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Valji group introduces new range of school uniform fabrics

E-Tex Staff - Bangalore

The Mumbai-based Ranjit Silk Mills of Valji group, a market leader in school uniform fabrics in the decentralised sector has launched the widest range of school uniform fabrics for the coming academic year, under the brand name ‘Darshan’s Valji’.

School uniforms has become a big business for both mass and mid-tier retailers. Over Rs 50 crore worth merchandise of Ranjit Mills covers 3,000 uniform designs and markets through countrywide dealer network. The company is a large-scale manufacturer and keeps up production of uniform fabrics throughout the year. “Thus large stock of fabric is ready before the season starts so as to meet the demands of dealers in the season,” said company officials. The fabric range includes mix and match fabrics, stripe designs, checks, twill, print and plain colours and cotton plain quality. Valji group also provides custom-made designs to various schools. These uniforms are available in a wide range of fabrics like polyester/cotton blend (P.C), polyester/viscose (P.V) blend, 100 per cent cotton and other soft textured fabrics for school children. The group also manufactures industrial fabrics for economical uniforms of factory workers.

The school uniform season in wholesale market usually starts from December 15 to June 15. “We consistently provide mill standard fabrics and prompt service to our esteemed clients,” stated Mr Balchand V Kothari, chairman of Valji group. “Because school uniforms are a mandatory item, most consumers expect durability out of the merchandise. School uniforms essentially have to be of good quality,” he adds. According to him the business is growing at a phenomenal rate and the company has increased school uniform production, to meet the increasing demand. The group plans to start exports in the near future.

“In order to meet the demand and to address the issue of quality, retailers too rely heavily on uniform manufacturers to step up to this challenge. Last year, total sales of school uniforms across the country was more than a lakh metres and these numbers are expected to grow over the next two years,” he stated.

Ranjit Mills entered the uniform business in earnest about twenty years ago and has been witnessing healthy growth in this segment. According to Mr Kothari, “We expect to see higher growth if more schools switch to uniform programmes.” Darshan Valji group has a wide marketing network in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, UP, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi. Now it plans to expand to Assam and other states. Valji group has 100 distributors and semi-wholesale dealers and 10,000 retail outlets. The group plans foray into the export market in the near future.