'Ahmedabad' picks 'Denim City' tag

09 Jan '06

2 min read

Enough of it to wrap around the earth's equator nearly six times over! That's the volume of denim that a single city churns out each year to supply to leading global brands.

Levi's, Lee,Wrangler, GAP and Ralph Lauren, you name it and their jeans are made from fabric made in this 'Denim City'. Still don't believe your eyes? Here are some figures to chew on.

Over half a dozen players in this 'Denim City' produce over 230 million metres of denim in a year, leaving the Earth's circumference behind around 40,000 km.

This 'Denim Capital' has arisen from the phoenix of the 'Manchester of the East' in less than two decades, when Arvind Mills Ltd, now the world's third largest denim manufacturer, diversified into denim in 1987-88.

Today, only US-based International Textile Group with around 180 million metres per annum (mmpa) and Weiqiao of China with 140 mmpa are ahead.

Ahmedabad could well be the single largest denim producing location in the world, says Jayesh Shah, director, Arvind. And how did this come about?

"With Arvind setting up shop, a cluster has developed giving Ahmedabad the denim edge. The entire infrastructure is now in place, right from ancillaries like machinery, dyes and chemicals down to availability of the skilled manpower," explains Shah.

Agrees Vinod Arora, CMD, Aarvee Denims & Exports Ltd (the city's second largest player at 47 mmpa). "Cotton, the primary raw material, is abundant in Gujarat. The lower input costs are an added advantage."

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