1,000 outlets with nearly two million garments
The Aditya Birla Group has just announced the launch of Birla Cellulose’s “Liva” brand. Briefing the media, Mr. K.K. Maheshwari, Group Business Director, Fibres and Textiles, and Managing Director, Grasim, stated that the launch of Liva was “indeed a defining moment for us as we take another major step forward in the continuing journey of Birla Cellulose towards achieving greater heights of excellence and growing leadership globally”.
He said the business, long-term, has a great future and that viscose staple fibre, once reckoned as a commodity, is increasingly moving to raise its share of value-added products and solutions.
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the Group Chairman, stated: “The Pulp and Fibre business is an integral part of our Group. Over the years, it has contributed significantly to our growth and has taken a remarkable position in terms of global presence. We enjoy a leadership position with over 20% of the world market share. Over the last 3 years alone our investments have been in excess of Rs. 4,300 crores and our capacities have scaled close to 1 million tons per annum. Let me add that, as a Group, we have always been customer-centric and VSF continues to move ahead of the times”.
He further observed: “You would be surprised to know that our consumer brands are over Rs. 60,000 crores, larger than that of many leading consumer brands put together. With the launch of LIVA, our endeavour is to establish the same connect with the end-consumer (who in the Viscose Fibre business is several steps removed from our operations) and while doing that take the entire value chain along with us.”
Commented Mr. Maheshwari: “Firstly, we needed to create a distinctive and relevant end-consumer promise. With years of experience and several intense rounds of understanding consumers, we have found one that we believe resonates strongly with their desires and beliefs. Not only does it fully satisfy them on the aspect of being a natural product, it also delights them on the distinctive aspect of the product which is its soft drape, or ‘fluidity’. I am delighted to announce that we are launching this product under the brand name ‘Liva’ with the very simple but very meaningful and attractive proposition of ‘Natural Fluid Fashion’.
The second major step taken was the setting up a strong Design Studio backed by a powerful Technical Research and Development Centre. They are geared to working with the value-chain to bring forth every season, new innovations that are in trend and which consumers and trade-partners will see as being really “in fashion”, remarked Mr. Maheshwari.
Elaborating further, Mr. Maheshwari spoke of how the Birla Cellulose team has been working closely with a large number of value-chain partners, including spinners, fabricators and processors.
“We have created a new partnership concept, called the Liva Accredited Partner Forum, or LAPF, that is an integral part of this ingredient brand. While these partners work on continuously improving their quality and service to brands and retail, on our part we are working closely with them in areas of technical support, design development, supply chain and market development. We have over 250 partners now in the Forum”, he added.
He also spoke about the various ways in which Liva would strengthen the value proposition of multiple brands and retail, enhancing their fashion quotient. Liva will be available with leading brands and retail like Van Heusen women, Allen Solly women, Global Desi, Chemistry, F-109, Pantaloons and Lifestyle. In the first season of national launch, Liva will reach over 50 cities and 1,000 outlets with approximately two million garments, tagged with Liva.