is set to heat up. Flipkart announced this week that top international companies including Microsoft, eBay and China's Tencent had pledged...

Fashion Featured

#UnitedByHalf: Benetton launches gender equality campaign in India

London - Gender equality may not be a right most fashion brands strive for, but women empowerment and equality is definitely a priority for Italian fashion label United Colors of Benetton. On International Women's Day, taking place on March 8, the retailer is set to launch its latest campaign which is aimed at promoting gender equality in one of...

RetailFeatured

Luxury: Is India the new China?

London - India is one of the world's fastest rising nations with a voracious appetite for luxury goods. Its rising middle class and greater awareness of global brands has aided the luxury market in India to grow by 25 per cent to 18.5 billion dollars, says the CII-Kantar IMRB 2016 report. Luxury in India is no longer the privilege of the few who...

ManagementFeatured

India: Despite challenges, the retail market offers vast potential

Growing acceptance for an interesting combination of brick-and-mortar and ecommerce is paving way for major players in Indian apparel to chalk out ambitious growth plans. On the other hand, India is emerging as the second-most attractive market for global retailers to expand, after China, states the 2016 Global Retail Development Index by...

Retail

India's Future Style Lab opens concept stores in New Delhi and Mumbai

The Future Group's subsidiary Future Style Lab has opened their first two concept stores, one in New Delhi and one in Mumbai. Future Group is one of India's largest retailers operating in sectors across a wide variety of retail spaces, including department store chain Central and value formats like Big Bazaar. Last year, Future merged with...

Fashion Featured

Gap and H&M fail to uphold human rights in supplier factories

London - Although the plight and needs of the millions of garment workers serving in the fashion industry’s supply chain remain well documented, it seems as if concrete changes concerning labor and human rights have yet to occur. In spite of fast fashion retailers Gap and H&M social and sustainable commitments concerning workers rights, wages,...

Fashion Featured

Indian designers cement their place at Paris Fashion Week

The Indians are not just coming -- they have arrived. Paris fashion week is more Indian than ever, with two designers from the subcontinent cementing their place at style's top table. Rahul Mishra confirmed his reputation as one of fashion's rising stars with an autumn winter womenswear collection of great restraint and purity. In contrast, the...

BusinessFeatured

India: C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap pledge to improve garment workers' living conditions

In response to the report “Unfree and Unfair”, published by the human and labor rights organisation India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) in January 2016, five international buyers - C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap - responded extensively to the draft sent to them and pledged to improve the living conditions of garment workers at their...

Retail

Aeropostale opens first European store in Ireland

London - US teen retailer Aeropostale has opened its first overseas store in Dublin, Ireland. "We look forward to bringing the Aeropostale brand to Western Europe for the first time," commented Julian R. Geiger, Chief Executive of Aeropostale in a press release. In order to ensure a smooth transition, Aeropostale signed a licensing agreement...

Retail

Pepe Jeans eyes India for expansion

Pepe Jeans London is looking to India for expansion, where it aims to more than double its current store operations from 200 up to 500 stores. Pepe Jeans, which is owned by Lebanese group M1 and LVMH subsidiary L Capital Asia, is looking to increase sales in the next three years, both via store expansion and introducing new categories such as...

Fashion

Lakme Fashion Week inaugural day

The world's leading fashion brands may choose Paris, Milan, London or New York to show their collection, but today is the inaugural day of Lakme Fashion Week in India. The fashion trade event, currently in its 15th year, will see 86 designers show their collections on catwalks, presentations and digitally. The showcase is organised by IMG The...