Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd & NICEorg Join Forces to Transform India's Cultural Entrepreneurial Initiatives With a Focus on Rare Craft

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL), has announced a strategic collaboration with the Network of Indian Cultural Enterprises (NICEorg) to empower India's cultural entrepreneurs and revive rare crafts through a national accelerator program.

This initiative is designed to identify and mentor promising cultural enterprises across the fashion and home decor sectors. Focused on rare and diminishing crafts, the program will provide selected entrepreneurs with deep-dive mentorship from ABFRL's experts in marketing, design, supply chain, finance, and entrepreneurship, while also facilitating exposure to potential brand partnerships within ABFRL's portfolio.

"At ABFRL, we believe that true progress lies in inclusive growth - where the past, present, and future come together," said Dr. Naresh Tyagi, Chief Sustainability Officer, ABFRL. "This collaboration with NICEorg is more than just a program; it is a movement to celebrate India's rich craft heritage by building sustainable business models around it. Through this initiative, we aim to scale up artisan-led products & brands, strengthen rural livelihoods, and integrate timeless skills into contemporary fashion." he added.

"At NICEorg, our mission is to build a strong foundation for cultural entrepreneurship in India. This partnership with ABFRL Jan Kalyan Trust is a significant step toward that vision. By combining ABFRL's deep-rooted industry expertise and market access with our experience in supporting cultural brands, we aim to create meaningful opportunities for craft entrepreneurs to scale sustainably, preserve heritage skills, and drive social impact through enterprise," says Kanchana KV - CEO, NICEorg.

Through this partnership, ABFRL will further its commitment to nurturing artisan-led enterprises and integrating India's rich craft traditions into contemporary fashion and home decor. As a leader in fashion and sustainability, ABFRL aims to create scalable, impact-driven business models that celebrate heritage while driving future growth. NICEorg will support the program by providing access to its cultural entrepreneur community and knowledge resources.

Applications for the program will open in April 2025 via www.abfrl.com & www.niceorg.in. Cultural enterprises working with heritage crafts are encouraged to apply and join this unique journey of impact-driven entrepreneurship.

About Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited
ABFRL is part of a leading Indian conglomerate, The Aditya Birla Group. With revenue of Rs. 13,996 Cr. spanning retail space of 11.9 million sq. ft. (as on March 31, 2024), it is India's first billiondollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats.

The Company has a network of 4,538 stores across approximately 37,952 multi-brand outlets with 9,047 points of sale in department stores across India (as on 30 th September 2024).

It has a repertoire of India's largest brands in Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England, established over 25 years. Pantaloons is one of India's leading fashion retailer, while Style Up is an emerging value retail format.

Company's international Brands portfolio includes - The Collective, Amongst Indias largest multibrand retailers of international brands and has long term exclusive partnerships with select brands such as Ralph Lauren, Hackett London, Ted Baker, Fred Perry, Forever 21, American Eagle, Reebok, Simon Carter and Galeries Lafayette.

The Company's foray into branded ethnic wear business includes brands such as Jaypore, Tasva & Marigold Lane. The Company has strategic partnerships with Designers 'Shantnu & Nikhil', 'Tarun Tahiliani', 'Sabyasachi' and 'House of Masaba'. This also encompasses the recently amalgamated TCNS portfolio of women's ethnic brands: W, Aurelia, Wishful, Elleven, and Folksong.

In addition, to cater to the needs of digitally native consumers, ABFRL is building a portfolio of Digital-first brands under its technology led 'House of D2C Brands' venture TMRW. TMRW is on a path to building a portfolio of Digital First brands in partnership with founders of emerging brands in the E-Commerce market.

About Network of Indian Cultural Enterprises(NICEorg)
NICEorg is a Not-for-Profit Section 8 company engaged in building an ecosystem for cultural enterprises by creating, delivering and enabling workshops, networking, mentoring, funding, research, and policy advocacy. It is focused on health, wellness & beauty, fashion & accessories, home decor & furnishings, tourism and food & beverages. NICEorg conducts programs such as Aarohana, Indika, Samvaad, and NICE Angels Meet among others.

For further information, please contact - Janet Arole, AVP & Head, Corporate Communications, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited | [email protected].