Bengaluru, January 28, 2026: As India’s fashion and lifestyle retail industry looks ahead to 2030, industry leaders believe the next phase of growth will be defined by higher standards, technology-led business models, true sustainability, and a sharper focus on value creation across formats and markets.
These forward-looking perspectives took centre stage on Day 1 of the India Fashion Forum (IFF) 2026, India’s leading fashion and lifestyle retail event, currently underway from January 28–29, 2026 at Sheraton Grand, Whitefield, Bengaluru.
Celebrating its 25th edition under the theme “Influence; Impact; Innovation – Empowering Fashion’s Future,” IFF 2026 is bringing together over 3,000 attendees, 700+ brands and companies, 250+ industry experts, and 100+ exhibitors to reflect on the industry’s journey so far and chart its course for the decade ahead.
Marking the significance of the 25th edition, Amitabh Taneja, Chairman & Managing Director, IMAGES Group, thanked the industry for building IFF alongside IMAGES over the years. “India Fashion Forum belongs to the industry as much as it belongs to us. For 25 years, we have walked alongside retailers, brands, developers, and partners – as listeners, collaborators, and enablers. This milestone reflects the trust the industry has placed in IFF. Our commitment remains to serve as a platform that encourages dialogue, shared learning, and collective progress as the ecosystem prepares for its next phase of growth,” he said.
Welcoming the Fashion Retail fraternity from India and across the world, Nikhil Behl, CEO – Fashion, IMAGES Group, reflected on IFF’s evolution from a conversation platform into a collective force shaping the ecosystem. “Over 25 years, India Fashion Forum has grown into a community, a catalyst, and a collective voice of India’s fashion and retail ecosystem. As we look ahead, IFF’s role will be to act as a bridge – for entrepreneurs, for sustainability intelligence, and for collaboration across retail and manufacturing – so the industry can continue to build, learn, and grow together,” he said.
Setting the thematic direction for the next chapter, Vishak Kumar, Deputy Managing Director & CEO, Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited and Chairman, India Fashion Forum, highlighted both progress and priorities for the decade ahead.
“Over the last 25 years, the fashion industry has grown at an estimated CAGR of 11 percent – significantly faster than India’s GDP. We have become far more organised, more tech-driven, and more connected as an industry. However, intense competition makes value-led and sustainable growth critical. As we move towards 2030, the focus must be on true sustainability – not greenwashing – and a collective war on waste and energy inefficiency,” he said.
Emphasising the need to raise benchmarks as India becomes more globally visible, Abhishek Ganguly, Co-Founder & CEO, Agilitas, cautioned against complacency. “What should not happen is that we continue to accept lower standards in aesthetics, functionality, and detail. As India opens up to the world, we must pursue excellence relentlessly,” he said. “The future will be powered by technology, AI, better tools, stronger brands, and significantly improved product quality. Sportswear, in particular, is poised to become a much bigger fashion category.”
Balancing ambition with discipline, Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director, BIBA Apparels, said, “Consumption will grow and opportunities exist across markets, but it is important to correctly assess demand and size stores accordingly. Markets evolve over time – you can expand footprints and categories along the way, but value creation must remain central, even as malls expand beyond the top cities.”
From an e-commerce and fulfilment perspective, Mouli Venkataraman, CEO, Cocoblu Retail, pointed to structural shifts reshaping retail models. “E-commerce is settling into three formats – full selection, quick commerce, and value commerce. Among these, quick commerce is likely to dominate over the next two to three years,” he noted. “This evolution will significantly influence supply chains, store formats, and growth in Tier-2 and smaller markets.”
Highlighting the changing role of physical retail, Abhishek Bansal, Managing Director, Pacific Group, spoke about the evolution of shopping centres. “Shopping will become increasingly seamless between online and offline platforms, and brands that integrate the two effectively will win,” he said. “Malls are getting larger, brand space requirements are increasing, and organised retail is now expanding into Tier-2 cities with populations of 25 to 50 lakh.”
The discussions at IFF 2026 reinforced its position as a mirror to the industry’s evolution and a platform for future-focused dialogue, as leaders collectively outlined what India’s fashion and retail ecosystem must do today to be ready for 2030.
About India Fashion Forum (IFF)
India Fashion Forum (IFF) is India’s largest and most influential event dedicated to the transformation of fashion retail. Over the past 25 years, IFF has established itself as a premier platform that brings together key players from across the fashion industry, offering curated knowledge dissemination, peer-to-peer networking, and business development opportunities. Widely recognised for its impact, IFF serves as a dynamic hub for organisations and professionals connected to the business of fashion in India, facilitating insights, collaboration, and growth within the ever-evolving fashion landscape.
