How a Shirt Store Owner's Son Transformed the Business into a Rs 431 Crore Textile Conglomerate
Shyla F
  |  
19-July-2024
Vol 15 | Issue 29
This is an inspiring tale of a son who elevated his father’s humble business to new heights. Bhavin Parikh transformed his father Suryakant Parikh’s small retail shirt business in Ahmedabad into a Rs 431 crore public limited company. The journey started with the establishment of Globe Textiles in 2011.
Globe Textiles now produces a wide array of textiles, from indigo and shirting fabrics to printed fabrics, home textiles, denim and non-denim fabrics, as well as jeans and yarns.
Bhavin Parikh pivoted his father's modest shirt business into a textile conglomerate (Photos: Special Arrangement) |
They are also involved in the manufacturing of readymade garments. About 35% of their business comes from readymade garments, while the remaining 65% is from fabrics.
The company produces 3 million metres of printed fabric and 200,000 pieces of denim every month, including denim jackets, jeans, shirts, and more.
The most inspiring aspect of this whole journey is that Bhavin was just 22 and fresh out of college when he set up Globe Textiles.
His father used to run a shirt store named Maalik Stores in the Mithakhali area of Ahmedabad. He exclusively dealt with two shirt brands – Henry Hill and Custom Colour.
He bought shirts from these brands and sold them in his shop. Additionally, he supplied shirts to other wholesalers and retailers in Ahmedabad.
Bhavin comes from a family of entrepreneurs from Banaskantha district in Gujarat, where many in his community are involved in textile or diamond businesses.
Bhavin joined his father's business when he was just 22 |
His father, a PhD in physics from New York University, passed away some time ago. "He was a learned man who gave us all the liberty to explore the world in our childhood and do whatever we wanted to. He allowed us to make our own decisions,” Bhavin remembers his father emotionally.
When Bhavin joined his father’s shirt business, they had just six employees for them. By 2024, the company had grown to employ 1500 people across five units in Ahmedabad. Of these, 1300 are involved in sales and manufacturing, while the rest work in marketing, production, finance, logistics, and accounts departments.
After joining the business, Bhavin expanded from retail to manufacturing shirts. They began manufacturing and supplying shirts to wholesalers who retailed them.
He started supplying shirts to various cities in Gujarat and the wholesale markets of Mumbai and Delhi, as well as exporting them. He worked closely with his cousin Rajesh Sanghvi to expand the business.
However, the duo eventually parted ways because Rajesh wanted to focus on the Indian market, while Bhavin aimed to expand internationally.
To facilitate expansion, Bhavin established Globe Textiles in 2011 with an investment of Rs 10 lakh. He started with a single unit in Khokhra, Ahmedabad, which was around 1000 sq. ft. in area, with just five employees.
Along with shirts, they started producing sarongs, lungies, and printed fabric for export, and began contract manufacturing of denim fabric for various companies.
Bhavin entered the readymade denim garment business in 2015 |
In 2015, Globe entered the readymade denim garment business as a contract manufacturer, making jackets, dresses, heavy-weight jeans, and denim shirts.
Today, Globe operates five manufacturing units in Khokhra with a combined area of around 3 lakh sq. ft. They also supply garments to major players in India and abroad as a third-party manufacturer.
Their Indian customers include Being Human, Reliance, Spykar, John Players, Iconic, People, and Bare. Internationally, they supply textiles to major players like Inditex (the parent company of Zara), Splash Group (which supplies to renowned labels like McQueen, Christian Louboutin, Fendi, Valentino, and Versace), and the Landmark Group.
They cater to companies in Singapore, Indonesia, Gulf countries, and Latin America. Globe also supplies readymade garments to Indian retailers like DMart and Bazaar Kolkata.
“We have retained our first employee, first supplier, and the first customer from 2011,” says Bhavin, reflecting on the company's rapid growth since its inception.
Bhavin, now 46, was born and raised in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He finished his schooling at New Saurabh Higher Secondary School in Ahmedabad in 1997 and went to Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, for a BBA honours in marketing and finance, graduating in 2000.
Bhavik Parikh, Bhavin’s elder brother, is the Managing Director of Globe, and he handles new emerging markets and products. Bhavin is the CEO, overseeing finance, administration, and the garment business. Nilay Vora, the Director of the company, manages the printed fabric business and has been with the company since its early days.
Looking back on his early days working with his father, Bhavin fondly remembers how his father introduced him to the business.
“When I started working, he made me sit in the cabin next to his and told me that I should come and ask him for any help; he would not come to me. And after six months, he said he would leave, and I would have to manage things,” says Bhavin.
Bhavin faced several challenges in building Globe textiles that he set up in 2011 |
“He did exactly that because he wanted to lay a strong foundation for the next generation. He never wanted to handhold me. We lost him, but the values and business decorum he instilled are still with us.”
Another lesson Bhavin’s father imparted was, “Be disciplined and have perseverance, and consistently push for it. Always have a long-term plan and nothing short-term.”
When Bhavin set up Globe Textiles in 2011, it was not smooth sailing, and he had to overcome many challenges while building his business brick by brick.
“Around 2011, Ahmedabad did not have a great reputation for serving the international market. Gujarat was never very export-oriented. The main players in the international market were from Delhi. It was difficult to penetrate the international market and win the trust of the clients,” says Bhavin.
“Ahmedabad is now a denim hub. 50-60% of India's denim fabric is manufactured here. But until 2015-16, there were hardly any denim garment manufacturers.” Globe claims to be an initial entrant in this category. The company is now focusing on the high fashion industry.
On the personal front, Bhavin is married to his high school sweetheart Purvi Parikh. They married at the young age of 22.
"We were in a relationship from our school days and wanted to settle down in life. But my mother-in-law had trust issues. It was her wish to wed us soon,” he reveals.
Bhavin emphasises that entrepreneurship involves consistent efforts, notwithstanding the good days and the bad days |
Purvi manages the surplus products business at Globe. Bhavin and Purvi have a daughter, Khushi, 23, who is studying medicine, and a younger daughter, Vivaa, 18, who is an artist with a passion for designs and prints.
They live in a joint family with Bhavin's mother and his elder brother Bhavik’s family in the upscale Paldi area of Ahmedabad.
In his leisure time, Bhavin enjoys riding, reading, traveling, and playing squash. His advice to upcoming entrepreneurs is, “Entrepreneurship is a great journey, but it requires consistent effort. There will be good days and bad days, but you must maintain your zeal and spirit.” - ©TWL