Almost 60 years into its making and having witnessed the renaissance of Indian intimate apparel industry, Groversons Apparel Pvt. Ltd. has evolved from its humble start. Today the company has become the face of running a technically advanced intimate apparel manufacturing enterprise that has become a benchmark in both quality and design values. In celebration of such magnificent realization of the dream to become India’s finest, Inner Secrets takes you through the journey of one of India’s leading intimate apparel manufacturers

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Goliaths of the
Indian Lingerie Industry A story of a grand vision that became a grand venture in
the Indian Intimate Apparel Industry
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Inner Secrets | JULY 2011

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Almost 60 years into its making and having witnessed
the renaissance of Indian intimate apparel industry,
Groversons Apparel Pvt. Ltd. has evolved from its
humble start. Today the company has become the face
of running a technically advanced intimate apparel
manufacturing enterprise that has become a benchmark
in both quality and design values. In celebration of such
magnificent realization of the dream to become India’s
finest, Inner Secrets takes you through the journey of
one of India’s leading intimate apparel manufacturers
- The Groversons.
JULY 2011 | Inner Secrets
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3. the uncovered
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Sprouting from an aspirational thought
Groversons Apparel Pvt. Ltd saw its inception in
the year 1953 by the hands of its proprietor Late
Mr. Chamanlal Grover, who sought to establish an
enterprise that produced quality lingerie items at
affordable prices. Although the company was small
in scale, its functions were spaced via an ingenious
method of fabrication whereby Mr. Chamanlal Grover
entrusted local tailors with the task of manufacturing
lingerie items from their respective homes. He allotted
requisite machinery to these tailors and roped them
in to stitch items on behalf of the company, always
ensuring strict quality control on each finished product
that passed his scrutiny.
Coming up with a ‘brand’ per say was a novel idea at the
time, but it presented an opportunity to become more
visible and easily recognizable to the people. In order
to propel the company’s name in the market, emphasis
was laid on the packaging and presentation of items. The
company first branded its women’s brazier line under the
name of ‘Paris Beauty’- a brand which went on to become
the flagship of the company. Initially, the packaging
carried the image of a model sporting the lingerie item,
but eventually, intricate floral details, carefully designed
into twirls and curves to reflect a sense of movement and
ease, adorned the box pack of the brand in order to reflect
the ‘essence’ of the brand over its actual picturization.
This box packaging was taken to a whole another level
when the price list was printed on a 200 GSM card with
four colour printing technique. Every product was labeled
accurately to carry the details of the size and design – a
first in the intimate apparel category.
The Marketing Mantra
As far as reaching out to consumers was concerned,
the company placed its first print media ad in the year
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1968 to promote their latest product offering of ‘bras
with elastic straps’ in national newspapers like the
‘Navbharat Times’ and ‘Punjab Kesari’. The front page
ad showcased a model pulling on the shoulder elastic
to indicate ease of movement. The concept of shoulder
elastic was new and innovative and, to spread the word
about the same, the print ad was deployed. Supported
by the tagline of ‘Aantrik Vastramein Vishwasniya
Naam’ (Pioneers in the intimate apparel segment)
the ad made its way to the front page of the morning
newspapers. The concept was well perceived and the
product flew off the shelves in a matter of time.
Groversons Apparel was one the first companies in the
Indian intimate apparel industry to introduce new and
unique ways of marketing a product that would, in all
their appropriateness, could be referred to as ‘ahead of
their time’. For instance, the company started giving
out complimentary items like calendars and note pads
to its retailers. These items were monogrammed with

4. the uncovered
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there came across a grievance report
regarding the company’s products,
Mr. Chamanlal took it up personally
to ensure it was resolved. With the
establishment of a new manufacturing
unit in the early 70s in Karol Baugh,
New Delhi, the company instigated inhouse production of lingerie, although
some production continued to be
outsourced.
Like father, unlike son
company’s name, its brand’s name and the logo. The
idea was to present an item that would stay with the
retailer for the long run and generate good will for the
company in return.
Innovative product design, strict quality-control,
ground-breaking product packaging and new fangled
marketing techniques were the key factors that played
to the company’s tunes and by 1980s, Groversons
Apparel and their flagship brand ‘Paris Beauty’ had
accumulated a fierce loyalty among the retailers and
the consumers respectively . The level of loyalty was
such that if a consumer failed to procure a Groversons
item from one shop, they were willing to march down
to another to procure it. In an effort to keep abreast
with latest trends and designs, Mr. Chamanlal kept his
knowledge edified by browsing through catalogues
and magazines from western countries. This helped
steer the course of production towards the ‘in’ thing
and claim novelty points in the market.
A novelty of Groversons business model, for many
years, was the absence of conventional distributor’s
network. Bearing in mind that retailers are the touch
point between the company and its customers, a
direct contact with retailers was seen as paramount.
Regular communication was the key and if ever
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In 1975, Mr. Suresh Grover - eldest son of
Mr. Chamanlal – joined in the family
business. His significant contributions were towards
overhauling the purchase process and breezing in
modern technology for manufacturing. Mr. Suresh also
introduced fancy appendages to the standard bra design,
which included addition of fancy, expensive Japanese
laces. The introduction of this unique feature to an
ordinary looking commodity item augmented the appeal
of the bra manifold, allowing the item to undertake a
sense of delicate sensuality and beauty. Ideating from
this came forward the next brand of the company titled
‘Sparsh’ - a relatively fancy bra brand. Products under
‘Sparsh’ came with an invigorated appeal and carried
the novel variety of A, B, C and D cups. Transcending
from the standard deign to a premium level, ‘Sparsh’
also stood out for its English packaging.
The most prolific change in the business model came in
the early 80s when Mr. Suresh rolled out a distribution
network, breaking the three decade old system of
connecting directly to 1500 of company’s retailers. The
main aim behind this decision was to allow retailers to
get efficient and timely service, taking the load off the
company’s shoulders, and subsequently allowing the
company to rest focus on other important aspects of
the business, given the intimate apparel market was
shifting towards producing grade-one products and
widespread promotion of the same.
Throughout the 80s, all the way to early 90s, Groversons
was at the helm of market share, with its products flying
off the shelf in retail outlets all across the country. The
year 1995 brought with the unfathomable passing of
Groversons tour-de-force, Mr. Suresh who succumbed
to a heart attack. This was closely followed by the
passing of Groversons proprietor, Mr. Chamanlal
following which the onus of the company befell on the
remaining heir –Mr. Rakesh Grover.

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Picking up the strands
Taking over the entire business function in a
gradual fashion, Mr. Rakesh Grover first directed
the company’s focus towards integrating the entire
production process into one. “Our objective was to
standardize patterns, measurements and undertake
the entire process of cutting in-house in order to
improve consistency of output”, informs Mr. Rakesh
Grover. Secondly, in an effort to augment sales of
fancy intimate wear, he introduced the much inrave’ trend of moulded cup bras to Indian female
audiences in the year 1997. Groversons procured
the machinery for this from Italy and also brought
in professionals from Italy to impart necessary skills
to its craftsmen. “Modernizing the business was the
need of the hour”, believes Mr. Rakesh Grover. By the
end of the millennium, the company had overhauled
and re-oiled its existing functions to operate with an
improved momentum. Inner Secrets probes deeper to
find out how the journey has fared for the Managing
Director of this lively organization. In conversation
with Mr. Rakesh Grover.
IS: According to you, how does one’s educational
and family upbringing shape their outlook
towards life?
Mr. Rakesh: During my school and college years,
I have been a recipient of business talks that used
to take place on the dinner table. After securing
my M.Com degree I was naturally enticed into
joining the family business. With my father being
a thorough businessman and my brother being an
epitome of modern-age leadership, I am grateful
I got the best from both worlds. In due process,
I got a broader perspective in life; I was able to
cultivate my own visions regarding the company.
But yes in my case the literary as well as domestic
environment were conducive in forming a positive
attitude towards life.
IS: How would you describe your very first day
in Groversons?
Mr. Rakesh: Like everyone, I too had a very dull first
day on the job experience. Initially was appointed to
look after the production department. I was completely
baffled as there were no studies and no standard
measurements that went into making the products.
All was dependent on the tailor. Every tailor had a
different measurement and so everything was seemed
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haphazard. As a result, I faced a lot of challenges as
there was no centralization. But when we stopped the
practice fabrication it provided me a little relief.
IS: How have you personally groomed yourself to
understand the dynamics of this industry better?
Mr. Rakesh: I along with my team have travelled to
different countries in the search of new technology.
We have participated in many trade fairs and forums.
In this trade, it is the design aspect which thrills me
the most. For this reason, I visit international events,
fashion shows, etc. to be well-informed of the latest
trends.
IS: In the preliminary years, what do you consider
as your biggest contributions to the company?
Mr. Rakesh: My first objective was to standardize
patterns and measurements. In 1997, we were the first
ones to introduce the concept of moulded cup bras.
To learn its specific operations we called in experts
from Italy. Lastly, I wanted to modernize the business.
To some extent I believe I have been successful in
achieving them, but yes one should never cease at
the fulfillment of accomplishment but seek for higher
objectives that don’t easily fall in one’s gamut.
IS: What have been your attempts in modernizing
Groversons?
Mr. Rakesh: I knew what I wanted in terms of the
end product but I couldn’t quite figure out what kind
of technology would help me get that. So I did go
ahead and purchase machinery but I was dubious
as who would operate and manage them. For this
purpose, in the year 2000 I asked my two cousins,
Mr. Vineet Nagpal and Mr. Jitendra Grover, who
were industrial engineers at that time, to join hands
with me in my venture. Intimate wear is actually
an engineered product which requires systematic
working so I started the building of a team that was
educated and technically competent. The formation
of departments was very crucial in organization.
Separate sets of people started to handle production,
logistics, R&D and designing.
IS: We all know that quality holds much priority
for Groversons, how vital is the ‘human aspect’ in
this organization?
Mr. Rakesh: Every person has a certain caliber, I
personally have tried to give employees the right
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vocation. This organization is an excellent epitome
of concocting varied individuals. We have retained
employees who have worked during my father’s times
and we have employees who are recent recruits, they
all bring something different to table and hence they
are all important to Groversons. From time to time
the organization arranges team building activities
which brings all the departments together. Recently
we started the GPL which stands for the ‘Groversons
Premier League’; since cricket is a favourite among
most of our employees we couldn’t think of a better
way that would unite all of us. In a fun way, we
managed to build team spirit and promote the feeling
of togetherness.
IS: How do you perceive the current intimate
apparel scene in India?
Mr. Rakesh: There is no doubt that the intimate
apparel industry in our country is booming. From a
cottage industry it is becoming a full-fledged industry.
But there are some shortcomings that still plague
this segment. Manpower is one of the main assets
of our industry. Due attention and training has to be
provided. Manual employees of this industry, in most
cases are not stable. Even after providing the necessary
training the industry is unable to retain man-power.
This is because they become so efficient with our
detailed stitching that they shift to garment industries
where stitching is relatively simpler. Secondly, there is
much scope for the improvement of domestic sourcing
of raw materials. The quality of fabrics that is obtained
from western countries is much superior from those
found in India. On a positive side factories are trying to
churn out quality fabrics which adversely increase their
prices. I must also mention the industry’s dire need of
having more women labourers who understand the
ethics of this particular product.
IS: What does the future behold for the Groversons
Group?
Mr. Rakesh: We are in the midst of opening another
factory in Tronica City. The company has reinstalled
new branding strategies; it will pay more attention
to this aspect in the coming years. On the subject of
man-power we plan to bifurcate every department,
so employees will learn department specific skills.
Depending on the demand we aspire to open one
factory every year. Gradually we would want to turn
these factories into profit centres. Lastly, our assurance
on quality will remain for years to come.

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Technical extravaganza
Once existing methodological functions were oiled
to rope in upper-limit efforts, the focus was shifted to
introducing finer procedures in terms of production,
marketing and business administration. To help assist
in the process of regeneration of the company, Mr.
Vineet and Mr. Jitendra (the engineering duo) in
the year 2000 set out to modernize functions. They
contributed significantly towards establishment
of additional, technically advanced factories and
integrating the business model.
First off, the company directed focus towards enhancing
the consistency of production and departmentalization
of processes. Separate departments were set up to handle
every individual aspect of operation including logistics,
R&D and design. “At the time, the company had 30-35
small scattered manufacturing units across the north of
India. From an administrative point of view, it was easy
to control big units rather than scattered small ones”, says
Mr. Rakesh. The engineering duo captained this process
of consolidation of manufacturing units by shutting down
units which were less productive and subsequently combing
scattered smaller units into one large manufacturing
outpost. This process went on till 2003.
Groversons' first unit was established in the year 2003
in the GT Karnal Industrial area, spreading across
8000 sq. ft. of space. Groversons’ second unit was set
up in the Patparganj area in the year 2006 followed
by one in Manesar district in the year 2007. What was
so distinguishing about these factory outposts was the
use of advanced infrastructural designs and high-end,
modern technology systems. Production machineries
with installed capacity of 1,30,000 units churned out
over 50,000 items a months.
Special emphasis was laid on ensuring ease of movement
of the product through various departments, proper
ventilation systems, high-tech safety equipments,
comfortable lighting and establishment of an overall
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Inner Secrets | JULY 2011
hale and hearty environment that facilitates superior
production. Attention to even the most singular
of the details, such as installation of powder based
sprinklers that contain fire without damaging the
goods as compared to its water based equivalent,
reflects the amount of consideration that has been put
into creating a healthy factory environment. From
spaced out stacking areas, alley designs, trolleys to
setting up a broadband communication systems that
links spaced out factories and offices to each other via
high-tech video communication systems, Groversons
infrastructures are unlike any other in India.
Groversons factories are renowned for their state-ofthe-art operational prowess. High-tech machineries
including East Man and KM (Cloth cutting machines),
A.M.P Pisani (Moulding machine), Pegasus, Juki and
Yamato (Stitching machines) adorn each manufacturing
unit, churning out top-quality lingerie items. From
proper ventilation to power backup, Groversons
factories take immense care in ensuring that work
atmosphere is sustainable and easy on the nature.
Such evolved and superior level of work environment
is a testament to the quality control efforts that
Groversons is exemplary for. The company is already
in the process of establishing another equivalent unit
by the end of 2011, which is likely to set the bar high for
industrial excellence. This augmentation of industrial
process has been one of the most noteworthy changes
that Mr. Rakesh has ushered in. Since Groversons was
the first lingerie manufacturing company to receive
ISO 9001:2008 certification, they will continually
focus on maintaining and upgrading their superior
level of work environment.

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New Millennium, New thinking
The new decade that came with the millennium,
saw many changes in the lifestyle and consumption
patterns of the Indian female segment. Firstly, there
was a significant change in the outwear choices, as
urban women moved on from
salwar-kameez to western wear
and were slowly becoming
brand cognizant. Taking hint
from the emergent trends,
Groversons decided to
introduce their third lingerie
brand ‘Poems’ towards the
beginning of 2006, designed
exclusively to match the
requirements of modern fashion
apparel in an all-new, fun and
colorful avatar.
2005 to 2008 saw the company’s
marketing efforts take centre
stage
in
its
processes.
Heavy emphasis was laid
on designing marketing
strategies that could break the
clutter that was now created
by rampantly mushrooming
players in the intimate
apparel
manufacturing
category. For this, posters
carrying images of women
modeling different designs
and brands of the company
were created and installed
at various retail outlets
of the country. The idea
was to surface as the topof-the-mind brand when
it came to purchase
decision.
Towards the end of 2008,
the company brought
forward its fourth brand
offering of Miss –Teens,
more popularly known as
Miss-T, a range of lingerie
that was directed specially towards the
young and more youthful female segment.
Miss-T is rather noteworthy for bringing
in truly international lingerie aesthetics into
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Inner Secrets | JULY 2011
Indian intimate wear. In relation to the compnay's
growth Mr. Pammi Chabra, a distributor who owns
Rumal House (Lucknow) said, “Being in the business
for almost 20 years, we have worked with all three
generations of Groversons leaders and we have had
good working relations with each of them. We have
always had good response for their products and hope
to see it continue.”
As the purchase patterns take on a shift with the
continuous changes in the lifestyle and increase
in brand awareness and brand consciousness,
Groversons is gearing up to increase its brand
presence furthermore. “Gradually, we want to turn
our factories into profit units,” claims Mr. Rakesh
with an aspirational insight.
In the new decade that was
flagged off with 2011,
there is much that has
been
achieved
by
Groversons.
Their
brands pin the loyalty
charts
unlike
any
other, their following is
unchallenged in the north of India
and other parts of India. Groversons
Apparel Pvt. Ltd has, indeed, come a
long way.
"We have a 400 plus strong distribution
network. This allows us to reach out to 28
states of the country via 15,000 plus retail
outlets. Our products are available in every
corner of the country, and although we still
struggle to meet the huge demand, we are
trying to augment our processes better,"
said Mr. Rakesh. The company plans to
direct focus on increasing exports. They
are also in talks with various companies for
likely tie-ups and co-branding opportunities.
Since Groversons was the first lingerie
manufacturing company to receive ISO
9001:2008 certification, their focus remains
on maintaining and upgrading their superior
level of work environment. The company is in
the process of establishing another equivalent
unit by the end of 2011, which is likely to set
the bar high for industrial excellence. This
augmentation of industrial process has been
one of the most noteworthy changes that the
Groversons is known for.

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storyline
Brands of Groversons
Known for their extensive range of lingerie, Groversons brands have the distinct air of being high in quality,
exclusive in design and creative in overall presentation and look. “I have been in this business for almost 25
years now and in all of these years Groversons products have been consistently good,” said Mr. Vijay Sachdeva
(a distributor) of Sachdeva Traders. The company has presented for Indian women a plethora of brands that have
been easy on the price but never low on quality and fit. Its brands are not only exclusive but they all encompass
in them the earthly values that Groversons has long been governed by.
1
Paris Beauty
The flagship brand of Groversons, Paris Beauty is the most well-known brand of the company.
It carries a cotton and hosiery range, which comprises of panties, slips, camisole and sports bras.
The first brand to be launched by the company, Paris Beauty has withstood the test of time, credited
majorly to the fact that over all these years, Paris Beauty has evolved with its female consumers,
molding its ways to accommodate the shift in trends, patterns and expectations from the brand.
2
Paris Beauty Premium
3
Paris Beauty Premium is a range of fancy bras under the flagship title. This range is an amalgamation
of international styles with ultimate comfort. The range consists of full coverage, deep neck, halter
neck, underwire, pushup, moulded, seamless, balconet, plunge, convertible and nursing bra to name
the few styles. The products under Paris Beauty Premium are designed in 100% cotton adorned with
imported laces and fabrics to give the products a sense of sensuality with comfort.
Sparsh
Launched in the early 80s, Sparsh continues to be a pioneer brand in the intimate apparel category
for being one of the first brands to introduce the concept of A, B, C and D cup bras. A novel concept
at the time, the company was attentive enough to first educate its customers about the range and
how it can caters to their need better. Crafted in high-quality fabric with elastic bands, unlike the
standard rubber elastic based bras, Sparsh products continue to hold close acquaintanceship with its
audience for being elegant and value oriented.
4
Poems
5
Known to carry an international appeal in terms of presentation and perception, ‘Poems’ from
Groversons is a distinguished brand that exudes a sense of flamboyance but with overtones of being
smart. Launched in the year 2006, Poems carries a sense of ‘Indian-ness’ in it products. It is targeted
at young women who are independent and particular when it comes to intimate wear. It hopes to
cater to lingerie that blends with the personality and the apparel in perfect harmony.
Miss-t
Understanding a shift in the modern intimate apparel consumption pattern, the company decided
to tap the large below-30, young, aspirational and urbane female population (significantly teenagers)
with something that was more fun, easy to wear and yet fashionable. T shirts, suits, office-wear, sportswear and plunging necklines demand a modern take on brassiere and Miss-t was designed to cater to
this shift exclusively. Launched in the year 2008, its brazier range offers seamless support that is easy
on the skin yet with perfect fit.
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Inner Secrets | JULY 2011

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Being one of the proprietors of one of India’s oldest continually existing brand, ‘Paris Beauty’, the company
in due course of time has created brands which are in-tune with today’s changing times. “I have worked in
this business for nearly a decade now and I have always seen Groversons products as being consistently
good. What works for them is the fact that they cater to all classes of people, giving them extensive range
of products (daily to fancy) to choose from at a reasonable budget. The management at Groversons is
very approachable. Now that it is comprised of young and aggressive minds, we can hope to see far
more innovative products from them,” said properitor of B.M. Agencies (Jaipur), Mr. Bhushan Chandnani.
A name that promises quality, style and everlasting comfort, Groversons not only has become an emblem
presenting women’ intimate wear needs, but also a name which has played a very vital role in regulating
the unorganized sector. With a never ceasing urge to innovate and accelerate, Groversons Apparel Pvt.
Ltd has donned a role that of responsibility. This grand venture in the Indian Intimate Apparel Industry will
optimistically fuel aspiration of other hopefuls who have vision coupled with ambition. “My only message
to everyone in the industry would be to put the consumer first, listen to their feedback and always plan
big to achieve big things,” concluded the gleaming Managing Director of Groversons Apparel Pvt. Ltd.
Concluding on a proverbial tone with people
acquainted with the Groversons
(Lucknow):
Rumal House
ng in the
Chabra: “Bei
Mr. Pammi
we have
most 20 years,
business for al
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to see it contin
Sachdeva Tra
ders
(Sadar Bazar)
:
Mr. Vijay Sac
hdeva: “I have
been in
this business fo
r almost 25 ye
ars now
and in all of
these years G
roversons
products ha
ve been co
nsistently
good.”
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Inner Secrets | JULY 2011
B.M
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