The KPR Group, one of the leading business conglomerates in India, has vertically integrated its textile manufacturing facility and is also engaged in areas like sugar, automobiles, education, wind and co-gen power generation. The group recorded a sales turnover of over Rs. 4,000 crores for the financial year ended March 31, 2019. It employs 22,000 workers.
The KPR Group has recently set up its garment manufacturing facility in Ethiopia and started exporting prime garments to the US and Europe. It has also established its office in Singapore to strengthen its international business. Having succeeded in all its ventures, KPR has embarked upon branding, at the launch of its new inner wear and athleisure brand FASO.
The KPR Group Chairman, Mr. K.P. Ramasamy, says that the company has planned to launch the brand initially in three main cities in Tamil Nadu – Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. The product supply would be planned through a distribution network.
He further states that the FASO products are segmented in three different premium ranges, viz., comfort, style and supreme. The FASO collections are stylish and would be available with bright trendy colours made of 100% superfine cotton that would give ultra soft comfort. The FASO garments would be skin-friendly too.
The product categories would include Brief, Trunk, Boxer Shorts, Vest, Gym Vest and Muscle Tee. The products are made by using combed organic cotton and micro nylon elastic, and due care is taken from the fibre to finished product using in-house state-of-the-art technology and process facilities across the value chain. This would enable a highly sustainable manufacturing facility with social and environmental compliance.
FASO would have its footprints across South India by August and the country by 2020.
Capacity expansion
KPR Mills is adding another 10 million garment capacity in its existing facility and also expanding the processing capacity to match the growing garment requirements. With this expansion, the total capacity is increased to 115 million garments per annum and processing to 22,000 MT per annum.
In 2018-19, KPR commenced commercial production at its first overseas facility in Ethiopia with an annual capacity of 10 million garments. With 105 million knitted garments capacity, it has become one of the largest apparel manufacturers in India.