NIFT Conference

NIFT Conference

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Hyderabad centre, organized a half a day seminar on "Retail Branding in Fashion" on 5th April, 2008. In the Inaugural session, the Director NIFT, Mr Pratap Kumar, IPS, Mr Sibichan Mathew, Chairperson, FMS, NIFT, Delhi, industry leaders Mr Gautam Jain, Chairman Pokarna Industries and Stanza, Mrs Sailaja Kiron, MD, Kalanjali, Mr Hareesh, MD, Neeru's spoke. Mr Gautam Jain talked about the growth of the Indian retail industry in fashion and urged indian retailers not to fight shy of making it big in marketing overseas not only to increase exports, but to establish international brands with an international presence.

The inaugural session was followed by a Technical session chaired by Dr Kinnera Murthy, Knowledge Mentor, Milagrow Business & Knowledge Solutions. The speakers in the session were: Mr Mani Subramanian, MD, Retail Design & Merchandising, Mr Nishtosh Anand, Senior Consultant, Retail Practice, Technopak and Mr Vikas Kohli, Retail Head, DLF Associates.

Dr Kinnera Murthy, in her opening remarks talked about the heady growth in retail led by fashion retailing. She said that the current opposrtunities and competition making it a brand manager's paradise and also his/her nemesis. The fashion industry has moved from innovator segment to the early adopters quite suddenly and the growth has spiralled in a consuming economy, very different from the days when non-branded goods were the bane of every organization.

Mr Mani Subramanian gave a detailed presentation on Store as a Brand replete with examples of successes in the world. He made special emphasis of the positioning of store brands with their unique styling. Mr Nishtosh Anand spoke on the emerging importance of private labels and strategy for their introduction and launch, in te scenario of of a fast growing Rs 25,000 crore market. Mr Vikas Kohli highlighted the importance of infrastructure and the emerging retail formats, catering to every segment of demanding customers. He bemoaned the fact that Indian companies tend to be grandiose in strategy and fail in execution. He also underscored the problem of sourcing, training and retaining the right manpower in the current situation. The session concluded with several questions from the audience which engaged the panel on issues that are topical in the retailing industry