Reliance has formed an equal joint venture with Israeli apparel firm Delta Galil, one of the world’s innerwear makers to sell their global brands as well as design and make lingerie products in India. This will pitch them directly against Page Industries which is the leader in the segment with brands such as Jockey and Speedo.
Globally, Delta Galil is the license-holder with some of the marquee brands including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Columbia. Besides, it recently signed partnerships with Adidas and Polo Ralph Lauren. “The Indian 50:50 JV will make lingerie for existing Reliance brands and will also bring Delta’s global portfolio of its own brands such as 7 For All Mankind and Necessities,” said one of the two officials privy to the development.
Founded in 1975, Delta Galil operates 3 R&D centres with a focus on fabric innovation in Israel, performance socks in Oregon, and bras in China. It also holds an extensive portfolio of intellectual property, including seven registered patents, 12 pending patents, and 8 active tech trademarks.
Over the past few years, Reliance has acquired lingerie retailers and brands including Clovia, Zivame and Amante which together posted sales of more than ₹2,000 crore in FY24. In addition, it sells its private label brand through Reliance Trends, and has joint ventures with Marks & Spencers, and Hunkemoller International.
According to Wazir Advisors, the innerwear segment in India saw substantial growth over the past decade to ₹61,091 crore in market size in 2023.
The category is expected to reach ₹75,466 crore in 2025. Women’s inner and comfort wear commands a lion’s share of 60% of the total market followed by men’s, which accounts for 30%, and the remaining by kids wear.
“In women, mid and premium segments are expected to grow faster owing to higher disposable incomes and a fervent desire for comfortable yet stylish innerwear. The evolving fashion consciousness and an increasing focus on comfort contribute to the men segment’s rapid expansion,” said Pakhi Saxena, retail and consumer product goods head at Wazir Advisors.
“The branded innerwear market distribution is marked by 5-6 leading brands, collectively commanding 50% of the total branded market share.”
Reliance has presence across price points with mass brand Hush, mass-premium brands Clovia and Zivame and premium labels Amante, M&S and Hunkemoller.
