“Exhibition gives insights to the uniform industry from across the globe,” says Hon Governor World Uniform market is expected to touch the $ 25 billion mark by 2030
Solapur Garment Manufacturing Association (SGMA) holding the 8th edition of Uniform Manufacturing Fair 2024 in Bangalore from December 18 to 20, 2024 was inaugurated by Honorable Governor of Maharashtra Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday. The annual fair provides a platform for manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in the uniform industry to showcase their latest products, connect with potential clients, and discuss emerging trends in the sector. Hon. Governor said that people from the whole world who are into uniform business must once definitely visit the exhibition as it gives the latest insights into the uniform industry.
Apart from the Governor of Maharashtra who was chief guest, Shri Subhash Deshmukh, former Textiles Minister and BJP MLA Subhash Deshmukh, Shri M. B. Raghunath, CEO, Mafatlal Industries Ltd, Shri Nilesh Shah, President, Shri Solapur Readymade Kapad Utpadak Sangh, Solapur; in the presence Shri Sunil Mengji, Fair Chairman; Shri Vekatesh Mengji, Fair Secretary, Solapur were also present on the dais as guest of honor.
The exhibition is expected to see the participation of 120 leading brands with more than 10,000 designs of uniform clothes and over 25,000 designs and accessories of uniform fabrics on the show.
After inaugurating the exhibition, Honorable Governor CP Radhakrishnan said the efforts of the Solapur Garment Manufacturers Association have been showing results. “I think this is really amazing that the Association has been going across India and promoting Maharashtra and Solapur as uniform manufacturing hubs of India by organizing annual exhibitions in various cities. Further giving a chance to MSMEs to showcase their products and thereby helping in employment creation leads to an increase in revenue earning of the state. It is rare to see that a special uniforms exhibition dedicated to the whole supply chain right from uniform fabric, uniform garment, accessories, bags, and shoes all under one roof is being organized.”
In his well-received speech by the participants, Hon Governor said, “It is good to know that more than 120 brands have participated. I was thrilled to see more than 10000+ uniforms design in all categories like school uniforms, workwear uniforms, corporate uniforms, industrial uniforms, airline uniforms. SGMA has done a fantastic job by forming an organized platform for uniforms manufacturers. Most difficult part is to change every year the venue and do marketing and bring visitors to the exhibition, but being informed by the association in the last 7 editions more than 25000 b2b visitors from whole country and more than 32 international country delegations have visited the exhibition.”
He said, “Even the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji had taken a note and praised SGMA for making Solapur uniforms manufacturing hub of India. Former Textiles Minister Shri Subhash Deshmukh had mentored the idea of organizing uniforms exhibition. I must say his long-term vision had today taken Solapur to new heights where whole India is now looking at Solapur for sourcing its uniforms. The day is not that far when whole world will be looking at Solapur for its uniform’s requirement.”
The 3-day show will be held at Gate No. 8, Shrinagar Palace Grounds, Jayamahal, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The International uniform and Garment exhibition has been organized by the Solapur Garment Manufacturers Association (SGMA), which conceptualized and has been successfully implementing it for the last seven years.
After seven successful editions across various states, The Uniform Manufacturers Fair has established itself as a unique sourcing platform for the uniform and garment industry. It offers stakeholders and businesses the opportunity to interact with leading manufacturers of uniform garments and fabrics and expand their business prospects.
Key stakeholders to participate from the sector include manufacturers of school uniforms, belts and ties, sportswear uniforms, logos and prints, winter wear, college uniforms, school shoes, and socks, various types of uniform fabrics, school and college bags, and hospital uniforms, as well as blazers, among others.
The Fair will witness more than 120 brands showcasing their products under one roof with almost all the leading companies engaged in manufacturing uniform clothes expected to participate in the exhibition. Among the participants In fabric brands are Mafatlal, Kaka, and Fizzical among others who will put more than 10,000 designs of uniform clothes, apart from 20,000 designs of uniform garments on the show. Besides it, other accessories like ties, belts, school shoes, socks, bags, blazers, and products related to the garment-related machines will also be on display.
World Uniform market, which was just $ 6.2 million in 2020, grew to $ 8.4 billion and is expected to touch the $ 25 billion mark by 2030, said Mr.Sunil Mengji -Fair Chairman of SGMA
The garment manufacturers of Solapur, besides supplying bulk uniform orders in the stipulated time, also fulfill the request of buyers to refill small quantity orders after completing the bulk orders. This is considered to be the specialty of manufacturers and this is the reason why South Indian retailers take interest in the uniform trade in Solapur.
Solapur Garment Manufacturers Association (SGMA) is fulfilling the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Shri Narendra Modi, who on April 9, 2014, said in his speech that the Solapur Textiles Industry has the potential, the artisans and workers here have the capacity to take the industry to newer heights. Ten years later on January 20, 2024, Hon’ble PM hailed the SGMA and the garment industry for treading on the right path of growth to make Solapur the hub of uniform across the globe. He had said that the Solapur has been seen as the uniform cluster in the world and it has emerged in the position to supply world-class uniforms across the globe.
Again, on November 12, in an election rally in Solapur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again hailed Solapur for being the uniform hub. He said, “When its comes to the uniforms, Solapur is the topmost place in the country. Generations are engaged in the sewing industry for decades making it the hub of the uniform industry.”
He said that the Solapur industry has the potential and strength to offer thousands of jobs. He also directed the industry to manufacture the uniforms meant for police and defence forces in Solapur to make the jobs available. The industry has the potential of creating over 20000 jobs and 500 new industrialists.
Inspired by the speech by Hon Prime Minister, the SGMA gathered all the manufacturers in Solapur and appealed to the young industrialist among them to come forward to take the task ahead. In 2017, The Association put a proposal of organizing an international exhibition for uniforms to the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, and Textiles Minister Subhash Deshmukh. The Minister was prompt enough to give the nod to the exhibition.
The first International Uniform exhibition was organized in Solapur in 2017 for the first time in the country. It was successfully jointly organized by the Solapur Garment Manufacturing Association and the Maharashtra Government. After the success of the exhibition, its subsequent editions were organized in metro cities of other states over the last seven years. The annual shows were organized in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The exhibitions organized in seven years have helped the industry in creating over 500 new industrialists.