Bangladesh Country Manager says country way ahead of competitors
Primarily an apparel buying house that forayed into designing and manufacturing subsequently, what distinguishes Indus Apparel from others is its singular approach in offering ‘out of the box’ sourcing solutions which has been imbibed in essence and spirit by the company’s Bangladesh office, headed by its Country Manager Bilal S. Ghauri.
Established a decade ago, especially to cater to a Canadian client (as Bangladesh enjoys duty-free access to Canada) as well as try and get a foothold in the business of denim – that Bangladesh is famous for worldwide, the primary thrust of Indus Apparel in Bangladesh has been on selecting the right vendors and then develop their proficiency and abilities to deliver as per clients’ expectations.
We are trying to project Bangladesh’s competency that many customers might not be aware of.”
“We believe in building relations… We value our vendors and are going to stick with them,” observes Bilal, underlining that it takes a lot to educate new vendors and train them to live up to the stringent parameters, vital amongst which are – competence, capability, background and repute, and last but not the least, adherence to commitments. As such, Indus works with just 10-15 vendors in Bangladesh, of which 2-3 vendors are assigned for each product category. However, that does not mean the keen and the willing stand no chance of working with Indus. “We keep looking out for new vendors also – from small to big scale – because you never know what kind of buyer you may meet tomorrow,” clarifies Bilal, hinting towards diverse requirements of different clients (in terms of price and quantity) that may not match with those offered by the existing vendors.
Bilal’s aim now is to project and popularize Bangladesh’s competencies in the global arena, and to facilitate the same he has already added new product categories such as jackets, PU outerwear, fashionwear in fake leather and suede, etc. in the sourcing basket. “If China can do many categories so can Bangladesh. We are trying to project Bangladesh’s competency that many customers might not be aware of,” points out Indus Apparel’s Country Manager, who believes that textiles being the biggest contributor in Bangladesh’s growth and development, the focus still is on the textile sector chiefly. Recognizing the sector’s importance, the Government and the industry bodies also actively support it, which definitely plays in Bangladesh’s advantage, underlined Bilal. “Even during strikes and other problems, the Government and BGMEA handle the situation very well, ensuring that exports are not impacted,” says Bilal.
However, Indus Apparel’s Country Manager is reluctant to maintain the same for Pakistan, another primary sourcing destination for the company, where it has a factory as well. The scenario is no different for India, which has already moved beyond textiles to get into fields like software development and others, Bilal observed.
Given the kind of support the garment sector in Bangladesh is enjoying, Bilal maintains it would be very difficult for its competitors to surpass Bangladesh even with trade benefits. “Even if Sri Lanka and Vietnam get GSP and TPP, they cannot compete with Bangladesh because we have huge facilities. Besides, the approach of the Government towards the industry is also proactive,” Bilal added.
Notwithstanding the edge that Bangladesh holds over its competitors, Bilal’s prime concern as a sourcing agent is more about the diminishing FOBs now. Accounting for 10 per cent of company’s total earnings generated from Bangladesh, Bilal’s mantra for countering falling FOB is ‘efficiency’. “These days you don’t make money out of prices, but out of your efficiency. If you select the right product for the right concept, you can save some money,” underlined Bilal.
He adds, “It is not about making new things, but about making the rightly priced product. The kind of prices we are doing now, we never thought we could do it at this price 15 years ago. So, no matter what kind of price challenges people are facing, they are able to overcome them by increasing their efficiencies, R&D, productivity enhancement, fabric price reductions, new washing techniques, innovative fabrics, etc.”
Going forward, Bilal’s aim is to increase the business volume from Bangladesh steadily… “We will not stop hunting for new possibilities, strive for new developments, or adding new clients,” concludes Bilal on a positive note.
