Arvind Brands Ltd picked up Chandigarh for the launch of the first
American designer brand in India, Tommy Hilfiger, later this year.

Talking to Tribune Mr Darshan Mehta, President, Arvind Brands Ltd  said
"We regard Chandigarh as the seventh metro of India after Delhi,
Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, Although cities like Pune
and Ahmedabad are much bigger than Chandigarh, for us Chandigarh has an
importance of its own.

"Over the years, it has emerged as one of the biggest markets in India
for premium brands of apparel. You will be surprised to know that while
Ahmedabad is five times bigger than Chandigarh, we sell three times
more preimum brands of apparel here than we do in Ahmedabad. There is a
lot of affluence in Chandigarh. The city also has a very large segment of
young population who are fashion conscious, like to wear the best and
the latest and are willing to experiment. People are willing to
experiment and try out new things.

"Of course, Chandigarh is also important because it is gateway to the
North. The weather changes in the city ensure that people's dresses also
change accordingly. Therefore, there is fairly high demand for new
clothing every two to three months".