The University of Oxford may soon be selling fashion clothing in the country in a tie-up with Aditya Birla Group company Madura Garments. Oxford Ltd, a wholly owned arm of the British university that runs a 50 million-plus retail sales branded merchandise business across the world, is in talks with Madura Garments for a brand franchising deal for apparel.
“On behalf of Oxford, we are in advance discussions stage with Madura Garments,” Mr. Gaurav Marya, chairman at licensing firm Bradford License India, which is helping Oxford to forge brand licensing deals said.
Mr. Chris Evan, MD of Oxford Ltd, said it plans to sell fashion apparel, accessories, education-related products including school bags and stationery, home interior and lifestyle products, luggage and even furniture in India by spring of 2015.
The brand licensing market in India is still small, estimated at just $1 billion, less than 1% of the $200-billion global market. Mr. Marya said educational institutions extending their business to brand licensing was a new trend in India, though globally both Oxford and Cambridge universities have flourishing licensing businesses. According to University of Cambridge’s website, some of its global brand licensing partners include, Guangzhou ZhouXun Leatherware and Pepe Jeans Europe.