Arvind, JCB partner to provide industrial wear

The product range will be made available through Arvind & JCB India’s distribution network and
point-of-sale locations across the country.

Arvind Ltd and JCB India Ltd recently have announced a partnership to introduce protective, smart,

comfortable, and stylish ready-to-wear industrial uniforms. This partnership is the first of its kind

to offer co-branded protective wear and industrial uniforms for India’s workforce. The product range

will be made available through Arvind & JCB India’s distribution network and point-of-sale locations

across the country.

Industrial uniforms have become essential in view of the increasing focus on occupational safety and

health (OSH) and regulatory compliance in India. Stringent government norms, growing awareness about

safety regulations, globalization of domestic companies, and the growing number of MNCs setting up

manufacturing facilities in India have contributed to the increase in demand for safety-compliant and

comfortable industrial uniforms. While the OSH market is growing, there is limited choice in branded

ready-to-wear industrial uniforms in the country. The partnership between Arvind and JCB India will

unlock new opportunities in this market segment by offering best-in-class products for core sectors

like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, iron & steel manufacturing, mining, automobiles, defence, armed

forces, and construction, among others.

Arvind will complement JCB India’s safety shoes business with its value-added protective wear and

personal protective equipment (PPE) product basket, which includes coveralls, dungarees, rain wear,

and balaclavas. These products are fire-resistant, chemical-resistant, and shock-resistant, and

possess other such properties that serve to protect factory workers, fire-fighters, construction crew,

soldiers, healthcare professionals, and security personnel from the harsh operating environments that

their respective jobs entail.

Commenting on the partnership Ashish Kumar, CEO – Advanced Materials Division & Arvind Envisol, Arvind

Limited said, “We are transforming our business quickly through technologies and partnerships that

enable us to explore and create new opportunities. Extending textile manufacturing beyond fashion and

into areas like safety and protection, is one of the areas we are focusing on. This partnership will

leverage JCB’s market presence with Arvind’s textile manufacturing capabilities to provide industrial

wear that will meet the highest standards of safety and protection.”

“Safety is of paramount importance for us at JCB. It does not get limited to our machines on

Construction sites only, but is an overarching philosophy. We are committed to introducing products

which enhance safety and protection and our partnership with Arvind Limited gives us an exciting

opportunity to do just that in the area of apparel. In India’s rapidly growing occupational safety and

health market, we look forward to working together to create a market presence for value-added

protective wear and personal protective equipment,”
says Vipin Sondhi, MD and CEO, JCB India Limited.

One of the oldest mills mills in India, Arvind Ltd, has not only survived when over 90 mills in the

western part of the country closed down over the years, but also has reaped a growth rate of over 15

per cent year-on-year basis. Being among the top five organised denim manufacturers is another honour

for the group, which today has diversified interests in the textile field including advanced textiles,

said a spokesman of
the company.

The spokesman added: “One more asset that Arvind has built over the years is 65,000 acres of organic

cotton cultivation, totally owned and supported by the company. Now, Arvind has also emerged as the

biggest company in protective equipment. It has established good markets in South and North America

apart from Oceanic regions of Australia and New Zealand.”

Arvind story began with a simple investment of $40,000. In 1980, Sanjay Lalbhai, founder-Chairman had
a vision, and by the early 1990s, new technologies were introduced for building the vast empire. In

2002, Arvind Group entered garment segment in a big way. Then came brands after brands, launched in

the country by the Arvind Group. Then came the group’s blueprint for advanced textiles, in which it

has steadily built a big portfolio, including composites.

Arvind is a $1.7 billion conglomerate with interests
in textiles, branded apparel and retail, real estate, engineering, advanced materials, environmental

solutions, omni-channel commerce and telecom. Arvind Limited is an integrated solutions provider in

textiles with strong fibre to fashion capabilities for a global customer base. It is also a design

powerhouse churning innovative concepts and generating intellectual property. It ranks amongst the top

suppliers of fabric worldwide. Its denim, woven, knit and voile products are known for being

innovative and sustainable. The company strives every day to create opportunities beyond conventional

boundaries and believes that possibilities are endless.

JCB India Limited is a leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment in India. The

company started as a joint venture in 1979 and is now
a fully owned subsidiary of JC Bamford Excavators,
United Kingdom. With five state-of-the-art factories in India, it today manufactures over 50 products

in eight product lines which are not only sold in India, but have been exported to over 95 countries.

JCB has the largest dealer network in the construction equipment industry with over 60 dealers and 650

outlets spread throughout India. JCB machines have been used to build world class infrastructure in

India for close to four decades. JCB
today provides a full range infrastructure equipment solutions for customers.