As India ramps up its industries and builds its infrastructure, the workwear market is maturing fast to protect the workers powering this growth.
From civil aviation to ports, railways, mining and urban housing, every sector is booming.
The Union Budget 2025-26 has boosted capital investment in infrastructure to Rs. 11.21 lakh crore (US $ 128.64 billion), or 3.1% of GDP. Meanwhile, FDI in construction development (townships, housing, built-up infrastructure and development projects) and infrastructure construction (roads, ports, railways and other large-scale projects) activity sectors stood at Rs. 1,35,824 crore (US $ 15.79 billion) and Rs. 2,58,516 crore (US $ 30.05 billion), respectively, between April 2000 and March 2025.
Globally, workwear is advancing as well, with smarter designs, safer materials and sustainable innovations shaping the future of the sector.
Making the most of this growth is Mallcom India, which offers a wide range of industrial PPE solutions and safety products, including workwear for diverse industries like automobile and auto ancillaries, construction, oil and gas, petrochemical, aviation and farming.
Globally, the company with an annual revenue of Rs. 500 crore (US $ 46.37 million), is known for fire-resistant workwear and winterwear, supplying primarily to Europe and North America through buying houses and also to DIY stores in Europe. In India, Mallcom caters to all industry segments but is mostly active in the lower end of the market.
The business is split roughly 55-45 between exports and domestic sales. It operates both as an OEM, supplying private-label products, and through its own brand, with about 55-60% of turnover from private-label sales and 40-45% from branded sales.
Mallcom has manufacturing units across West Bengal, Gujarat and Uttarakhand. A new greenfield project worth Rs. 100 crore (US $ 11.27 million) is underway in Sanand Gujarat.
| “Globally, workwear is advancing as well, with smarter designs, safer materials and sustainable innovations shaping the future of the sector.” |
In an exclusive interview with Apparel Resources, Rana Das, Associate Vice President – Branded Sales, Mallcom India talks about how Mallcom’s products are supporting the workwear sector, the importance of meeting global safety standards, the hurdles in the market’s journey towards maturity and more. Here are the edited excerpts.
AR: What are the key products in your portfolio and how do they raise the bar for safety and comfort?
Rana Das: Our focus has always been on designing products that truly protect workers while being practical, durable and comfortable for everyday use.
Take our safety helmets, for example, the Jasper and Diamond series which are lightweight yet incredibly durable, made from high-density polyethylene.
They’re UV-resistant, can handle extreme temperatures from minus 10°C to 50°C and feature adjustable ratchets and sweatbands for a secure fit. Then there’s our range of hand protection gloves. We’ve engineered gloves like the Canadian series, LR3TDL and Cut-resistant Nitrile Gloves to offer abrasion and impact resistance without compromising dexterity. Features like filament steel blended para-aramid linings, reinforced palms, vein protection and heat resistance up to 250°C ensure that workers in construction, welding and heavy engineering can perform safely and efficiently.
Our workwear, from hi-vis jackets like PROCLO to flame-retardant coveralls like Firamid, shields the body from dust, spills and harsh conditions, while still offering functional design elements like pockets and zippers.
And our safety shoes, such as Barbet and Civet, combine a dual-density PU sole for slip-resistance and ladder grip with steel toe caps that withstand high impact, all the while remaining comfortable for long hours of work.
AR: Global safety standards are evolving. How do you stay ahead?
Rana Das: Compliance and quality are at the heart of everything we do. All our products meet rigorous Indian standards like BIS and ISO and we also ensure alignment with global certifications such as EN, SEDEX and Australian norms. For example, our safety shoes comply with EN 20345:2022 and IS–15298 (PART-2): 2016. But for us, it’s not just about ticking boxes. We make sure that every product goes through stringent tests, so that it performs reliably in real-world environments.
Similarly, our gloves, from Canadian and Driver Gloves to Seamless and Cut-n-sewn Nitrile Gloves, have set high standards in India for features, technology, certifications and product variety. All our gloves are tested to meet Indian standards (BIS/ISO) as well as global certifications like EN, SEDEX and Australian norms. These strict tests help make sure the gloves protect workers and reduce the risk of accidents.
It’s the same approach with body protection gear. From flame-resistant overalls to high-visibility vests, our garments are designed for today’s risks. They comply with global safety standards like EN and ISO, offering resilience, protection and freedom of movement. Industries such as oil, gas, electrical maintenance and more benefit from these products.
Our safety shoes meet Indian, European and American regulations. Certified to standards like EN 20345:2022 and IS–15298 (PART-2): 2016, they provide reliable protection to workers.
| “Our workwear, from hi-vis jackets like PROCLO to flame-retardant coveralls like Firamid, shields the body from dust, spills and harsh conditions, while still offering functional design elements like pockets and zippers.” |
AR: How much of your production is backward integrated?
Rana Das: Most of our raw materials — roughly 80% to 90% — come from Southeast Asian countries. The general fabrics we use for our workwear are sourced within India, but when it comes to higher value-added materials, we usually look to international suppliers.
We really focus on backward integration across many of our product segments. For example, in footwear, we have our own tannery, so we’re able to source and process leather ourselves. In the glove division, the process actually starts right from the yarn stage — we knit our own fabrics on circular double-bed knitting machines, which lets us experiment with different knit structures. We also have facilities for calendaring and brushing, and from there, it moves into garmenting with advanced design, cutting and sewing units.
We’ve done quite a bit of backward integration in hand protection as well — both leather and synthetic gloves. In our seamless gloves section, we’ve integrated flat-bed knitting machines allowing us to convert highly technical yarns (like high-cut resistant yarns) to gloves followed by in-house NBR processing, which allows us to vary colour and texture to keep up with market trends.
To make all of this possible, our state-of-the-art lab helps us integrate both ways — testing raw materials at one end and validating final products at the other.
That said, if you’re referring to full-scale backward integration, like setting up a mill — that’s not on the cards right now. It’s a very specialised area and would need a different kind of expertise to add to the company’s portfolio, which isn’t an immediate focus at the moment.
AR: How do you see technology shaping the future of safety gear and are buyers willing to pay a premium for higher-quality products?
Rana Das: I think technology is going to play a big role in the future of safety gear. We’re already associated with a company that makes IoT-based helmets. We don’t manufacture them ourselves, but we’ve invested in the company, so we’re involved in this technology. For workwear, we haven’t yet added sensor-based products, but the industry is moving that way, and I expect we’ll see such innovations in the commercial space soon.
As for pricing, it really depends on the industry. If you compare our products with those from Vietnam, Bangladesh or Pakistan, our quality is definitely higher, especially in garments, where colour fastness, shrinkage, longevity and wash cycles matter.
In construction, where low-cost labour is common, price may take priority. But in sectors like oil and gas, where skilled technicians operate sensitive equipment, providing high-quality safety gear is essential. Otherwise, the product doesn’t serve its purpose.
Having said that, we are seeing more value-added products entering the Indian market. Larger companies are increasingly seeking quality workwear from reputed manufacturers, while basic products are becoming widespread.
AR: Where does the protective workwear sector still face gaps and challenges?
Rana Das: Sometimes the market gets flooded with cheap products from the unorganised sector and from overseas. One major issue in the protective workwear segment is the lack of specific standards. There are no BIS norms for many important parameters.
For example, in shoes or hand gloves, BIS standards exist for things like cut protection, abrasion resistance, tear strength, puncture resistance or minimum thickness for shoes. But in protective workwear, there are no comparable standards. Key factors like colour fastness, shrinkage and wash cycles are not regulated by the government, which creates challenges. Industry bodies have made some representations, and work is ongoing, but unlike gloves or footwear, which have standards updated every three to four years, protective garments have not seen updates since the 1970s, a legacy of British-era policies. There has been little progress in developing new norms for this segment.
| “In shoes or hand gloves, BIS standards exist for things like cut protection, abrasion resistance, tear strength, puncture resistance or minimum thickness for shoes. But in protective workwear, there are no comparable standards. Key factors like colour fastness, shrinkage and wash cycles are not regulated by the government.” |
AR: With tariffs and global market changes shaking the industry, how are you handling these challenges?
Rana Das: There’s no doubt that the US tariff on India has been a big shock for the industry. However, we are optimistic about the future because we don’t depend only on the American market. The domestic market is doing well and government efforts to boost local demand are a big positive for us.
Stricter enforcement of workwear-related laws is also helping. When the government takes action, it sets an example and other companies follow suit, which improves overall compliance in the industry.
