Countdown to Proposte: Swadeshi Brothers Look Toward Velvet Expansion

BANGALORE, India—Swadeshi is growing 50 percent a year, Sunil Gupta says. 
Sunil and his brother Sushant own the business.
The Gupta brothers built their business on the foundation of their father’s efforts in the apparel fabric industry which started in the 1970’s and they purchased the first shuttleless looms for home furnishings fabrics in 2003.
Swadeshi participates in only one exhibition each year–Proposte in Cernobbio, Italy. About 85 percent of the power needed for manufacturing is solar powered which proves the pair have a serious belief in sustainability.

Export which started in 2000, is a big part of Swadeshi’s business especially to South Africa, UK, Germany, France, Italy and the USA, about one third of the business. The balance is done domestically in India where Swadeshi is getting closer to the consumer, Sunil explains. Sarita Handa, a seven store retail chain in Delhi, carries the Swadeshi line The fabric line consists of 125 designs annually with 100-yard minimum orders. The line is The fabric line consists of 125 designs annually with 100-yard minimum orders. The line is shown to the customers three times a year, including a showing at an outside showroom during Proposte. Sunil runs the marketing, and his older brother Sushant (both partners) handles the manufacturing, with 12 modern jacquard looms and 22 embroidery looms about one hour away from the headquarters. The pair, who speak to each other 4-5 times a day and rendezvous every other week at the mill have purchased land for their next chapter, cut and loop velvet production in about 24 months. This will put Swadeshi into the upholstery business for the first time and boost the business about three million dollars annually, Sunil says.

Silk is only three percent of Swadeshi’s business today as it transitioned to more sustainable linen, cotton and viscose products for the editeur market with a high-end product line, embroidery rich in the $30-$45 plus dollar range for fabrics, embroidered wall coverings under the Echelon brand, curtains and made-ups. Echelon is priced as high as $1,200 a roll and is an embroidered wallcovering.
“The tariffs will hit all of us,” Sunil says. We’ll wait and watch what happens. All Indian exporters will be hit. American editeurs will put things on hold. A 25 percent tariff would be more livable,” he feels. “We’re in the upper end of the price pyramid but the lower end of the market will have a difficult time with the tariffs.”