The Southern Gujarat Regional Office of CMAI (The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India)
was inaugurated by Smt. Darshana Jardosh, Hon. Minister of State for Textiles, at a glittering
function held at Surat on the 11 th February 2023.
To mark the occasion, a whole day Garment Conclave was held in collaboration with the South
Gujarat Chamber of Commerce (SGCCI), which attracted an unprecedented audience of nearly
1500 Entrepreneurs, Professionals, Experts, and Students. This is said to be the highest ever
gathering for a Garment Conference in Surat. The Speakers at the Conclave included the
Internationally acclaimed Fashion Designer Rahul Mishra, the Managing Director of Wazir
Advisors Prashant Agarwal, the Chairman of one of the top most Ethnic wear Brand SOCH –
Manohar Chatlani, renowned Consultant Rajesh Bheda, Chairman of the famous Kidswear Brand
Peppermint -Santosh Kataria, and Past President and now Chief Mentor of CMAI, Rahul Mehta.
Whilst congratulating CMAI for recognising the importance of Surat and opening its Gujarat
Regional Office, the Hon’ble Minister Darshana Jardosh urged CMAI to gather Associations from
all over India under its umbrella and unite the fragmented industry into a unified force.
Smt. Darshana Jardosh also asked CMAI to support the Handloom and other traditional forms of
Fabrics and Crafts and assist them to market to the modern Retail. She promised her full support
to CMAI in such an endeavour.
All the Speakers at the Conclave encouraged the Surat Industrialists and Entrepreneurs to look
at expanding into Garmenting as an extension of their Textile business, as Garmenting was the
industry of the future.
Rahul Mishra urged the audience to move out of their comfort zone and keep creating and
evolving. Prashant Agarwal elaborated on the market potential in different segments, whilst
Rajesh Bheda stressed the importance of setting up Smart Factories. Santosh Katariya and
Rahul Mehta dwelt on the nuances and importance of creating a Brand.
The event was brilliantly conceived and executed by the Chairman of the Southern Gujarat
Regional Committee Dr. Ajoy Bhattacharya, and the Committee Member in charge of the Gujarat
Regional Office Naveen Sainani, under the guidance of President Rajesh Masand, and ably
conducted by Dr. Vandana Bhattacharya.
Speaking on the side lines of the Conclave, Rajesh Masand outlined the ambitious plans CMAI
had laid out for its Gujarat Office, which included the setting up of 2 Training Centres, an
Executive Development Program, and a continuous series of Workshops, Seminars, and visits to
successful Factories in India and abroad.
