“In 2026, India Fashion Forum (IFF) celebrated its Silver Edition — marking 25 years of chronicling and catalysing a powerful era of transformation and growth for the business of fashion in India.
As this seminal fashion intelligence platform embarks on its onward journey, it is with immense pleasure that I now take on the role of its chairman. As I take on the mantle, I thank IFF 2025-26 Chairman Vishak Kumar, CEO, Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Ltd, who headlined this event so ably and astutely over its past two editions.
Immensely supported by a stellar cast of industry doyens as event chairpersons over the years, IFF has always been a powerful intelligence destination for the industry — to exchange ideas, share experiences, discover what’s next and, importantly, meet the people and ideas that could shape it.
I have had the pleasure of attending and speaking at India Fashion Forum numerous times over the past decade. Each time, I've been struck by how IFF maps the character of — and changes in — market shifts, style forecasts, cultural influences and, perhaps above all, consumer psychographics.
As IFF launches the next 25 years of its journey in 2027, the customer must be firmly in our sights. The play needs to turn on its head. Brands must evolve with the audience — instead of dictating to it. The shift is structural, not just tactical — every customer touchpoint is a source of intelligence, not just a transaction.
I firmly believe that as long as we are led by customer intelligence, India’s fashion story has the power to become a compelling global influence. With the powerful tools of technology and digital intelligence available today, combined with a spectacular heritage of Indian fashion artistry, we all have not just an opportunity, but also a responsibility, to shape how Indian fashion intelligence influences the world.
I invite you to join us at IFF 2027 as we explore the shifts, opportunities and ideas that will define The New Fashion Order.
I look forward to seeing you there.”
IMAGES Group is the largest retail intelligence organization in South Asia and the Middle East. The Group’s knowledge platforms include print and online media, research books, and annual business events serving multiple verticals/segments of retail. The mega industry events include Phygital Retail Convention, Internet Commerce Summit, Shopping Centres Next, India Food Forum, India Fashion Forum and Middle East Retail Forum.
