Classic Polo, a brand to reckon with
A leading knitwear brand of India, Classic Polo (CP) is part of a well-known Tirupur-based business house, Royal Classic Mills which was incorporated in 1991 by Mr. R. Gopalakrishanan with his rich textile background. From a humble beginning with just 50 employee’s, the company now employs more than 3,000 workers.
In the garment export cluster that is Tirupur, the Royal Classic Group (RCG) started out as a garment exporter just like the others, but actively changed focus to the domestic market in 2001 though it was doing perfectly well on the export front.
While most exporters in Tirupur were focusing on foreign brands, RCG was trying throughout to create its own brand. The dream came true in 2001 when the group launched its domestic brand under the name Classic Polo.
Classic Polo, one of India’s finest indigenously manufactured complete men’s wardrobe solution, is the flagship brand of RCG. Today it has the privilege of being one of the few preferred brands among young professionals. The product range is predominantly men’s polos and tees, casual shirts and trousers, with a wide range of denims.
CP offers the fresh and vibrant collections season after season. The brand constantly defines new fashions trends catering to changing consumer demand and targeting the 20-35 age group.
Positioned as a mid premium brand, CP offers functional yet fashionably casual range for men, which is perceived as a brand that does not compromise on quality, fit, design and comfort.
Classic Polo covers the length and breadth of the country with 60 exclusive stores, 4,500 multi-brand outlets, 65 large format stores such as Shoppers Stop, Centrals, Globus, Pantaloon, Reliance, etc.
In an exclusive interview the The Textile Magazine, Mr. Gopalakrishnan, RCG Chairman, talks about the brands success story: “The mantra behind the success of Classic Polo is that it is trying to overturn the conventional business model of textile exports, and it seems to be succeeding for us. In the domestic market, realization takes a little longer, but margins are much better ……Export quality at Indian prices has succeeded well…”
In the past 12 years the company has spent heavily on brand promotion which has definitely helped to reach millions of customers – to make their repeat purchase with Classic Polo.
In the last decade when vertical integration was not a fashion in Tirupur, RCG deliberately went down that route, and this has paid huge dividends. The company has heavily invested in processing in 1996-97 which has been one of its biggest steps towards complete integration. This came at a time when most Tirupur firms were not keen on investing in processing.
The company has invested nearly Rs. 50 crores in the installation of water treatment plants in 2004 for three lakh litres to comply with the Government norms and regulations. Later in 2008, it increased its capacity to 10 lakh litres and then to 20 lakh litres by 2011. Currently its treatment plant operates at maximum capacities recovering and reusing liquids with zero discharging and are planning to increase capacity to 30 lakh litres by 2013.
RCG’s infrastructure comprises complete facilities required for knitwear manufacturing, right from state-of-the-art knitting machines from Mayer & Cie, Germany, wet processing (dyeing), finishing, garmenting and retailing. The company has the capacity to produce 20 tons of fabric per day and a sewing capacity of close to 25,000 pieces per day. The ultra-modern facilities ensure maximum productivity, with minimum workforce required at every stage of production. Periodic modernization at every factory ensures maintenance of quality standards.
Royal Classic Group is still a medium-sized company. The 21-year-old group has a turnover of close to Rs. 300 crores. The brand aims to grow at 65 per cent year-on-year in branded garments. The group’s overall growth is expected at 20 per cent in the next few years, the same as the average industry growth.
The company is indeed highly committed to its core values centered on maintaining the highest standards of ethics and business practices in order to achieve the overall objective of being a global player through relentless pursuit of perfection.