We go beyond manufacturing by championing ethical practices and investing in our employees' futures. We drive innovation in apparel and textile production, creating a future where style meets responsibility.
Our Legacy
Shahi Exports, established in 1974 by Mrs. Sarla Ahuja, began as an endeavor of a sewing machine operator in a factory. Over five decades, the company has grown from its humble origins to become India’s largest apparel manufacturer and exporter.
We now operate over 50 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across 8 Indian states with a diverse workforce of around 100,000 people, 70% of whom are women. Our vertically integrated operations, diversified product range, and strong commitment to ethical operations and environmental sustainability have established Shahi as one of the most preferred apparel manufacturers in the world.
Explore our Journey
Sarala Ahuja began a home-based business, empowering women to work from home with 15-20 machines.
This led to Shahi opening its first factory in Ranjeet Nagar, Delhi with a mere Rs 5,000 as initial capital and a modest daily capacity of 200 garments.
Shahi’s first Bengaluru factory was set up with 300 machines and 500 workers,
marking a key expansion into Southern India. Shortly after, a second unit was established in Bommanahalli.
Shahi set up its first corporate office at Okhla, Delhi in 1993, which was moved to Faridabad in 2000.
The first mill, Sarla Fabrics Ltd. (SFL), was set up in Ghaziabad.
The 29000 sqft mill and R&D center has a weaving capacity of 1.2 million and a processing capacity of 3.6 million meters per month.
We built our first Internal Laboratory with a basic setup.
Now, the laboratory conducts performance testing and color approvals following the international test standards for 15+ brands ensuring the highest quality product. This reduces garment lead times with faster quality approvals.
Shahi expanded its product range from wovens to knits, starting a specialized Knits Division.
Within a few years of this expansion, Shahi was incorporated as a private limited company.
Our Wovens operation into Ladies Specialty Division (LSD) & Men and Bottoms (MNB) to better address our diverse product range.
Shahi becomes the first company to pilot Gap Inc.’s Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) program.
The program ran for 16 years across our factories, empowering women by training them in soft skills like communication, time and stress management, and financial literacy. Gap Inc. P.A.C.E. is now a part of RISE: Reimagining Industry to Support Equality.
The journey of denim manufacturing began in Bangalore with the launch of the first unit.
Today, Shahi has grown into India’s largest denim production operation, crafting 12 million units annually.
The Knits Processing Division (KPD) was established in Shimoga, Karnataka.The unit runs on 96% renewable electricity and has Zero Liquid Discharge facilities. This facility Shahi KPD became one of the first mills to achieve YESS Foundational Level Conformance in 2024.
Shahi became one of the first to adopt the HIGG FEM standard and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) program.
Our founder believed in the power of skill training to transform lives.
Our experience with training women and youth parallel to our growth positioned Shahi as a strategic stakeholder in the Textile Sector Skills Council and schemes like the Deen Dayal Grameen Kaushal Yojana under the Ministry of Rural Development.
Shahi incubated Good Business Lab (GBL), a nonprofit focused on improving workers' lives by addressing key areas like female labor, skill gaps, work environments, and holistic health.
Shahi established two solar power plants in Karnataka, with capacities of 32 MW and 52 MW, respectively.
Shahi became the first Indian woven apparel and textiles manufacturer to be awarded Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold with our ‘Arth’ collection in partnership with C&A.
We established our first migrant support center in Bengaluru to provide post-placement, emergency, digital and financial literacy, and utility support to migrant workers.
Shahi entered a Value Chain Agreement with AltMat, an Alternative Materials Science company that converts agricultural residues into high-performing natural materials called Altag.
The partnership enabled access to Altag yarns and co-develop fabrics with our global chain of innovative customers.
Shahi formed a joint venture with Little King Globa a leading Taiwanese premier synthetic sportswear fabric manufacturer
to establish of a state-of-the-art processing unit for synthetic performance fabrics in Shimoga, Karnataka, further solidifying our commitment to growth and creating valuable job opportunities for the region.The same year we exanded our spinning capabilities.
Life at Shahi
We believe in creating an open, ethical and inclusive environment where employees feel safe, seen, heard, respected, recognised, and valued.
We hire top talent across various roles, including Operations Managers, Marketing Specialists, Industrial Designers, Business Analysts, Environmental Sustainability Experts, HR Professionals, and more. Our offices in Bengaluru and Delhi NCR promote innovation and growth. At Shahi, we offer continuous learning opportunities to help you excel in your career and thrive in the industry
We offer diverse training programs tailored to employees’ needs, including leadership, management, technical, and soft skills. Our Leadership Development wing nurtures upcoming and high-potential leaders at corporate offices, while the Organizational Development technical team supports factories in implementing specialized projects to improve output, quality, agility, systems, and processes. The Shahi Academy in Bengaluru, with state-of-the-art facilities, drives these initiatives to enhance growth and performance.
Understanding that many of our workers had never been formally employed before, we have created an illustrated employee handbook in four local languages, which provides simple information for employees to easily understand their rights, responsibilities and benefits at the workplace.
Shahi's commitment to employee development is evident in my 25 years here. The opportunity to learn across multiple roles, develop critical soft skills, and lead the Sourcing Team has been invaluable. The professional and nurturing environment fosters continuous growth and makes Shahi a truly unique place to build a career.
Kanak Israni
Assistant Vice President
Sourcing
I enjoy our ability to navigate constant shifts in customer paradigms while mentoring and empowering future leaders. Seeing growth through empowerment is a proud achievement.
Ashok Raman
Executive Vice President
Marketing
From NIFT graduate to VP, Shahi has been my 28-year journey of growth. Witnessing our evolution from $10M to $1.5B is a testament to our team's vision. Each new brand partnership drives us closer to global apparel leadership.
Susan Paul
Vice President
Marketing
Our Values
Life at Shahi
Investing in a future where everyone thrives economically through skill development and opportunity.
Nurturing
Talent
Integrity
Honesty and transparency are the cornerstones of our relationships, both internal and external.
Integrity
Environmental Stewardshisp
Actively minimising our environmental footprint, through innovation and responsible practices.
Environmental Stewardshisp
Adaptability
Ability to swiftly adapt to evolving demands and stay ahead of industry trends.
Adaptability
Quality Service
Commitment to excellence in everything - materials, finished products, and customer experience.
Quality
Service
Socially Responsible
Giving back to the communities we operate in, and creating a positive social impact.
Socially Responsible
Recognitions
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