Twills has steadily evolved from a focused bottomswear label into one of India’s growing homegrown menswear brands, building a strong retail presence across Tier II and Tier III markets while now preparing for its next phase of expansion through experiential retail, wider product categories, airport retail and omnichannel growth. Founded in 1995 with a vision to create distinctive fashion for young Indian consumers, the brand today operates across hundreds of retail touchpoints and continues to position itself around the philosophy of “Wear it your way”. 

In this exclusive interaction, Haneesh Gamini, Executive Director, Twills Clothing Private Limited, speaks with Gurbir Singh Gulati, Editor-in-Chief, INFashionBusiness.com, about the brand’s evolution, expansion strategy, experiential retail ambitions, category diversification, e-commerce growth and future roadmap.

Twills was founded in 1995 with a vision to create distinctive fashion—how has the brand evolved over the years while staying relevant to modern Indian consumers?

We started off with a focused product line of bottoms only in a B2B business module where we reached out to different retailers across the state. In 2007, we have opened our first flagship store in main street of the town (Vijayawada) and from there our D2C & Franchise business had grown exponentially. We have now evolved ourselves as a lifestyle brand catering most of the categories in men’s fashion. Shirts, tees, trousers, chinos, Jeans, Polos, Jackets, Sweatshirts, trackpants, shorts, cargos etc.

From starting with coloured cotton trousers to becoming a complete menswear brand, what have been the defining milestones in your journey?

I think 4000sqft flagship store was our first milestone and from there on we have tried to reach multiple milestones, naming few here:

We have expanded to 200+ Exclusive brand outlets. 2021, just after covid, we opened across 70 stores in a year.

We expanded to LFR stores: Reliance Trends, Unlimited, LULU etc. with 500+ doors.

We have collaborated with national stars like Jasprit Bumrah in 2019 as a brand awareness campaign for rest of the state’s other than South India presenting ourselves as a homegrown brand.

How do you interpret “international fashion with Indian comfort,” and how is this reflected in your collections today?

Given our tropical and demography diversity, we feel Fits and Fabrics are crucial factors when it comes to fashion in India. We keep travelling to different countries just to research on different concepts and product technology, but we try to adapt the same with Indian consumer factors when it comes to fabric, fits, pricing and durability.

“Value for Money” is one of our key mindset while designing any of our collection.

Product Profile & Expansion

Twills has built a strong portfolio across categories like shirts, denim, and chinos; how are you expanding your product width further?

As mentioned, we are evolving ourselves as a lifestyle brand, and so we are planning to launch perfumes in Winter-26 and Boxers / Trunks by Summer-27. We do have plans to increase our product width into men’s accessories as we see it as a great opportunity in near future.

You are entering the accessories segment; could you share details on the categories, design direction, and rollout plans?

Perfumes / deodorants have almost become essentials in men’s, and every individual has got a unique taste. So, we have designed 4 perfumes in different fragrances to cater different personality.

Newyork Mist: More like a fresh, green and citrus notes.

Sport: Vanilla and Guaiac wood.

White Oud: Woody and citrus.

Club: Smoky, warm and balsamic.

Designed for different occasions and individuals.

We are ready to roll out in Winter-26 with a comfortable price range from ₹499-599. Idea is to sell this out as D2C and eventually get into MBO / Department store markets as well.

What differentiates Twills in today’s highly competitive menswear market?

Value for money fashion , product quality / durability, price range and fashion serving different age groups and occasion. More like a one stop solution.

Nevertheless, our sales and data analysis team closely monitors product diversification strategies to identify the categories and assortments that work best for each state. In short, our product mix varies from state to state to align with regional consumer demographics, psychographics, tastes, cultures and festivals.

For the diverse cultures in India, we collaborate with the regional stars and personalities (for ex: Teja Sajja) and other personalities in different states to create essence of ownness & understanding consumer fashion sense.

Retail Presence & Expansion Strategy

Could you share the current breakup of your retail presence across Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs), Multi-Brand Outlets (MBOs), and Large Format Stores (LFS)?

We are currently standing at 195 EBO’s, 30 Distributors across country dealing with 2500+ Retailers when it comes to MBO’s and 400+ SIS doors as Regional and National Large format stores.

Which retail formats will be your primary focus for expansion going forward, and why?

EBO’s and D2C business would be one of our focal points for the future. We believe that Indian consumer markets have a shift in buying pattern where they would love to experience the brand rather than just purchasing for the sake of it. We see a great opportunity here to create unique identity for the brand and reaching out to its potential consumers.

What is your strategy for expanding across metro, Tier 2, and Tier 3 markets?

Given our price segment and brand positioning, we have expanded our presence in Tier 2 and 3 cities predominantly as there was less to none brand stores in those areas and we have tried to make it accessible with good quality and comfortable priced products. And now we are focusing to expand our point of sales in Tier 1 / Metro cities with a different touch points and experience.

Experiential Retail & New Stores

You are planning to launch experiential stores—what can consumers expect from these new formats?

I think experience driven stores is the future of retailing in India where consumers can get to spend a good shopping time, explore their fashion possibilities and leave the store with a more positive and fresher vibe. Given the uncertainty today, creating memories, spending decent time have become luxury by itself and I think we are adapting it to everything we do and buy.

How will these large-format stores enhance customer engagement compared to your existing outlets?

Large format stores are usually built around trust, and consumer loyalty plays a major role. He gets to have multiple options at one outlet and brands with their healthy competition, we try to serve the best of the products.

E-commerce & Omnichannel Strategy

What role does e-commerce currently play in your overall business, and how are you planning to scale your online presence?

E-commerce doesn’t account a major role in revenue generation for us until now as we have expanded our presence through retailing in many Tier III & IV cities but eventually we have started focusing on e-commerce and planning to scale it exponentially given additions in product width, categories and occasions.

We have already put that in pipeline to explore our product ranges and make it accessible to everyone across with a unique purchase experience.

How are you integrating online and offline channels to create a seamless omnichannel experience?

Our tech team has worked in detail to collaborate with best of the software’s and logistic partners to make sure the right product reaches the consumer in fastest way possible. Impulsive buying plays a significant role in e-commerce and we are trying to integrate possible retail outlets with our website to make this possible and give identical brand experience.

New Channels & Airport Retail

Are you exploring airport retail as part of your expansion strategy, and how do you see it contributing to brand visibility and premium positioning?

As mentioned earlier, we are now focused to add point of sales in Tier 1/ metro cities and airport retail works as an advertising partner and enhancing brand positioning.

Would you consider a differentiated product mix or exclusive collections for airport stores?

I think we will try to maintain identical product range across brand but we will definitely change our product mix ratio to match the placement.

Future Outlook

What are your key priorities for Twills in the next 3–5 years in terms of growth, innovation, and market positioning?

Product width, Technology advancements, Enhanced brand experience and a Unique identity. Our tagline has always been : #wearityourway and we are working extensively to evolve with current uncertainty and adapt to fashion needs & trends.

Increase our touch points through different placements and further increase our D2C presence in different locations across the country.

From a regional menswear player to a rapidly expanding lifestyle brand, Twills growth journey reflects the broader evolution of India’s fashion retail industry — one increasingly shaped by experience-led retail, omnichannel accessibility, regional consumer understanding and value-driven fashion. With a strong focus on product diversification, experiential stores, digital integration and consumer-centric innovation, the brand is now preparing for its next phase of national expansion.

Backed by a growing retail network, a deep understanding of India’s diverse fashion preferences and a philosophy rooted in “International Fashion in Indian Comforts,” Twills continues to strengthen its position as a homegrown menswear brand catering to the aspirations of modern Indian consumers.

As Haneesh Gamini aptly sums up, the focus ahead remains clear: building a stronger lifestyle ecosystem, enhancing brand experience and staying connected to evolving consumer fashion needs while encouraging customers to truly “#wearityourway.”