The Fabrics, Accessories & Beyond Show 2024 (FAB Show 2024), hosted by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), wrapped up its 4th edition on a successful note consequently boosting Textile industry sentiments with exceedingly high business prospects. The three-day event, which took place from April 15 to April 17 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, outperformed industry expectations with an estimated business generation of more than 2,100 crores.
The trade show successfully attracted 10,200 trade visitors from 320+ cities across India which included over 1,500 elite platinum buyers. Moreover, overseas buyers from 16 countries mainly Bangladesh, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Hong Kong, USA, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Nepal also visited the show. The presence of sourcing heads from renowned brands and retail majors like Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail, Bestseller, Gokaldas Exports, Kora, Mufti, Pepe Jeans, Reliance Brands, Shoppers Stop, Soch, Stori, Spykar, Westside and many others further boosted industry confidence thus reflecting the event’s importance as a prime sourcing platform.
Speaking about the success of FAB show, Rajesh Masand, President, CMAI expressed, “The impact of this grand sourcing event will resonate across the garment industry supply chain, promising not only immediate business but also long-term strategic developments and new sourcing relationships for all stakeholders involved. The remarkable success of this year’s show reflects a buoyant industry outlook, fuelling optimism for a robust recovery in the upcoming seasons. This resurgence comes at a crucial time as our industry was stressed with tepid demand and recent challenges like the amendment affecting MSME payments. With the positive momentum generated by the FAB Show, there is a renewed confidence that the industry outlook will soon be back on growth path.”
This year’s FAB Show was a focal point for industry Innovation and Sustainability, showcased by over 200 domestic exhibitors, including major names like Grasim, Arvind, Siyaram’s, Gokul Print, Jindal, Banswara Syntex, Ruby Mills, Bhagwan Enterprise apart from many MSME’s. Noteworthy participants from diverse sectors such as fabric suppliers, accessories manufacturers and software developers demonstrated their latest offerings and services to a discerning audience.
“FAB Show 2024 has set a new benchmark for success in the textile & apparel industry, reflecting our commitment to driving growth and sustainability,” said Naveen Sainani, Chairman FAB Show, CMAI. The Sustainability zone was a major attraction at the fair which showcased fabrics crafted from waste, recyclable materials and educated about benefits of waste water management promoting innovation & circularity which is a cornerstone of CMAI’s holistic strategy to engage, educate, and inspire the garment industry. He further elaborated “Our environment is changing and if the world can’t avoid deforestation, we need to invest in reforestation. On behalf of the 2876 visitors who pledged to voluntarily become earth warriors, CMAI will be planting 2876 tree saplings to create a healthier environment, fight climate change, and protect biodiversity”.
The Surat Pavilion organised by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI) showcased over 40 leading fabric manufacturers for the fourth consecutive edition of FAB. One of the key reasons for the popularity of the Surat pavilion amongst the visitors is their ability to present the latest trends and understand the needs of the garment industry. Speaking about the current business landscape, Siddharth Dhawan, Director, Gokul Tex Print – a leading fabric manufacturer from Surat, expressed, “We have seen a steady growth over the last year, which slowed down in the last few months due to the MSME payment amendment that came in. This year, we are confident that starting June till December, signs of growth will become evident as we deliver the merchandise to manufacturers, which they will provide in the market.” Another participant, Ritesh Patel, Director, Surbhi Textile Mills from Surat said “We received an extraordinary response for all of our products and the presence of buyers from all across the country gave us a great exposure. We are looking forward to participate in the next CMAI show”.
Speaking about their business outlook, Murugan Thenkondar, President – Marketing & Global Head – Business Development, Aditya Birla (Cellulosic Fibres) stated “The export market is facing lot of turbulence currently and our domestic market has been growing steadily which is the reason we are exhibiting here. CMAI has been highly successful in presenting the textile value chain to participate mainly cloth manufacturing brands, yarns, weavers, knitters, spinners and fibres thus offering a one-stop-destination to meet sourcing requirements. Distinguishing from other fairs, FAB is an excellent annual platform for the domestic customers and we are seeing a lot of positive energy at the show”.
Sailesh Kukreja, Managing Director, Bhagwan Enterprise from Mumbai elatedly said “We thank CMAI for implementing innovative measures to ensure the presence of buyers from across the country that made the fair a thrilling success. The exhibition was well organized and the on-spot visitor registration process was very swift. The overall publicity campaign was very well designed and consistently created a buzz on social media. We look forward to participate in all upcoming CMAI fairs and hope for a grander success”. Speaking about Sustainability, J.P. Singh, Director, Ramtex – Parmeshwari Silk Mills from Ludhiana said, “We are committed to Sustainability and have adapted eco-friendly processes to save approximately four lakh litres of water daily. It is heartening to see that consumers are getting more environment conscious by the day and are preferring eco-friendly fabrics such as ours. Our main markets have been Punjab, Haryana and Delhi; however, we have started receiving increased demand through our distributors from Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Indore too.”
A lucky draw contest was also held on all the three days of the show wherein Rupees 10 lacs worth of scooters, gift cards and holiday vouchers of leading brands were handed out to visitors and exhibitors.
About CMAI
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) is the most representative association of the Indian apparel industry having over 5,000 members and serving more than 20,000 Retailers. Its Membership consists of Manufacturers, Exporters, Brands, and ancillary industry. CMAI advocates regarding policies and also guides and encourages its members on ESG related matters and initiatives. In 2019, CMAI launched the SU.RE initiative to encourage members to embrace sustainability.
Established sixty years ago, CMAI has contributed immensely towards development of the industry. In 1978, CMAI had led the creation of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). CMAI is also authorised by the Government of India to issue Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential) to Exporters. CMAI is the only Indian Association that represents the entire Indian Apparel Industry & Trade on prestigious international forums such as International Apparel Federation (IAF) headquartered in Netherlands.
