The 24th edition of India Fashion Forum (IFF), India’s largest and most prestigious fashion business intelligence event, kicked off with grandeur on 28th January at Sheraton Grand, Whitefield, Bengaluru.
Day two of IFF 2025 began with a high-energy lineup of keynote addresses and panel discussions, offering deep insights into the evolving landscape of fashion retail in India. Covering topics ranging from AI-powered personalisation to differentiation strategies and supply chain resilience, the sessions brought together industry leaders to share their expertise on navigating the ever-changing retail ecosystem.
KEYNOTE: AI-Powered Customer Engagement & Personalisation
The day started with a keynote by Prashant Kumar, Co-founder of Netcore Cloud, who explored the transformitive role of artificial intelligence in enhancing customer engagement. Kumar discussed how AI-driven personalisation is reshaping fashion retail, helping brands deliver hyper-targeted recommendations, improve conversion rates, and drive long-term customer loyalty.
Differentiation in a Crowded Market
In a market saturated with fashion brands, standing out is critical for success. A panel consisting of Abhishek Anand, Brand Business Head – Aldeno (CIEL Group); Anish Agarwal, Founder, Aero Armour; Arun Sharma, Business Head – Retail, Wildcraft; Ashwini Seth, CEO & Founder, Dennison India; Chippy Mehta, Co-founder & COO, The Bombay Shirt Company; and Harshit Vij, Founder & CEO, Freecultr, moderated by Jonathan Yach, Head of Operations and Customer Success, Gopalan Malls delved into how innovative brands create distinct identities through strategic positioning, strong brand narratives, and exceptional customer experiences.
The panelists highlighted the importance of storytelling, authenticity, and customer-centric branding to carve a unique space in the market.
Surviving the Retail Singularity
As AI, automation, and digital transformation continue to disrupt retail, COOs from leading fashion brands discussed how to sustain growth while optimising operational efficiency. Key points included store rationalisation, cost-effective scaling strategies, and balancing e-commerce with brick-and-mortar operations. Panellists of this session included Sandip Kanti Baksi, COO, Astromueller; Berry Singh, COO, Ace Turtle (Lee, Wrangler, Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us, and Dockers); Abhishek Raj, COO, Lacoste India, and the session was moderated by Vivek Sandhwar, COO, Being Human Clothing.
D2C Fashion Brands Reinventing Retail Paradigms
With D2C brands disrupting traditional retail, founders from some of the most successful direct-to-consumer labels discussed how they are expanding their presence beyond digital platforms and standalone stores by partnering with national and regional department stores. Panelists included Aditya Khanna, Co-founder, Assembly; Alok Paul, COO & Co-founder, Berrylush; Anuj Nevatia, Founder, Bacca Bucci; Dhruv Toshniwal, CEO, The Pant Project; Kush Bhatia, Director, Amukti & Burnt Umber Fashion; Paul George, ED, Vismay; moderated by Dhiraj Agarwal, CEO & Co-founder, Campus Sutra.
The session emphasised how omnichannel expansion, innovative marketing, and strategic collaborations are shaping the future of D2C fashion.
Reinventing Fashion Pricing Through Collaboration
With increasing pressure to move beyond deep discounts and markdowns, industry leaders including Agnes Raja G, Head – Wrangler Business & Central Planning, Ace Turtle; Anand Aiyer, CEO – Arrow, Arvind Fashions; Nitin Kapoor, CEO & Co-founder, IBA Crafts (Moomaya); Soumajit Bhowmik, CEO, Styched; Uplaksh Tewary, CBO, Campus Activewear; moderated by Lavish Soni, Chief Business Officer, The House of Rare discussed collaborative strategies for pricing optimisation and returns reduction. AI-driven design-to-table (D2T) models and new pricing approaches like ‘Always Fresh’ and ‘Never on Sale’ were explored.
New Age Engagement for Seamless Experience
This session explored how fashion brands are leveraging next-gen engagement tools to create immersive and personalised customer experiences that drive revenue and loyalty.
On the panel of experts were Ayush Bansal, Director, Liberty Group; Puspen Maity, CEO, TechnoSport; Saurabh Jhingan, Co-founder, Latin Quarters; Shishir Gupta, Director & Founder, Kalki Fashion; Soumava Naskar, MD, Hummel India; and moderating the session was, Nidhi Raj, CEO, Flying Machine.
KEYNOTE: Supply Chain Resilience in a Volatile Market
The afternoon featured an important keynote by Vikram Idnani, President – CIO, Landmark Group, who addressed the pressing challenges in global supply chains. He outlined AI-driven risk management, agile logistics, and the importance of strategic partnerships in ensuring supply chain stability amidst disruptions like trade wars and pandemics.
NEXASPACES: The Future of Fashion Retail
The final session of the first half of the day was a thought-provoking discussion on how technology, design, and sustainability are converging to reshape fashion retail spaces. Experts on the panel included Jenny Andrews, Founder & Director, Studio J; Mukta Nakra, Head – Retail, Property & People, Marks & Spencer’s; Nishant Poddar, CMO & Head Retail Experience, WROGN; Prerna Mohan, Head-Retail Design & VM, Mohanlal Sons; Rakesh Tiruveedhula, Director, R.S. Brothers; Santosh Dubey, Head – Projects & Distribution Business, Bestseller India. This session was moderated by Rajesh Sharma, CEO, Kalatmak Spatial Systems. The leaders shared insights on augmented reality showrooms, data-driven flagship store designs, and cutting-edge retail formats that enhance the customer journey.
