In a first in denim, players and brands from the industry will be recognised through 'Denim Awards' this year. In a bid to boost innovation, the Denim Awards will recognise excellence in a range of categories including design, innovation, marketing, technology, and sustainability.
"The Denim Awards, being constituted by Denim Club India, will be the first-ever attempt in India to recognise and honour professionals and companies that have contributed to the growth and evolution of the denim industry. The awards will be held as part of InDIGO 2011, an international conference and trade exhibition of the denim industry in November this year," said Rajesh Dudeja, founder of Denim Club of India (DCI).
According to Dudeja, the DCI Denim Awards will focus on products, individuals and companies that are contributing to the productivity and innovation excellence of the denim ecosystem. The recipients for the awards will be chosen by a judging panel, comprising of minimum of three jury members who will be renowned experts in the field of denim from India and overseas. The winners will be selected by the judges entirely at the panel's discretion.
Talking about the InDIGO 2011, Dudeja said, "Thee are a lot of B2B shows and conferences which cover textiles and apparel in general, but we do not have any event here which has a focus on denim, in spite of the fact that this segment has been growing at a fast pace.
The event, 'InDIGO - Indian Denim Industry : Growth Opportunities' has been conceived to fill in this gap. Moreover, only a handful of denim businesses in India are able to participate in the international shows for Denim. InDIGO will make it possible for all the stake-holders in denim to come to a common platform and showcase their best to an exclusive audience which is particularly interested in denim."
The concurrent exhibition and conference will offer multiple opportunities for professional networking for everyone who is present in the event. The exhibition will serve as an ideal business platform for domestic and international companies from the denim industry and provide a productive and interactive hub where exhibitors can concentrate completely on business and engaging prospective customers.
The international conference will highlight significant future market trends, emerging technologies and associated prospective developments and offer a unique opportunity to interact with the leading experts.
"InDIGO 2011 will help meet the needs of the fast-growing denim industry and a rapidly evolving denim-wear market, in India, and enable stakeholders in the entire denim eco-system in converging on a single platform for networking, exchange of ideas, sharing of current experiences and vision for the future. We expect around 40 to 50 companies including weavers, manufacturers of accessories, garments and finishing companies in the event," added Dudeja.