INSIDE STORY AN ANALYSIS OF INDIA'S INNERWEAR MARKET

The market segment is evolving and is gradually moving towards organised retail. Indian consumers spend on innerwear products is significantly lower than other Asian peers, but currently with the emergence of new players, more and more consumers are building the habit of purchasing branded products.

- Sandeep Kumar

For Innerwear as a category, it won’t be wrong to say that urban India aspires to wear global brands and trends, whereas rural India wants to wear what urban India wears. Innerwear is today evolving into ‘casuals at home’ or ‘at-home smart clothing’. The industry continues to emerge as one of fastest growing categories over the last few decades. A category which was earlier depicted as a mere essential has in the last few years transformed itself and is becoming one of the trendsetters in the industry, as it provides style, comfort, fashion statement and nuance of glamor for one and all.

The Indian innerwear market currently estimated to be worth ₹32,000 crore accounts for ~9 percent of the total domestic fashion retail market. The market is totally dominated by the international brands in India or the associated ones. The domestic innerwear market of India, comprising Amul, Lux, Rupa, Dollar are still the giant leaders but their presence is more in the Tier III & IV cities. However, these brands’ association with the popular foreign brands is keeping them in race with the other market leaders and trends.

The women’s innerwear segment dominates the market, accounting 64 percent of the total innerwear market and 16 percent of the total women apparel market. Despite the presence and demand for the international brands, even the domestic brand in this women category has a very stiff competition. The category consisting of brassieres, camisoles, panties, tees, nighties and shorts has so many players involved in it. Indian brands like Amante, Enamor, Triumph, Zivame and Clovia have huge market presence and are the preferable choice of most working women, teens and housewives.