The Hindu Business Line : Disney, Indus Clothing in pact for kids' jeans

ICL has signed a licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company for the venture and is planning to invest Rs 21 crore in it. The investment is part of the company's plan to set up a greenfield facility in Uttaranchal where it will be producing one lakh pieces.

ICL aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 120 crore by the end of 2007. Targeting the 4-14-year-olds, the range of apparel and fashion accessories including belts and bags will be distributed through stand-alone shops in the metros and towns. ICL plans to start with 20 such outlets in the coming year and increase the number to 50 by 2008.

Mr Harpartap Singh, Director, ICL said, "The kidswear market in India is almost 15 per cent of the total apparel market and lies completely untapped. We are looking at clothing for kids who are brand-conscious and are on the lookout for something exclusive for themselves."

ICL hopes to create a niche for itself and have the first-mover advantageas it expects other international players to soon venture in.

With the growth figures for the kidswear market set at 30-40 per cent in the coming years, Disney Jeans hopes to leverage the Disney brand consciousness among Indian children.Although the jeans will not carry any of the typical Disney character embellishments, the company feels that the brand itself will be the selling point of the apparel.Categorising the apparel as `transitional wear', Mr Singh said the range symbolises Disney's new direction to associate the brand with style and quality as opposed to only cartoon characters. With regard to manufacturing the brand in India, Mr Singh envisages ICL importing some of the raw material required for production, particularly fabric, from countries such as Korea, China and Taiwan. The company plans to start production at its Uttaranchal plant by February next year and will formally launch its apparel in August 2006.

ICL is the distributor for Lee Cooper, the UK jean label, for 12 years.

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