HGH India provides new impetus to Indian market for home products

HGH India 2019, the 8 th annual edition of India’s well-recognised trade show for home textiles, home décor, houseware, and gifts concluded successfully in Mumbai on 5 th July.
Despite incessant rains in Mumbai during this period, the three-day trade show received an
overwhelming response with the presence of 700 brands and manufacturers (+15%) from 32 countries as exhibitors and 35,900 trade visitors (+2.9%) from 500 cities and towns across India.
These numbers clearly reflected the importance of this trade show for Indian retailers, distributors,
importers and institutional buyers to discover upcoming home fashion trends for 2019-20 and source innovative products for their business.

Consistent growth in number of exhibitors and visitors and improving quality of products and
presentations year after year since its inception in 2012, proves that HGH India has been useful for
Indian and international players as a high potential trade show offering innovations, wide sourcing
solutions and new business opportunities. HGH India brings global multi-national brands, leading
Indian brands, Large, Medium and small manufacturers, handicrafts and handloom sectors, artisans
and crafts persons all under one roof, offering equal opportunities to all of them to offer their products and services to Indian retailers and distributors across the country.

HGH India 2019 was spread over three dedicated halls, each one offering specialised products in the
categories of Home textiles and furnishings, home décor and gifts and houseware.

HGH India continued its aggressive promotion of Indian handicrafts, artisans and cottage sector
products for the second year. Bringing sectors like handicrafts, handloom, handmade carpets, coir,
jute, khadi, cane & bamboo etc. under the common umbrella of Indian Heritage with the support of various Government organisations like EPCH, HMCM, CEPC, COHANDS, KCCI, NSIC, NEHHDC and MHHDC, HGH India once again effectively demonstrated the high potential of value-addition and national brand building around these products.

Home Fashion Trends for 2019-20 were forecasted and presented through a well curated Trends
Pavilion and a high quality Trend Book. The trends followed a central theme of Beyond Shapes –
Universal Future and were designed specially to suit the rapidly evolving and aspiring Indian domestic market.

Amongst 32 countries present, China had the strongest participation, primarily from the Zhejiang
province. Indian and international exhibitors showcased their latest range of furnishing fabrics,
curtains, bed and bath products, decorative made-ups, wallpapers and decorative accessories.
Crockery, tableware, storage, plastics, kitchenware, kitchen appliances, cookware, home appliances,
gifts, general houseware, travel goods, cleaning and maintenance products, babies and kids’
products, and tenting and camping products were amongst the key houseware products.

Rajjnish Aroraa , Vice Chairman, DC Furnishings
HGH India: Home textiles, home decor, houseware, gifts. This is their eighth year in succession, and
every year I have seen it growing. I'm so happy to see 700 exhibitors here. Outstanding exhibitorship and mind-blowing customers have come in today, on the first day in spite of the heavy rains just two days back. A big thumbs up to the HGH India team; the twelve to fourteen hours of work really worked well. We believe in HGH India and they made it happen. I'm also happy to note, I personally spoke to Mr. Arun Roongta, and he has confirmed to me that they will have a fourth hall next year.

That news also gives us a feeling about how the show is coming up and what kind of response it will
have. Actually, in the last five years, people have been looking at HGH India to come up with new
ideas, new innovations and they look to HGH India as an exhibition where the newest trends are
displayed and what direction the industry is heading to. I haven't had the time to walk around, as I've been extremely busy with customers at my stand but I've heard that the footfall is about the same at every stall. I wish HGH India all the best and I'm looking forward to HGH 2020.

Abhinav Mahajan, Director, Maspar
The response at HGH India has been tremendous, and we have built a big customer base here. We
have seen a lot of growth, as a result, over the last two days. Thanks to HGH India, we have been
able to reach out to retailers, and showcase our products, and this inspires us to keep coming back.

Deepak Nirmal , General Manager - General Merchandise Buying & Merchandising, Aditya Birla Retail Limited. This is my fourth visit to HGH India. I can definitely say that the presence and opportunities that retailers and vendors enjoy here keep bringing me back. It offers good connectivity with regional vendors as well.

Suleman Hirani , Partner, Darpan Furnishings
I would like to congratulate the HGH India team, for pulling off the event, despite the rain. I have
found a lot of new manufacturers from Jaipur and Jodhpur. I like the way the stalls have been set up;
they are very attractive. I have greatly benefitted from interacting with new vendors and suppliers,
whom I would not have been able to reach, if not for HGH India.

Vinod Khandelwal , General Manager - Head, Household Buying & E com Business, @home - Nilkamal Limited.
I have been coming here since the first year. As a buyer, I will always feel that something is missing,
but I have seen the show grow bigger every year, and increase the international presence. HGH India
has covered a good spectrum of brands, and should definitely add more in the years to come.

About HGH India
HGH India, the annual trade show for home textiles, home décor, houseware & gifts is organised by Texzone Information Services Pvt. Ltd. Established in the year 2012, HGH India is specially designed to connect the Indian market for home products and gifts with retailers, artisans and micro
enterprises. High quality trade visitors at HGH India include decision makers from department stores, hyper markets, specialty stores, high-end luxury stores and boutiques, traditional store owners, and online and electronic medium retailers. Institutional buyers, corporate gift buyers, interior designers, prospective agents and franchisees also attend the event in large numbers.

Besides these, leading Indian importers, distributors, buying agents and brand representatives
attend HGH India to explore new business opportunities and partnerships.

HGH India has firmly established itself as a world-class, professional, trend-setting trade show for
home textiles, home décor, houseware and gifts. The show connects its exhibitors with their
potential trade buyers in India and helps them find long-term business partners.

Fujifilm India unveils its Innovation Marvel GFX100 - World’s First mirrorless large format sensor camera with 102 million pixels resolution along with the new “Premista” series of cinema zoom lenses

§  Industry’s first large format sensor camera with the world's highest 102 million pixels resolution

§  Offers fast & accurate autofocus, in-body image stabilization and 4K video capability

§  Captures and records precious moments at world-leading image quality

 Fujifilm India Private Limited, a pioneer in imaging technologies, announced the launch of latest innovation breakthrough in India, the FUJIFILM GFX100 mirrorless digital camera (“GFX100”) incorporating an image sensor with the world's highest 102 million pixels resolution and unique color reproduction technology to achieve the world-leading image quality. The event saw the presence of Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd., Mr. Dabboo Ratnani, Celebrity and Fashion Photographer and International Editorial, Commercial and Corporate Photographer Mr. Zack Arias. 

The GFX100 is a flagship model of the GFX Series of mirrorless digital cameras, which have won strong praise from professional photographers and photo enthusiasts alike for the use of a large image sensor, boasting approximately 1.7 times the size of the 35mm full-frame sensor. Among digital cameras equipped with a sensor larger than the 35mm full-frame format, this is the world's first model that offers (1) a back-illuminated sensor with phase detection pixels, (2) in-body image stabilization (IBIS) mechanism and (3) 4K/30P video recording capability. The innovative mirrorless digital camera fulfills photography's intrinsic mission of “capturing and recording precious moments that are never to be repeated again.” Launched in India today, the camera will be available at a price of INR 7,86,999/-.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd. said, “This is indeed a gratifying moment for us and we are excited to announce the launch of the world's highest 102 million pixels mirrorless camera – GFX100 in India. At Fujifilm India, our endeavour has always been to bind innovation together with service that enhances customer delight. With the launch of GFX100, we have achieved a great milestone in our digital camera business. I am optimistic that the launch will further enhance our presence in India and we will continue introducing cameras that deliver an unparalleled standard of optical brilliance that is sure to delight a photographer’s fantasy.”

Present at the event and Brand Ambassador for Fujifilm GFX range, Mr. Dabboo Ratnani said, “It is a matter of great pride for me to be associated with a cult brand like Fujifilm. The new GFX100 camera embodies a new standard of optical excellence with technological brilliance in new mount and optics; retaining Fujifilm’s renowned legacy. Packed with powerful features, the camera displays Fujifilm’s legendary artistry that will empower users to expand the realm of photographic capabilities. With this association, we look forward to an advanced mirrorless camera experience and witness a shift in the existing imaging industry to newer heights.”

On this occasion, the Optical Devices Division of FUJIFILM also unveiled the new “Premista” series of cinema zoom lenses. These lenses support large-format sensors and deliver outstanding high resolution, beautiful bokeh and rich gradation with HDR (high dynamic range). The Premista Series brings out the maximum capability of large format sensors, which is increasingly being adopted into cinema camera, to provide robust support for high-quality video production. The Premista 28-100mm T2.9 will be available in August 2019 at a price of USD 38,800 and the Premista 80-250mm T2.9-3.5 will be available later this year at a price of USD 39,800.

Commenting in the launch of the ‘Premista’ series, Cinematographer Mr. Palash Das said, “I was recently honoured to shoot on the Premista 28-100mm large format zoom lens. The lens is indeed a breakthrough with crisper images and proper focal length coverage throughout the zoom range. It has a beautiful flare to it and the bokeh effect is also quite wonderful. My overall experience with the lens is nothing but fantastic and I will encourage more DOPs to use this zoom lens in Bollywood and across the world.”

Fujifilm has led the cinema industry since its foundation in 1934 to achieve domestic production of photographic and motion picture films. Since 2000, the company has worked on developing lenses for cinema cameras. Its products have received high acclaim at the frontline of movie, TV commercial and TV drama production around the world for their outstanding image quality. The development of high-performance zoom cinema lenses and their contribution to enhancing video image quality have been recognized in 2017 when Fujifilm was given the Emmy Award by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The new Premista Series will complement the existing “HK / ZK / XK / MK Series” of lenses to address diverse needs in video production.

Make Every Festive Moment a Stylist #HopscotchMoment

Hopscotch – India’s leading kids fashion brand recently launched its vibrant and stylish ‘ethnic collection’. Adding a personal touch to the designs, Hopscotch has curated a line that makes the festive season worth the wait.

Every piece from the collection promises to bring out a splash of color and excitement.  Putting together style and comfort, Hopscotch launched a collection, which reflects the grand celebrations around the Indian festivities.

Hopscotch promises to offer the best of trends at affordable price points. Having pioneered the trend of fast fashion and launching about 500 new styles daily on their website, Hopscotch is trailblazing the Indian kids fashion space by offering the latest trends at an unbeatable value.

Hopscotch's collection of fine ethnic wear will help parents curate the perfect festive look for their little ones. The collection ensures every family will ‘Make every festive moment a stylish #HopscotchMoment’.

Click on the link – https://www.hopscotch.in/ and buy your favorite merchandise. 

AIIB Signs Agreements to Deepen International Cooperation

 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) this week signed cooperation agreements with two leading global partners as part of its ongoing commitment to expand collaboration with the international community.

On the sidelines of the Bank’s fourth Annual Meeting in Luxembourg, AIIB and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which covers technical cooperation, exchange on economic and policy strategy, funding, risk management and legal services.

The MoU signed by AIIB President Jin Liqun also supports greater knowledge sharing between the two institutions as well as staff exchanges.

President Jin signed a separate MoU with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to partner in several areas, including co-financing of projects and programs, mobilization of private sector financing and research and analysis.

The MoU with the specialized agency of the United Nations has a strong focus on the development of rural infrastructure, renewable energy sources, and climate change adaptation and mitigation - key concerns underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Partnership continues to be a fundamental operating principle of the Bank,” said President Jin.“By working together with ESM and IFAD on joint initiatives and leveraging each other’s expertise we will strengthen our capacity to deliver on our respective missions and benefit our members.”

About AIIB

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, we began operations in January 2016 and have now grown to 97 approved members worldwide.

By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, we will better connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future.

Coca-Cola committed to ICC World Cup and Cricket

Maintains its consistent approach towards engaging with its consumers both online and off-line

Creates record with over 4 billion + impressions across social platforms with a reach of 70 mn + during its ICC World Cup campaign

For Coca-Cola, the secret ingredient has always been to be part of peoples’ lives - their moments of joy, laughter, music and celebrations. And ‘Cricket’ is amongst the most rejoicing occasions that caters to everyone and connects people across the countries. Coca-Cola celebrates the spirit and the happiness cricket brings into the lives of people and binds them under various circumstances.

This year, Coca-Cola entered into a five-year global strategic partnership with ICC to celebrate cricket. Initiated from India, the aim of the partnership is to create memorable experiences for cricket fans across the world. This partnership includes all ICC events around the world, including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, the ICC men’s and women’s T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020, the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 in New Zealand and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India in 2023 amongst other global tournaments. The partnership has strategically aligned both ICC and Coca-Cola for the long-term by combining the strength of The Coca-Cola Company’s diversified portfolio of over 500 brands and worldwide retail reach with ICC’s unwavering focus to expand the sport’s footprint globally.

More than 100 days of innovative marketing initiatives

Stirring up the excitement for the cricket lovers, Coca-Cola rolled out two new campaigns to celebrate cricket with the fans. The campaigns were aimed at making the World Cup moments special for the consumers with the simple pleasure of drinking a Coca-Cola.

In the early stages of the game when consumers were preparing for the tournament, Coca-Cola focused on building a Stock Up Ritual. The film focused on building consumption depth around cricket viewing by encouraging fans to ‘Stock Up’ to be ‘Match Ready’. It featured Ranbir Kapoor and Paresh Rawal, who encouraged cricket lovers to be prepared in advance and stock-up Coca-Cola to relish every second of the World Cup and not miss any game-changing cricket moments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdh8Ruu5fNs

Once the passion and emotions were running high, Coca-Cola started conveying its core idea: Be the 12^th Man. The film symbolized the hopes, aspirations, anxieties of Indian fans and what their spirit could be. The campaign addressed what is there in their hearts and minds during the World Cup: The intense desire to see India win. Keeping this in mind, ‘12th Man’ campaign was built around the simple idea that, ‘To be part of the team, you don’t need to be in the team’. The film featured ace cricketers Rishabh Pant (India’s 12^th man just before as he was selected in the playing 11 for IND vs ENG) and Yuvraj Singh with a voice-over by Ranbir Kapoor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji4Yqa4Qtuk

The campaigns till date has received more than 180 Mn views on television and 200 Mn views on Hotstar and were appreciated by consumers and industry experts. Furthermore, Ravinder Jadeja also posted when he joined the World Cup playing squad. Many people from different walks of like including celebrities such as Sourav Ganguly, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal joined the chorus and congratulated the players.

Going Digital - ‘Phone the new moving TV’

Embracing marketing innovations in the digital world to build seamless experiences for the consumers, select moments of the match amplified before, during and after the match across social media.  A first-ever customized 12th man filter has been created and more than 100 Mn consumers have interacted with innovations such as the the ‘Heart’ cheer button on Hotstar alone, which was shared Live during the game. Coca-Cola’s portfolio has garnered 770 Mn video views. 360 Mn impressions were garnered on ‘Branded Cards’ that were placed contextually during live games on Hotstar. Overall, the World Cup campaign garnered 4 billion impressions across social platforms with a reach of 70 mn till now.

The company created a line of innovations and which linked activations On-Ground and In-Ground for the consumers digitally. Special promotions were kicked-off to provide consumers an opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to London and watch World Cup match live along with other attractive prizes. PET bottles with a unique code under the labels were launched. The company also ran contests on its own e-commerce website (Coke2Home), retail stores, cash and carry outlets, ecommerce, movie halls and kirana stores. 250 lucky customers got a chance to experience the Cricket World Cup in London. The on-pack promotion was also initiated to watch the finals in London which generated 3.9 Million entries.

Coca-Cola also made the World Cup Cricket moments special for consumers through its timely, contextual messaging. A special team was set up to create real-time contextual content, one-on-one communication with consumers and creating content for brand advocates across 21 cities in India  and 6 languages.

Taking the celebrations across borders

The palpable excitement got extended to other South West Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives to win consumer hearts and become an essential part of the shopping basket.

In Bangladesh, consumer campaign ‘Go to England and Cheer for your team’ received 5.4 Mn responses and enabled 60 winners to visit England and cheer for the Bangladesh Cricket team. A new TVC campaign ‘England er Maati; Banglar Ghati’ – Land of England; Pride of Bangladesh focused on cultural point of view and encouraged consumers to become loyal supporters. On-ground tie-up with Bangladesh Cricket Supporters Association allowed Coke ambassadors to post content Live from the stadium. War room set up also enabled in amplifying the communications real time during the matches, leveraging influencers and social media posts.

In Sri Lanka, the consumer campaign, ‘From Cap to Cup’ ran across 50,000 retail outlets and enabled 30 winners to England to cheer for the Sri Lankan cricket team. The company also partnered with select food chains to run consumer promotions. The new World Cup TVC ‘Drink of Togetherness’ showcased how Coca-Cola is the beverage that brings fans together and encouraged them to become loyal supporters of the campaign. Coca-Cola was also the official sponsor of ICC World Cup 2019 match feed on the television. On-ground tie-up with Rupawahini channel captured Coke brand ambassadors cheering for the Sri Lankan team LIVE from the stadium. A war room was set-up to amplify real time moments during the matches, leveraging influencers and posts on Facebook and Instagram.

8 other countries activated this property, including the United Kingdom for a strong on-ground and digital activation in the hosting nation itself.

Coming Up: More Excitement During ICC Cricket World Cup Final

During the upcoming matches, Coca-Cola will continue to showcase its commitment to Cricket. It aims to reach 100 million more fans through multiple touchpoints, leveraging communities, digital & social media posts, and amplifying ‘Be the 12th Man’ on non-cricket platforms. Coca-Cola brand ambassadors and influencers will encourage people to share their stories. Furthermore, the company will capture the cricketing moments through regional Voxpops featuring 12th man stories from the heartlands of India. On Snapchat, there will be a filter with the 12th Man cap for consumers to express themselves and share their 12th man moments. 50 winners from Coca-Cola’s promotional campaigns will also feature as the brand ambassadors. It has also partnered with food aggregators to offer discounts on Coca-Cola and Cricket meals.

Watch TVCs here:

‘Stock Up’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdh8Ruu5fNs

‘The 12^th Man’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji4Yqa4Qtuk

About Coca-Cola India Coca-Cola in India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies, offering a range of healthy, safe, high quality, refreshing beverage options to consumers. Since its re-entry in 1993, the company has been refreshing consumers with its beverage products – Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Thums Up Charged, Thums Up Charged No Sugar, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Maaza, VIO flavoured milk, Minute Maid range of juices, Minute Maid Smoothie and Minute Maid Vitingo, Georgia range of hot and cold tea and coffee options, Aquarius and Aquarius Glucocharge, Schweppes, Smart Water, Kinley and Bonaqua packaged drinking water and Kinley Club Soda. The Company along with its owned bottling operation and other bottling partners, through a strong network of over 2.6 million retail outlets, touches the lives of millions of consumers, at a rate of more than 500 servings per second. Its brands are some of the most preferred and most sold beverages in the country – Thums Up and Sprite – being the top two selling sparkling beverages. 

The Coca-Cola India system provides direct employment to 25,000 people and indirect employment to more than 150,000 people. The Coca-Cola system in India is contributing in its own small way to building sustainable communities through community initiatives like Support My School, VEER, Parivartan and Unnati and by reducing its own environmental footprint.

For further information on the company's India operations and its products, please visit: www.coca-colaindia.com and www.hindustancoca-cola.com. Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/CocaCola_Ind, or on facebook.

Three lives bound together by one Nikaah, COLORS presents Bahu Begum

~Watch Azaan, Shayra and Noor redefine the rules of love and friendship~~The show will premiere on 15^th July 2019 and air every Monday to Friday at 9.30 pm, only on COLORS~

‘Dosti ke haq bade aur mohabbat ke farz kade hote hain’! Love and friendship are the most cherished relationship, but ever wondered what happens when you are obligated to choose between the two most prized possessions of your life?  Tracing the journey of three individuals Azaan, Shayra and Noor entangled in a web of love, revenge and penance will be COLORS new fiction drama, Bahu Begum. As destiny forces them to stay together in a holy matrimony, Azaan’s one decision wreaks havoc and turn their lives upside down. Produced by LSD Films, the show features Arjit Taneja as Azaan Ali Khan, Sameeksha Jaiswal as Noor, Diana Khan as Shayra Anwar, and Simone Singh as Begum Raziya. The showwill premiere on Monday, 15th July and air every Monday to Friday at 9.30 pm, only on COLORS.

Speaking about the launch, Nina Jaipuria, Head, Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV network Viacom 18 said, “In a country traditionally so rich in culture and ideologies, it has been our endeavor at COLORS to bring alive stories from varied cultural backgrounds to the small screen.  Bahu Begum’s rich backdrop and intriguing storyline coupled with an outstanding cast, will enable us to make way into our audiences’ hearts once again. With Choti Sarrdaarni, Bahu Begum and Bepanah Pyaarr, we hope to entertain viewers with variety of content through our weekday entertainment .”

Resonating with similar sentiments, Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18commented, “With a royal Islamic backdrop, the show recounts the journey of three individuals whose lives are entwined with one nikaah. With strong emotions like love, penance and revenge, as the core concept of the show, Bahu Begum will explore the multiple shades and rules of love and friendship.  We are delighted to have an ensemble cast of -Simone Singh, Arjit Taneja, Diana Khan and Sameeksha Jaiswal justifying their roles brilliantly. Also, we are extremely glad to begin a new partnership  with LSD productions to bring forth a show with a captivating storyline.”

Commenting further, Prateek Sharma from LSD Films said, “Bahu Begum will depict love, revenge and complexities revolving around a Nikaah. The look and feel of the show is very classy and royal and the set design is also in sync with this theme. The viewers will experience royalty white marble work, vintage artefacts, and Urdu calligraphy motifs.  The dialect of the show is also very poetic and has a Nawabi touch to it. With love and friendship as the two most contrary relationships, we are sure the audience will enjoy this fascinating story.”

Simone Singh essaying the character of Raziya said – “The show portrays love and how it endures in the face of heartbreak and adversity. . It’s exciting to play Bahu Begum because besides being a single mother and raising a son in a patriarchal world, she is also powerful and independent woman. I started my acting career with television and I am delighted to receive similar love and support from them even today. It’s a delight to be a part of this show and I am looking forward to a great response. “

Arjit Taneja who plays Azaan said: “I feel elated to be a part of a show that exhibits a culture which is so enigmatic and royal. This role certainly has been a learning experience as well as I had to work on my mannerisms and diction to get the accuracy.  Azaan’s character endures a deep wound of abandonment and rejection and that will lead him to make a decision that will turn his life upside down.”

Diana Khan portraying Shayra’s character commented, “This is my first television outing with COLORS and I am really grateful to be working with such experienced cast. Shayra is a girl who is well-educated, a modern woman with fierce emotions. She falls head over heels in love with Azaan but fate shatters all her dreams and brings many complexities in her life.”

Sameeksha Jaiswal who plays Noor expressed, “It’s great to be associated with COLORS. This is the first time that I will be essaying an Islamic character. I am elated to play Noor, a girl who is full of life. For Noor, her best friend Azaan means everything and can go to any extent to see her best friend Azaan happy. Noor’s character is very similar to how I am in real life; chirpy, outspoken and I thoroughly enjoyed essaying it.”

Set against the ostentatious backdrop of Bhopal, the show beautifully depicts the royal Islamic vignette, culture, and meaningful symbolic rituals surrounding marriage. Begum Raziya is the matriarchal head of the most prestigious family of the city who has created her own dynasty by being at the forefront of politics and public life. A holder of the Bahu Begum title, she is respected and revered by everyone. Although Raziya very rarely displays her emotions, she immensely loves her son Azaan and her world revolves around him. On hearing about her son’s return from London, she gets thrilled and gears up to share the big news of getting his marriage fixed to his childhood friend. While Azaan always cherished his friendship with her, Noor always dreamt of becoming his begum.  But as destiny would have it, Azaan returns home with the love of his life Shayra.

As Azaan gets torn between the rules of love and friendship circumstances, what will he eventually choose? Leaving the viewers with this thought, the show will definitely keep the viewers intrigued. Bahu Begum brings together a stellar cast of well-established actors whose strong portrayal of characters makes the show an enthralling proposition for viewers. Along with Arjit Taneja, Sameeksha Jaiswal, Diana Khan and Simone Singh, Bahu Begum will feature an ensemble cast ofMohammad Nazim as Azgar , Supriya Shukla as Yasmin and Amrapali Gupta as Suraiya  in pivotal characters.

Witness a Nikaah like none other Bahu Begum starting Monday, 15^th July 2019 and will be aired every Monday to Friday at 9.30 pm, only on COLORS!

INDIA’S LARGEST APPAREL B2B TRADE SHOW TO BE HELD IN MUMBAI: CMAI’S 69th NATIONAL GARMENT FAIR FROM JULY 15th to 18th JULY 2019

FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, 1062 BRANDS, 882 EXHIBITORS TO SHOWCASE THEIR LATEST FESTIVE COLLECTIONS ALL UNDER ONE ROOF.

The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) is organizing “India’s Largest  Apparel Trade Show – The 69^th National Garment Fair” from 15^TH  July to 18^th   July 2019  at Bombay Exhibition Centre, NSE Complex, Goregaon (East), Mumbai.

The Association has Invited the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, to Inaugurate the Fair on Monday, 15^th July 2019 at 11.00 A.M.  A Confirmation is awaited from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Mr. Rahul Mehta, President, The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (Ex-Chairman, International Apparel Federation), stated that this B2B Fair will be spread over Approx. 7,00,000 Square Feet, covering all the Halls at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, with 882 Exhibitors  showcasing 1062 Brands. This will be India’s Largest Ever Garment Fair held so far.  The Fair will display leading Brands in Men’s wear, Women’s wear, Kid’s wear and Accessories. CMAI will also publish the ‘Show Directory’, popularly known as the Fair Guide. Approximately 50,000 Retailers & Trade Visitors from all over India are expected to visit this Fair.

The 69^th National Garment Fair will be held over 4 Days . The Fair timing will be from 10 AM to 9 PM.  This B2B Fair will be open only to Trade Visitors & Garment Retailers. The Business Networking Sessions between the Exhibitors and Agents & Distributors, will also continue this year.

The total size of Indian Apparel Industry was estimated to be around Rs. 2,50,000 Crore for the Domestic Market. Out of this, Organized Market was Rs. 74250 Crore (30%), whereas Unorganized Market was Rs175,750 Crore (70%).

The provisions of the recent Budget announced by the Government especially those pertaining to additional support for the MSME Sector, interest subvention, additional Credit flow, and increased Turn Over cap for the Corporate Tax of 25% - should provide a boost for Domestic Manufacturers. However, the decision to relax norms of Local Sourcing for Single Brand Retail will have a negative impact on domestic manufacturing. FDI into this segment may however go up as a result of this move.

Mr. Rahul Mehta, President ,CMAI stated that the regime of GST completed 2 Years, and CMAI thanks the Government and in particular the GST Council for its responsive and supportive approach to all the suggestions of the Industry during this period. The Industry has more or less settled down with the new regime, and the only major request continues to be our proposal to have a single uniform tax rate of 5% across the Textile Value Chain, irrespective of the product or process.

The biggest problem facing the Domestic Garment manufacturers today is the unrestricted Duty Free imports from Bangladesh, and the back door entry of Chinese Fabrics via Bangladesh.

India has an FTA with Bangladesh, whereby Garments can be exported without any payment of Duty in to India. In the absence of any Rules of Origin, Bangladesh manufacturers are importing duty free fabrics from China, converting them in to Garments, and exporting in to India – thereby virtually providing duty free access to Indian markets for Chinese Fabrics.

                                                                                                   

It is important to note that Imports of Garments from Bangladesh has been growing at the rate of 82% over last year, and 161% over 2016-17, and has now reached US$365 million. IF THIS CONTINUES, AND OUR FORECAST IS THAT IT WILL ONLY GROW FASTER, IMPORTS OF GARMENTS FORM BANGLADESH WILL TOUCH US$3.6 BILLION BY 2024-25.

Ironically, exports of Garments from India into Bangladesh is subject to a net duty of almost 125%.

CMAI has urged the Government to act immediately on this as if this growth of imports continue, the Industry is set to lose 10 lakh jobs by 2025.

                                              EXPORTS

Exports of Readymade Garments is of immense significance to the Economy of the Nation. India’s Textiles & Clothing Exports declined from $ 38.60 Billion in 2014 to $ 37.12 Billion in 2018, while Imports increased from $ 5.85 Billion to $ 7.31 Billion during the same Period.

India slipped to the 5^th position amongst Garment &Textile Exports in 2018 from the 2^nd position it enjoyed during the 2014 -17 Period.

Apparel Exports took a hit with the introduction of GST in July 2017, as Duty Drawback Rates were sharply Reduced. The Industry took some time to adjust to the New regime.  Consequently, for the 1^st time in its history, the Industry posted Negative Growth Year on Year.   FY 17-18 total Exports were 16.7 billion Dollars which Reduced to US$ 16.1 billion Dollars in 18-19 recording a net  drop of approx. 3.5% in Dollar terms.  However, the heartening part was that from October 2018, there has been a recovery and Exports have steadily Increased since then. 

I am happy to Report that, even for the first two months of FY 19-20, there is a Growth Month on month of Approx. 9% over the Previous Year. In a large measure, the revival in Apparel Exports is due to the proactive support from the Government which Recognizes the huge Employment potential of the Industry and has ensured all support.

Mr. Rahul Mehta further stated “ I feel that we are finally turning the corner after stagnancy or de-growth. China is continuing to move out of the labour intensive and low value industries, Bangladesh is becoming increasingly expensive – though it is still cheaper than India, Vietnam is showing signs of reaching the peak of its Capacity, and emerging sourcing zones such as Myanmar and Africa have not yet made significant progress. All these factors, along with increased support from the Government, are helping India’s exports to look up after several years.

Some of the recent Reforms including Reduction in Cost delivered by a Refund of the Central & State Taxes, new Benefits under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) and Renewed 2% Duty Drawback made the Industry more Competitive.

                                     

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 ABOUT CMAI

The Clothing Manufacturers Association Of India (CMAI) is the Pioneer and most Representative Association of the Indian Apparel Industry for over Four Decades. It has a Membership base of over 20,000 Companies, including Readymade Garment Manufacturers, Exporters, Retailers and Ancillary Industry. With its headquarter in Mumbai, CMAI also has Branches in New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune.

After successfully completing Training of nearly 43,000 workmen in the last 3 years, CMAI has been again requested by the Ministry of Textiles to actively participate in the SAMARTH scheme, and it is likely to accept a target of 30,000 additional workmen training in the coming 3 years.

CMAI has recently moved its Headquarter to a more Centrally located spacious Office in order to provide all Services under One Roof. New Office is situated at A -901, Naman Midtown, Senapati Bapat Marg, Prabhadevi (West), Mumbai 400 013.

For further information, please contact Mr. Mohan Sadhwani, Executive Director on Te.l +91 22 24390909, (Mobile No. +91 9870781295), Email: ed@cmai.in