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Purvita Chatterjee

Mumbai , July 22

DAKS, Britain's recognised contemporary classic apparel brand brought into India by the Forbes Gokak group, will soon be manufactured in India.

According to Ms Reetika Dalal, India-Head, Daks Simpson Ltd, "There will soon be a made-in-India range and we are looking at setting up a base here. At present, we are looking at companies which can supply us with a reasonable range of styles.''

Among the companies shortlisted, Gokuldas Images is emerging as the likely contender for manufacturing the brand, since it already supplies knitwear, wovens and suits to other foreign brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and The Gap.

Ms Dalal said, "We are looking at India as a major outsourcing hub and are in the process of locating new vendors with good equipment who will fit into the profile for our brand.''

Daks, which currently attracts duties ranging between 75 per cent and 80 per cent, is likely to reduce its prices by a substantial amount. Ms Dalal claims, "We would see the prices coming down by nearly 50 per cent once we start manufacturing in India.''

At present, the company is unveiling its spring summer collection with shirts and jackets pegged between Rs 2,000 and Rs 14,000. "In spite of the duties, we continue to be almost 30 per cent cheaper than what the brand retails for in England.''

Retailing a range of men's and women's wear, the company is expected to sell its brands at 22 multi-brand outlets this year. It also has its exclusive stores at hotels like The Taj.

The introduction of the Daks brand marked the entry of the Forbes Gokak group into garment retailing. Through its group company, Campbell Knitwear, the group made a foray into premium retailing by importing the Daks brand nearly four years ago.

Today, the group is open to importing more brands and also intends to launch its own brand since it has an integrated plant to manufacture yarn and knit the garments to its final stage.

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