Welcome to the annual women’s wear special issue, a part of our ongoing attempt at showcasing fresh new thoughts and visions on women’s fashion in the country. Fashion and women are inextricable! Fashion has largely been a female dominated sphere and will remain so. Can you think of any fashion segment that’s as varied, evolved or intricate as women’s fashion No, I bet, you cannot! The Indian woman today has emerged as a powerful consumer base. Increased literacy has augmented the rate of employment and increasing fi nancial independence, which inturn has revamped the demographic trend of women as a consumer. This snowballing phenomenon has had a huge impact on the women’s wear market in India, propelling it to balloon by the day. Market research by management consulting giants Technopak says the women’s segment comprises almost 37.5 percent of the total fashion market of the country. It is estimated to be worth 1,20,935 crore US 18.6 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6 percent to reach 2,52,164 crore US 38.5 billion by 2027. Also, as one of the fastest growing segments of fashion retail, it is all set to overtake men’s wear by 2025 as is outlined in the cover story of our women’s wear special October issue, Women’s Wear in India: Dynamics, Trends & The Future. The demands of the segment has undergone massive evolution too. Today, the emphasis has shifted from being simply price conscious to demanding better designs, higher quality and trendiness. As a whole, the new Indian women is expecting tremendous attention and with so many choices to be made, acquiescent eff orts to collate and calibrate a strong culture of fashion professionalism is indispensable for all stakeholders of this segment. All in all, I can promise you that this issue holds unmatched insight into the current dynamics of the women’s wear fashion industry in India, along with detailed researches on the various subdivisons including ethnic wear, western wear, as well as the buzzing new category of fusion wear. The BoF team has reached out and talked to industry leaders across these categories to consolidate and showcase their broad opinions and beliefs of the market as well as the prevailing trends and opportunities in each.