From denim dominance to a diversified lifestyle portfolio, Kewal Kiran Clothing’s Joint Managing Director Hemant Jain discusses the company’s transformation, market strategy, and future growth roadmap with BW Retail World
KKCL has evolved into a multi-brand lifestyle powerhouse over the years. How do you look back on this journey?
The brand’s journey dates back to 1989, when it was founded by four brothers — Kewalbhai, Vikasbhai, Dineshbhai, and myself. Over time, we evolved from a manufacturing company into one that also handles wholesale, retail, and warehousing. Today, KKCL is among the few Indian apparel companies with a fully integrated model — from design and production to distribution and retail.
From the start, our focus has been on building the bottom line before the top line. Until about 2017–18, profitability was the key priority. Even when new players entered the market aggressively, we stayed disciplined. Interestingly, last year we acquired a women’s wear brand, Kraus, which has been mutually profitable and marked our foray into the women’s fashion segment.
Killer and Lawman were traditionally seen as men’s brands. What prompted the move into women’s wear?
You’re right — our core brands like Killer and Lawman have always targeted men. But the women’s segment is growing rapidly, and we saw great potential there. Kraus now features in leading retail chains like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Pantaloons, and Reliance. I’d encourage you to check it out — it’s a collection we’re proud of.
KKCL’s recent quarters have shown steady performance. What are the key growth drivers across your brands — Killer, Lawman, Integriti, and Easies?
Killer has been growing steadily at 12–18 per cent annually over the past three years. Its strength lies in maintaining both market share and profitability, especially when competitors like Levi’s, Lee, Pepe, and Spykar have faced challenges.
Lawman has undergone a major strategic shift. Traditionally seen as a wholesale-driven brand, it’s now becoming more retail- and Gen Z-oriented. We’re directly engaging with younger consumers. Integriti, which once sat in the mid-premium segment, now caters to the mass market and is available in Reliance Trends, Max, and select online platforms. Easies, on the other hand, is our semi-formal line, catering to the evolving smart-casual consumer.
The retail market is evolving quickly. What emerging consumer and market trends are shaping KKCL’s strategy today?
Our strength has always been our tier 2 and tier 3 focus. We identified a huge vacuum in these cities early on. For example, a city like Muzaffarpur today supports eight of our stores — that’s remarkable.
Now, as competition increases in smaller towns, we’ve adopted a reverse strategy — entering metros and tier 1 cities through digital channels rather than opening large retail stores. Urban consumers are more tech-savvy, so our focus here is online engagement and omnichannel sales.
The festive and wedding season is a big opportunity for apparel brands. How is KKCL leveraging this period?
We run BTL activations during the festive season and maintain strong visibility through cricket and Bollywood associations. Killer, for instance, has onboarded Meezan Jafri as brand ambassador and was also a sponsor in the Asia Cup. These collaborations help keep our brands aspirational and visible throughout the year.
What are your key expansion priorities in domestic and international markets, and what milestones are you targeting?
By 2028, we aim to touch Rs 1,500 crore in revenue with at least 900 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs). As of 30 September 2025, we have 652 stores. The expansion focus will remain on Killer, followed by Kraus, Integriti, and Junior Killer.
What role will ecommerce and digital channels play in this growth?
We maintain a diversified sales mix — retail (EBOs and large-format stores) and non-retail (multi-brand outlets, online, and exports). Both segments grew about 15 per cent in the recent quarter. Over time, I expect the retail contribution to increase as we expand our footprint and strengthen direct consumer connections.
Finally, are there plans to introduce larger or multi-brand store formats under KKCL?
Absolutely. We’re positioning Kewal Kiran as a house of brands. While we began with men’s casual wear, the portfolio now includes semi-formals (Easies), women’s wear (Kraus), value wear (Integriti), and kids’ fashion (Junior Killer).
Once these verticals mature and stabilise, you’ll see larger-format, multi-brand stores that represent KKCL’s complete lifestyle ecosystem.
