Attributing towards negligence from policy makers and business developers for the sector kept unattended or least valued, Mr Rohit Pal, MD- Renfro India speaking exclusively for News team at fibre2fashion describes “This segment within clothing has never got its due respect for many years, but I think that outlook has to be changed, and to an extent it is changing now.”
“Socks may not be playing major part as economy driver, but still if the segment is taken seriously it can earn good profits for players,” opines Mr Vineet Bhatia, Properitor of V K Knitting Industries.
Mr Raj Kumar Jain, MD – Bonjour, bringing out the importance of sector, comments “Socks is a requirement of common men for everyday needs. It is estimated to be having over 3000 manufacturing units out of which 85% is in and around Delhi and its national capital regions. And out of this, over 95% business is unorganized and fragmented. I estimate it to be around Rs. 3000crs. Business.”
According to Mr Pal’s estimates, Indian knitwear market size is more than Rs. 25000crs, and socks in region would be between around Rs. 600 to 700crs at both organized and unorganized retail end excluding wholesale.
He accentuates, “I think that socks would turn as part of what I call accessorization and accessories adds as a vital sector under garmenting. I estimate it’s been of importance in growing at a very rapid pace around 10 to 25% annually. If it has not got its due importance in the past, it has now got a pace today and it is likely to grow.”
Analyzing the impediments in the growth of this category, Mr Bhatia draws attention to lack of good technology in India on this front. He highlights, “I am interacting with many customers internationally.