Indian Companies are Investing in the Right Technological Foundations

Centric Software was founded in Silicon Valley 20+ years ago, the company works in close partnership with the brands, retailers and manufacturers to deliver ground-breaking innovations that overcome industry-specific challenges. These solutions are market-driven, leverage best practices and are highly configurable in order to serve companies of all sizes and business models, including multi-category, multi-geography and multi-process.

Could you share an overview of Centric Software with us?

Consumer goods, including most items we buy in stores, are typically made by a group of people, often spread across different rooms, buildings, time zones, and countries. These teams have diverse expertise. For example, in the fashion industry, which is where Centric Software was born, there are experts in textile design, dyeing, finishing, knitting, and pattern making. Similarly, industries like cosmetics and food share some aspects with fashion, such as seasonal trends, but involve different requirements like formulation, packaging, and compliance. In food, tracking ingredients is crucial, as some are banned.

Our solutions help companies conceptualise products—not by designing them, but by determining what the consumer wants. We help ensure that the product fits with a brand’s DNA and promise. We guide companies through the process of material selection, sourcing strategy, and specifying manufacturing details. Some of our clients are manufacturers, while others work with OEMs or ODMs to source products. We support them from the beginning, helping with product design and its subsequent manufacturing.

Centric Software solutions also assist with the financial side, specifically merchandise financial planning, for retailers. This includes deciding on product assortments, pricing, and the timing of sales.

Our solutions cover the entire planning process, from product conceptualisation to execution. We guide clients through the preseason phase, strategy development, and sales planning. Once the selling season begins, we help with stock management, replenishment, and end-of-season activities. End-of-season strategies are increasingly important due to sustainability regulations, which prohibit the destruction of unsold goods in some countries. Selling out stock is both a financial and environmental best practice, and we help companies navigate this phase effectively. In summary, our solutions cover every aspect of the product lifecycle—from planning and conceptualisation to execution and sustainability.

Could you share details about your presence in India?

Our history with India can be divided into two phases. Initially, we worked with software development partners, customer support teams, and project managers in India for over a decade—around 12 or 13 years.

About three years ago, we shifted focus to directly serving Indian customers and building our own teams, including retail and technology experts. These teams now advise companies and share best practices. We currently work with around 990 customers, nearing a thousand, and are preparing for a company celebration when we reach that milestone. Our expertise, built over nearly 20 years, is now integrated into our software and being applied to the Indian market.

Some of our prominent customers in India include Trent, Pantaloons, Style Union, Ethnicity, Derewala (jewellery), and Chennai Silks (traditional Indian clothing), showcasing the broad range of industries we serve. We’re just getting started in India. And in fact, we just signed our first food company in India, Graviss Group.!

How do you perceive the current state of the Indian fashion industry, and what is your outlook for its future?

That is a difficult question because India is a large country with diverse cultures and regions, each at different levels of maturity. However, in general, I perceive that India is ready to advance technologically. There’s significant potential for Indian brands, retailers, and manufacturers to serve both the domestic and international markets.

Many Indian companies, especially newer ones, are starting out digitally enabled. Even before they begin selling, they are investing in the right technological foundations, knowing it’s essential to stay competitive. This trend is happening globally, but it’s already taking shape in India. Additionally, some companies that began traditionally, using paper or basic tools like spreadsheets and emails, are now realising they need more to stay competitive. They seek efficiency, agility, and real-time information, leveraging tools like AI and automation to guide decision-making and position themselves for the future. This is an exciting development, and I believe there’s a big opportunity for India.

Its said that the company accelerates the process of bringing the right products to market on time. Given the current global uncertainty, has this had any impact on your process?

No, the reality is that there is always global uncertainty. Post-COVID, we had supply chain disruptions, followed by inflation. Now, there are concerns about potential tariffs from the US, the impact of AI, and the influence of Gen Z. Gen Z, is shaping the world, and it’s prompting brands and retailers, and all companies in general, to rethink their strategies.

There’s always been evolution, change, and disruption, but what’s different now is the complexity many companies are facing, partly due to Gen Z. There’s a shift towards individualised, personal products, driven by micro-communities and the discovery of new interests through social media and the internet. People want products that reflect their unique tastes—whether in sports, music, food, or art. As a result, brands and retailers can no longer adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. The only way companies can navigate this complexity is through technology, which provides the foundation for working differently.

So, while this idea of change isn’t new, it feels more acute now.

What are some fashion trends that we see emerging right now?

Sustainability, digital fashion, and personalisation dominate 2024. Brands are adopting eco-friendly practices, leveraging virtual and AI-driven experiences, and catering to gender-fluid, tech-integrated, and retro-inspired preferences.

Could you please elaborate on the sustainable practices you are incorporating into your processes?

Our software is like a shell that can be configured to work in various ways. Companies can adjust its processes and structure workflows. More and more of our customers, the majority, are incorporating sustainability into their processes. This includes certified B Corps with documented, sustainable practices, much of which is managed through our software. We also work with companies setting up sustainability-related KPIs. For example, some customers require a certain percentage of their fashion collection each season to be sustainable, such as using non-bleached cotton, organic cotton, or recyclable materials. While the definition of sustainability may vary, each company has its own standards. Our software helps integrate these KPIs into the planning, execution, and documentation processes, similar to how financial KPIs are used to manage costs and selling prices.

Could you please provide a more detailed explanation of the Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) solutions that your company offers?

PLM is all about operational efficiency, delivering classic business benefits like accelerated time to market, reduced cost of goods sold, and achieving more with the same headcount. It minimises risk by reducing errors, which can lead to costly mistakes, such as product recalls or noncompliance, often due to people lacking access to the right information. PLM consolidates all that information, preventing issues like copy-pasting and data piecing from multiple systems. These are the core expectations from customers, whether in India or elsewhere.

What’s new is the concept of competitive market intelligence, as defined by Gartner. We acquired a company that developed an AI tool for this purpose. It scrapes data from over 1,000 retailers in 100 countries, analysing billions of products. We’ve been gathering and summarising this publicly available data for years, enabling brands and retailers to see how they compare with competitors.

This tool helps identify product gaps, price differences across countries, discount strategies, and which sizes or colours are selling faster. It also provides insights into search engine trends, presenting them in a way that is relevant to fashion and outdoor sectors. For example, trends like the popularity of pink jeans were identified early through search spikes. Today, you can see up to 10 concurrent fashion trends in any product category, a significant shift from just one or two trends a few years ago.

This data is real-time, allowing brands to drill down into product categories, geographies, and sales channels. It’s a powerful tool for informing decisions, whether designing collections, making product choices, or setting pricing and promotion strategies based on competitor analysis.

How was the performance of both the company and the global textile industry in 2024, and how do you envision it evolving in 2025?

Centric Software had a stellar 2024, expanding globally and enhancing our AI-driven PLM solutions. The textile industry faced challenges like rising costs but showed resilience with digital transformation and sustainability initiatives. In 2025, we expect continued growth in technology adoption, localised sourcing, and sustainable practices, driving innovation and market recovery.