Apparel August 2019 Apparel August 2019 issue | Page 31

69TH NGF SPECIAL in supporting the Fair. As it is, he never fails to thank the Fair Committee for its continuous perseverance to make the Fairs into what they are today. He went on to express his gratitude to the entire Fair Committee. He also made a special mention of Mr Govind Shrikhande, ex-Managing Director, Shoppers Stop, for all the support he has extended to the Fair and Association over the years. Ankit Agarwal, Business Head of Clothing, Udaan also spoke a few words on the occasion. Mr Mehta added that business worth R750 crore to R800 crore was expected to be generated during the four days of the Fair. He mentioned that this time, the Fair was home to relatively bigger Brands such as Levis, Liva, and more, and that this only adds to the overall appeal of the Fair. Mr Mehta then touched upon a few key trends and problems plaguing the Industry currently. He averred, “The biggest problem facing Domestic Garment Manufacturers today is the unrestricted Duty-Free Imports from Bangladesh, and the back-door entry of Chinese fabrics via Bangladesh.” Thereafter, Mr Mehta lit the traditional lamp and cut the ceremonial ribbon, with CMAI’s Core Committee Members—namely Mr Rajesh Masand, Vice President, Mr Mohan Sadhwani, Executive Director, Mr Rohit Munjal, Chairman, Fair Sub-Committee, and Mr Anand Chokshi, Joint Chairman, Fair Sub-Committee, along with other Members from the Managing Committee and Fair Sub-Committee—in tow. Post the inauguration, the Committee Members ushered Mr Rahul Mehta to various stalls sprawled across the venue, wherein he, along with the rest of the office-bearers, interacted with myriad Manufacturers and pored over the range of garments displayed there. Apparel spoke to the participants and here is what they had to say about the 69th NGF: Shubham Singh from Royal Jinaam expressed, “We have been receiving good response from MR MEHTA ADDED THAT BUSINESS WORTH R750 CRORE TO R800 CRORE WAS EXPECTED TO BE GENERATED DURING THE FOUR DAYS OF THE FAIR. Buyers at the Fair, and are looking forward to only bettering it.” Lokesh Naveen Sivakumar from A Toddler Thing said, “This is the first time that we have been associated with CMAI. The response has been better than what we had expected. We have received many inquiries over these four days and we are quite happy with how the entire event has turned out to be.” Kanji Patel from Tiny Girl said, “I am hoping to drive sizeable business transactions at the 69th NGF. As compared to last year, the space between stall rows has widened, which gives buyers enough space to comfortably manoeuvre their way on the ground.” APPAREL I August 2019 I 25