Remember the harrowing experience of innerwear shopping in India till just a few years ago Especially for women folk. For them, it shopping for intimate apparel was an absolutely fl eet-footed aff air – they either hustled through the few insipid options laid out or had to be content with whatever the salesperson compelled them to buy. Choices were a distant second in a scenario when even getting the size right whilst evading ubiquitous stares was beyond the bounds of possibility. But, fortunately, times are changing and how! All that remains of these past shopping experiences are anachronistic anecdotes. Time it did take but innerwear, fi nally, is out of the closet and is taking giant strides to becoming an exclusive fashion category in India. The evolution is apparent in both the market and the consumer. While the consumer righteously considers innerwear as a fashion statement today, the market too has emancipated itself from its unorganised retail hegemony. The innerwear industry is now amongst the most lucrative segments in apparel fashion for brands, retailers and investors alike. The market today is pegged at 32,000 crore, growing at a CAGR of 11 percent and accounts for 9 percent of the total domestic fashion retail market. The rapid transformation of the category has led it to branch out into several sub-categories, with each of them setting standards on their own now. Also, a slew of international, young and dynamic national brands have impinged on the arena, ushering in a phenomenal trend that has compelled the entire industry to spruce up off erings both in terms of products as well as experiences. This had led to an increased popularity and demand of innerwear as a whole and has result is an increase in the importance of the category amongst retailers of all sizes and kinds. Like always, this innerwear special issue features indepth insights into the market, trends, innovations and technologies that this segment has spawned in the recent years. As always we hope you fi nd the issue informed and benefi cial. Happy Reading