Many of the old-timers of the business have either moved out or given the reigns of their business to the next generation… but there are still few for whom the passion of the garment export trade keeps them connected and very much amongst the action. One such name is Ajay Sabharwal, MD, IN-DESIGN – a Mumbai based buying agency with offices in Delhi and Bangalore and among the oldest buying operations in India. Preferring to keep a low profile, Ajay is well known among the old export houses many of whom stared their global journey through him. Team Apparel Online caught up with Ajay at his Mumbai headquarters and took a recap into the early years of the industry and why IN-DESIGN works with limited exporters and buyers…
- IN-DESIGN works with 30 vendors including Richa Global, Orient Fashions, Le Shark, India Fashions, Span India, Mohan Exports, Sing & Smile, Indian Connection and Gokaldas Exports.
- Germany is the main market for the buying office with buyers like Bogner, Fire & Ice, Gin Tonic, Frankonia Jagd, Joop! Jeans, Jako-O, Quiero, Wohrl, Breuninger. Besides that the office is also working with Custo Barcelona, Spain, Max Mara Group, Silvian Heach, Moschino, Pinko, Frankie Morello and Sixty Spa, Italy.
- To handle a very creative customer base, a Product Development team of four people travel extensively around the world and work closely with fabric mills to create around 2,000 concept boards every year.
Even after nearly 40 years of association with the textile and garment industry, Ajay still marvels at how destiny shaped his career. A management graduate from a premier institute and a specialist in molecular chemistry and engineering, Ajay was prepared to take on global responsibilities for major Indian companies, having in-depth understanding of the German market. However, fate had other things in store and after a chance meeting with owners of Neckermann, he took on the role first as an Executive Assistant to the Chairman, then as the Resident Director, Hong Kong for Michael-Simon Co. Ltd. (formerly known as Neckermann Versand Far East Ltd). His primary role was to source multi-products, including garments and home furnishings for the company from Asia, including India in the late 1976.
The first sourcing office for the company in India was established in 1977 at Nariman Point. “By then the first liaison operation in India, MAST Industries (1973-76) had given up on India and moved to Sri Lanka. We worked consistently and generated about 2 billion Deutsche Mark worth of business from Asia by 1982 of which textile was an important segment,” shares Ajay.
He adds that the industry was at a very nascent stage and most of the big exporters of today frequented his office for work. One of the companies that he shares a special bond with, as they stared their export journey with Ajay and till today are important vendors for him, is Richa Group. “It was fun in those days as everyone was new to the industry and we all were discovering what India could offer to a global market. Even though we had business interest, the underlining friendship and respect created, continues till date,” says Ajay.
It was in late 1982 that Ajay packed his bags and returned to India, to pursue an independent career. After a lot of soul searching on what he really wanted to do, IN-DESIGN was setup in February 1983 as a buying office to cater to primarily the German speaking markets for Indian made garments with Span India, Mohan Exports, Sing & Smile Delhi as their first vendors. With the background that Ajay had, his ex-company Michael-Simon were very confident that he would give India sourcing a major thrust so they decided to shut their office in India and Ajay inherited the staff along with some of the business. Even today, Germany is the main market for the buying office.
Even before IN-DESIGN was setup, Singh Exports had cornered the Delhi scene and some smaller buying agents were also making their presence felt, Intercraft was a benchmark, with practically everyone wanting to work with them. Orient Fashions, Orient Craft, were slowly building their business. In fact, it was at the advice of Mr Singh that Ajay opened the Delhi office to be nearer to his Delhi Vendors.
“I have been in Delhi since 1983, but very few people know where we are; all my staff is from Mumbai and has been personally trained…, it is not that we are not open to sharing, but the truth is we work with a very dedicated set of buyers and vendors and prefer to concentrate on our work which today is very high-end,” says Ajay.
Having taken the decision to let off lower-end customers, Ajay sent some of his people to Germany and Italy to be trained, slowly developing a business model which is creative and sourcing some of the most innovative products that many may consider not the forte of India. “Today I work with around 30 vendors from around the country and many of them are very niche players,” informs Ajay. In Tirupur, Ajay works with Le Shark, which he claims has some of the best technologies for value additions, which many of the bigger export houses do not have including a 20 wing printing machine, in-house knitting besides a lab certified to strict European standards. Another niche player is India Fashions in Mumbai, which makes the most amazing fashioned sweaters from Shima Seiki and Stoll machines with FOB of 25 Euros and above that are not seen from Ludhiana players, despite many having similar machines.
Though the buying office is working at the high-end, the order sizes are not too small and anything from 3,000 to 5,000 pieces would be considered an average order size though some orders could be even smaller. For designer brands like Max Mara, Frankie Morello, Moschino and Pinko, IN-DESIGN is working with two Mumbai based vendors and one that’s based in Delhi for the intricate embroideries. “Not everyone understands the quality requirements of such high-end designers though many exporters have made embroidery their core strength,” says Ajay. The office workers on very high-end fabric sourced from India, Italy, South Korea and Japan and the leather for the jackets come mostly from Italy and Spain.
Ajay is saddened that the industry has not matured the way it should have. “Nothing has really changed, because the attitude of chalta hai and jugaad still persist in most factories. No doubt, technology has improved and factories are cleaner and more compliant, but the mindsets are the same. It is sometimes difficult to sell India to high-end buyers, but then it is better to work with an evil I know well, than try some other country,” concludes Ajay.
To handle this very creative customer base, a PD team of four people travel extensively around the world and work closely with fabric mills to create around 2,000 concept boards every year. “We show our buyers what we can do from India and the different techniques available, based on trend directions, they further work on our concepts and synergies with what they want, to create the final product,” informs Ajay. The level of product integrity maintained is indeed very high and no buyer/vendor can see what the other is doing. “We keep our designs in a strong room,” shares Ajay jokingly.
Though Ajay has subsequently ventured out into other business, the passion for the fashion industry keeps him coming to the office every day. “I don’t have my own room at any of the offices because I sit with my team and work alongside them,” shares Ajay.
This hands-on approach has supported the growth of the buying house and made it a preferred partner to many high-end brands. “Sometimes when a customer shows me a product I know it will be too painful to source from India, so I guide them where to source it from, but most times I try to work with my committed vendor base to get the product shipped from India,” assures Ajay.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
