MC EXCLUSIVE Raymond ready for export growth as global firms diversify away from China, says Gautam Singhania

Raymond, which completed 100 years of operations this year, is restructuring to unlock shareholder value and sharpen business focus, CMD Gautam Singhania has said.

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26 Aug, 2025 12:21

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Raymond chairman and managing director Gautam Singhania said the group is positioning itself to capture emerging export opportunities, as global companies diversify away from China.

"Exports currently account for about 15 percent of our business but there’s significant room to grow," Singhania told Moneycontrol. Raymond has deployed teams in the United States and Vietnam to pursue new supply contracts, the CMD said.

Citing industry data, Singhania said the US imports around 18 million garments annually, with China supplying five-and-a-half million and India only one-and-a- half million. "Even a small shift in that balance can have a big impact," he said.

Singhania also cautioned about the risk of Chinese manufacturers offloading excess production into other markets. "Protect competition, yes. But we must guard against dumping, which undermines fair trade," he said.

The comments come at a time when Raymond, which completed 100 years of operations this year, is undergoing a broad restructuring aimed at unlocking shareholder value and sharpening its business focus.

Also Read: Textile stocks outperform as reciprocal tariffs give Indian exports gain edge over China, Vietnam, Bangladesh

Real Estate and Business Reorganisation

Singhania said the real estate vertical has emerged as one of the strongest growth engines for the group. Over the past year, Raymond Realty has signed joint development agreements (JDAs) worth over Rs 10,000 crore, covering projects in Bandra, Thane, and Navi Mumbai.

A demerger of the real estate business is underway and Raymond Realty is expected to be listed independently on the stock exchanges by July 2025, Singhania said. The group expects the real estate business to make a significant contribution to consolidated earnings over the next few years.

At the same time, Raymond is repositioning its core textile and apparel businesses toward the premium and luxury segments. Recently, the group launched The Chairman’s Collection, a high-end menswear line featuring premium fabrics such as Giza and Supima cottons, with some materials priced over Rs 25,000 a metre. The new line was personally overseen by Singhania and debuted at the Mumbai Fashion Week earlier this year.

Internally, Raymond is moving towards a more structured corporate model with a sharper separation between ownership and day-to-day operations. Singhania said businesses are being reorganised into independently managed, governance-driven units focussed on long-term growth and returns.

"Our objective is to create professionally run, independent companies that can adapt and grow without day-to-day promoter intervention," he said.

Also Read: Raymond committed to creating sustained shareholder value across businesses: Gautam Singhania

Succession planning and governance

Addressing succession planning, Singhania, 59, said he is taking a pragmatic approach, with no immediate plans to involve his daughters in active management.

"My kids are young — 20 and 13," he said. His elder daughter is focussed on qualifying for the Asian Games in equestrian events and is training in Belgium.

"I would have liked to start training them yesterday," he told Moneycontrol. For the foreseeable future, Raymond will continue to be led by a professional management team, he added.

According to Singhania, the increasing complexity and size of the business will require any future involvement from the next generation to be based on a clear understanding of operational and governance challenges.

To prepare for this transition, Raymond is setting up strong governance frameworks, independent boards, and professional leadership structures across all its businesses, he said.

"Trust is what will define us," Singhania said. "Clean companies, good governance, strong shareholder returns, and a commitment to building solid businesses."

Raymond's strategy, according to Singhania, is based on long-term fundamentals rather than reacting to short-term market fluctuations. "You build for the long term and take advantage of the opportunities as they come," he said.