Today, the Sheraton Grand in Whitefield, Bengaluru, hosted the grand opening of the 24th edition of the India Fashion Forum (IFF), the country’s biggest and most prominent fashion business intelligence event. The event’s subject, “India Fashion Collaboration: From Peers to Partners,” attempts to bring together the major participants in the sector in order to promote cooperation and propel development within India’s ever-changing fashion scene.
As the Guest of Honor, Padma Shri Kartikeya Vikram Sarabhai, Chairman of Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises and Founder & Director of CEE, honored the event. In keeping with the industry’s dedication to sustainability, Dr. Naresh Tyagi, Chairman of the IFF Innovators Club and Chief Sustainability Officer of ABFRL, also launched the thought-provoking book “Sustainable Promises” at the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vishak Kumar, CEO, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle and Chairman, India Fashion Forum 2025 said, “It is an exciting time for fashion in India because when it comes to the potential for multiplier growth, we have barely scratched the surface. This means that the best is yet to be created. The catalyst for this untapped potential lies in collaboration, innovation, and new partnership ideas. Let’s reimagine our peers as our partners and seize the immense opportunities ahead.”
Mr. Nikhil Behl, CEO, India Fashion Forum, said, “Every milestone we achieve, every challenge we tackle, and every partnership we nurtured brought us closer to reimagining the business of fashion as an ecosystem of care. For 24 years, IFF has been the annual meeting and networking destination for hundreds of fashion companies and thousands of professionals. In fact, we have often been described as India’s Fashion Network Mahakumbh! It’s easy to see why, as we kick off our 24th edition in 2025 with a powerful congregation of 700+ fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, retailers, and business enablers. 2025 marks a turning point for the fashion industry. Building strong collaborations and alliances with value chain stakeholders who share similar goals and values will be critical to navigating a rapidly changing, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment. This collaborative approach will empower us to overcome challenges and seize opportunities, propelling the industry forward.”
Former Chairman of India Fashion Forum, Mr. Shailesh Chaturvedi, MD & CEO, Arvind Fashions Ltd said, “We live in very exciting times and for the fashion industry to grow, we need to innovate, differentiate and collaborate. There is enough and more business and growth available in this consumption journey in India, where we are still in the early days of consumption. But we must innovate and differentiate.”
Concurrent show CX Forum also kicked off in the second half with deep-diving discussions and roundtables on the transformative power of tech in redrawing retail models and consumer experience standards.
The opening day featured insightful panel discussions addressing the transformative trends shaping the fashion industry:
- Collaborate to Thrive: Experts emphasized building strategic partnerships to navigate challenges like shifting consumer behaviors, digital disruption, and sustainability demands.
- Scaling Fashion Profitably: leaders shared strategies to balance profitability with long-term investments in innovation and customer experience.
- Syncing Sales Cycles: A focused session explored collaborative approaches to mitigate disruptions caused by prolonged sales and create a more sustainable retail calendar.
- Global Insights Shaping Fashion Vision 2025 & Beyond: Industry players shared impactful strategies, innovations, and global trends shaping the future of the industry.
- Unraveling the DNA of Next-Gen Fashion Consumers: With India’s consumer landscape evolving rapidly, this session explored innovative business models employed by next-gen fashion entrepreneurs to meet changing expectations.
- Optimizing CapEx and OpEx for Sustainable Growth: Top business minds discussed strategies to balance resource allocation, manage costs, and drive profitability while building high-performing teams and leveraging cutting-edge technologies.
- Beyond the Runway: Design to Delivery Dynamics: This session highlighted how innovations in backend operations, such as AI-powered logistics, are transforming shopping behaviors.
- Cracking the Code for Tier 2 & 3 Markets: As India’s smaller cities experience rapid growth, experts examined how brands can tap into these markets with format innovations and local customization.
India Fashion Forum 2025 sets the stage for transformative collaboration, showcasing how partnerships can elevate the business of fashion in India. The Day 1 conference sessions set the tone for innovative collaborations and intelligence sharing among industry chieftains.
