GBTL Grasim, formerly known as Grasim Bhiwani Textile Ltd., and OCM, two of the oldest and most renowned brands in the Indian and overseas markets, have come together to make the new power brand GRADO that combines the potential and portfolio of the two. While the former is the center for premium poly viscose fabric, the latter is the leading player in the wool & tweed fabric and jacketing segment.
GRADO offers a wide product basket, including PV, PV blends, wool, tweed, suiting, cotton, cotton shirting, linen shirting, and cotton blends. It is also being presented as the most premium brand in the apparel and fabric business.
Although the brand is currently open only for fabric, the next move is to add apparel to the GRADO portfolio. However, cotton shirting, cotton suiting and CVC shirting are new additions that are exclusive to GRADO. Apparel additions could be expected in shirts, trousers, suits and blazers.
GRADO is a premium brand that targets the upper crust of customers. As per the current Indian market demographics, the uber- rich are not in the brand’s pursuit list. Different products offered by the brand range from the finest counts in the PV segment to 180s and 280s in woollen blends. It also offers special finishes for softer feel in the fabric and the liquid ammonia finish for enhanced sheen & wrinkle resistance.
In India, the suiting and shirting market continues expanding. However, the fabric business is witnessing a shift to over-the-counter and garmenting business. By playing their cards right, they have the market advantage as both GBTL Grasim and OCM have in-house capacities to have a share in the over-the-counter business.
Recently there has also been a rise in garment making prices. Therefore customers want to invest in good fabrics rather than the average ones to land a certain quality of product which would justify the amount they pay to get apparel out of it. With this new demand pattern, although the overall OTC business in unbranded market is on a decline, the share of branded fabrics keeps rising.
GBTL Grasim has its production unit at Bhiwani, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and covers the entire production gamut, starting from spinning to processing. Moreover there have been a lot of positive changes in the facility after acquisition. Mr. Rahul Agarwal, Director, said: “We have increased the capacities in the unit and have invested in faster machines. For instance, we have replaced Sulzer machines with the Toyota airjet machines which have increased our daily output by 30%”. Changes have also been made to increase the unit’s processing capacity.
The spinning unit at OCM is now being used as a yarn selling center. Previously only yarn was manufactured by the company for internal consumption, which has now been turned into a blooming business. This is one of the many strategies that the company has adopted to keep up with the ever competitive and dynamic market.
There is also a small segment for linen fabrics, which is combined with the cotton blend. These facilities have been set up for the GRADO brand, as it also includes linen shirting and cotton shirting as a part of its portfolio.
Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, as the Brand Ambassador for GRADO, is an ideal personality to represent the versatility and premium class of the brand. As Mr. Agarwal quoted, “we want to offer the best product with GRADO, keeping in mind the legacy of the two brands, GBTL Grasim and OCM, as both are very strong in the market and hold a certain hierarchy with them”.
The idea behind choosing Mr. Bachchan for GRADO is to present a brand which can, firstly, offer all products in the ready-to-stitch basket, and to associate with someone whose persona is so strong that it can create synergy with the legendary brands and create a strong brand image.
Further, with GRADO, there is additional effort put in for sustainability. In the current scenario, sustainability is a crucial factor for Indian and international retailers. It involves utilization of recycled raw material. Also, all the production units of the company are equipped with Zero Liquid Discharge and effluent treatment facility, both at OCM in Amritsar and at the GBTL Grasim plant.
As part of a company which is not only a big name but a unique and substantial culture in the Indian market, Mr. Rahul Agarwal’s vision is to make GRADO the top fabric supplier in India. He also wants to extend the company’s reach in the top three over-the-counter businesses of the global market and to be at the top in the PV and wool suiting market.
GBTL Grasim is already the top player in the poly viscose and fiber dyeing business, and the aim is to take OCM to the export market for yarn as well as 100% wool and woollen blend fabrics.