SPEAKERS
Col. S. Kapoor
As Director General of Okhla Garment & Textile Cluster (OGTC) since February 2022, Col. S. Kapoor has focused to facilitate and monitor training across all verticals for the ultimate benefit of its members. Earlier he was Executive Director, Faridabad Industries Association for over 15 years. A Postgraduate in Defence Studies, Col. S. Kapoor served in the Indian Army for 27 years.
His vast administrative experience has contributed to the growth of OGTC. He is also aggressively promoting Sustainability amongst OGTC members.
Mr. PMS Uppal
A visionary and founder President of OGTC, a cluster of garment manufacturing companies in National Capital Region of India. Mr. Uppal is Managing Director of Pee Empro Exports which is part of a vertically integrated Pee Empro group comprising of Hemla Embroidery and Creative Dyeing & Printing works.
OGTC is a unique and successful experiment in demonstrating that co-operation and co-ordination even amongst competitors can bring in sustainable improvement in skill matrix of each company.
Collaboration, Innovation and sharing of Knowledge are the driving and guiding principles at OGTC.
Mr. H.K.L. Magu.
With over 45 years of experience, Sh. H.K.L.. Magu is a veteran and patriarch of the Apparel and Textiles Industry in India. He is among the early few players of Apparels & Textiles industry who have given their time, devotion and allegiance for the growth of the industry as a whole. He has always been very instrumental & influential in getting various incentives & subsidy schemes from Central as well as State Government.
He is the Managing Partner of Jyoti Apparels. He held the position of President of Garment Exporters Association (GEA) and is presently Chairman of Finance & Budget sub-committee, AF.PC.
Mr. Prashant Agarwal
Mr. Prashant Agarwal brings with him nearly three decades of rich experience in corporate strategy, business creation, diversification, and performance enhancement within the textile, apparel, and retail sectors. He has worked extensively with both Indian and international clients, with a strong track record in management consulting and the skilling industry. Mr. Agarwal is known for helping companies envision and strategize for the future.
Mr. Mithileshwar Thakur, Secretary General, AEPC is a Gold Medalist in B.Tech.
He earlier served as a member of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers and as an engineer with Tata Steel, Tata Motors, and NTPC before joining the Civil Service of the 1989 batch.
He also served as the Additional Director General in the Department of Commerce, where he led trade policy formulation, FTA negotiations, Trade Remedy and Trade Defense. Trained at IIM Ahmedabad, IIFT, and WTI Berne, he has been a visiting faculty at premier institutions.
Mr. Vasant Sridhar
Mr. Vasant is the Cofounder of OfBusiness, India’s largest tech-enabled B2B platform He is the CEO of the Finished Goods division. He has built apparel, footwear, and accessories into a ₹4,000+ Cr vertical operating across 25+ plants, 25,000+ workforce, supplying to marquee global clients Prior to this he worked at ITC Limited in the CEO’s Office for manufacturing excellence and new business launches. An IIT Madras alumnus, he was named to the Hurun India Under 35 list in 2024.
Mr. Gautam Nair
Mr. Gautam Nair, presently Director, Matrix Design & Industries Pvt Ltd is an Eco Hons. from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and PGDBM from IIM. Ahmedabad.
Earlier, Gautam had setup Matrix Clothing Pvt Ltd in 1980 and led the same to become India’s premier manufacturer exporter of apparel to top brands in USA & Europe.
He is an elected Member of Executive Committee of AEPC and Past Chairman for two terms of CII National Committee on Textiles & Apparel.
Mr. Pallab Banerjee
Experienced in Apparel Sourcing, Manufacturing, Strategies & Operations, Mr. Pallab Banerjee, MD & Group President, Pearl Global Industries Ltd. has over 30 years of Global experience in Apparel sourcing and Supply Chain Strategic Solutions. He is able to devise competitive, long-term strategies and provide profitable & sustainable solutions for sourcing/manufacturing of apparel.He has built strong relationships and led motivated teams cowards achieving greater results.
Mr. Shiran Boteju
Mr. Shiran Boteju is currently COO, Brandix India Region and is leading strategic and operational initiatives across Brandix’s India operations, driving performance, innovation, and organizational growth.
Earlier Shiran as Head HR of India & Sri Lanka (BEL Cluster) had spearheaded strategy and execution across geographies, fostering a culture of inclusion, leadership development, and organizational transformation.
Boteju is a MBA from PG Institute of Management, Colombo and a certified Professional Transformational Coach.
Mr. Deepak Rautela
Mr. Deepak Rautela is Associate Vice President of Training & Organizational Development at Shahi Exports.
With over 20 years of dedicated experience in the field, Mr. Deepak has honed his expertise in worker training & well-being, leadership development, and designing organizational development strategies. Deepak leads a team dedicated to identifying & developing talent across hierarchies and also designing interventions oriented towards worker wellbeing.
Deepak holds a MBA degree and has been trained as a Certified Director-L&D in North America.
Dr. Animesh Saxena
Dr. Animesh Saxena is a Science Graduate with PhD and MBA from FMS, BHU and PGDIM from IMI, New Delhi. He has been working in the field of Textiles and Apparels for last 30 years and holding the position of Managing Director/CEO of Neetee Apparel LLP for last 15 Years. He is actively involved in various Industry Forums: –
a) Past President of FISME for 2019-2022.
b) General Secretary, GEMA.
c) EC Member of AEPC.
d) Member Board of Governor, ATDC.
Mr. Rahul Gupta
Mr. Rahul Gupta is a B. Tech in Textiles from Technological Institute of Textiles & Sciences, Bhiwani. He has over 25 years’ experience in the Textile Industry. Presently leading the sourcing operations in India hub-office of Li & Fung, which is one of world’s largest supply chain company servicing multiple retail clients globally.
Successfully managing placements of more than US$250 Million worth of export orders annually. Directly working with a client base of more than 25+ customers across North America, Europe, U.K & Latin America as well as more than 150+ Indian export vendor base.
Ms. Caroline Joire
Ms. Caroline Joire is a dynamic leader with 15 years of global experience in procurement, sourcing, and operations. Currently the Country Leader at Kiabi India, she has driven ESG-focused initiatives, supplier development, and innovative sustainable fashion projects. With a proven track record of building high-performing teams, reducing lead times, and fostering cross-cultural collaboration, Caroline is passionate about driving growth while championing sustainability and responsible business
Ms. Nivedita Sinha
With over three decades of experience in the Apparel and Accessories industry, Nivedita is a seasoned leader, recognized for driving business expansion and building strong brand presence across the US and European markets.
Having successfully sourced from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, Nivedita Sinha brings deep knowledge of supplier management and stakeholder collaboration. Her global perspective, commitment to sustainable success, and proven track record in manufacturing, sourcing, buying agencies, and brand management make her a respected voice in the sector.
Mr. Varun Vaid
Mr. Varun Vaid is a seasoned strategy consultant with over two decades of experience across the textile, apparel, and technical textile sectors. He leads the Textile and Apparel Strategy vertical at Wazir Advisors and has successfully guided a diverse range of projects for private enterprises, industry associations, and government bodies across the globe. Mr. Vaid has also collaborated with several international development agencies worldwide, bringing deep insights and a global perspective to the industry.
Ms. Ratna Singh
Ms. Ratna Singh is a seasoned peoples leader with 25+ years of global experience in organizational development, change management, and digital transformation. She has successfully led entity set-ups, acquisitions, and talent strategies across diverse industries and geographies, while building inclusive, people-centric cultures with strong engagement and retention. Recognized with multiple HR excellence and leadership awards, she brings proven expertise in shaping high-performing, diverse, and future-ready organizations.
Ms. Radhika Goyal
Ms. Radhika Goyal is a management consultant with 8 years of experience driving business transformation across technology amongst various other streams. She specializes in executive storytelling, digital transformations, and enterprise PMOs-helping organizations accelerate decision-making, unlock ROI from technology, and deliver measurable impact. With a background in strategy, automation, and analytics, Radhika has led initiatives that improved customer journeys, streamlined operations, and enabled growth through innovation.
Conference Background and Highlights
The global textile and apparel industry continues to experience profound transformation, driven by shifting consumer behaviour, technological disruptions, and sustainability imperatives. As global trade dynamics evolve, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have emerged as strategic instruments enabling countries to secure market access, attract investments, and enhance manufacturing competitiveness. For India, endowed with a deep textile heritage and a robust industrial base, these developments present unprecedented opportunities to strengthen its global footprint in apparel manufacturing and exports.
Recognizing the importance of this moment, the Okhla Garment & Textile Cluster (OGTC) hosted its 20th edition of the International Conference on Apparel & Home Textiles (ICAHT) on Saturday, 20th September 2025, at the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Gurugram. Themed “India’s FTAs: Catalyzing Competitive Investments and Manufacturing Growth,” the conference brought together leading brands, industry pioneers, exporters, innovators, and knowledge experts to deliberate on how India can strategically strengthen its position in the global apparel value chain.
Bringing together a distinguished gathering, the conference served as a confluence of ideas and strategies through a series of insightful addresses as well as offered a platform for dialogue and collaboration through engaging panel discussions, and forward-looking presentations. Participants examined winning business. models and the transformative role of technology in shaping the industry’s future. The event also examined the evolving contours of global trade, and manufacturing agility and explored strategies to drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness, positioning India as a leading force in global garment manufacturing.
Chief Guest : Mr. HKL Magu, Managing Director, Joyti Apparels
Conference Chairman: Col. S. Kapoor, DG, Okhla Garment & Textile Cluster (OGTC)
Knowledge Partner: Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Co-founder & Joint Managing Director, Wazir Advisors
The Conference opened with a welcome address by Col. S. Kapoor, Director General, OGTC, who thanked participants and emphasized the strategic role of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in driving India’s apparel export growth.
He highlighted the India-UK CETA and India-UAE SEPA as key enablers of duty-free access, with ongoing talks with the USA, EU, Oman, and New Zealand offering further potential. While praising the government’s pro-active trade diplomacy, he urged exporters to strengthen supply chains, design capabilities, and sustainability compliance to fully leverage these opportunities.
Col. Kapoor stressed that FTAs alone are not enough-industry modernization, speed, efficiency, and sustainable practices are critical to maintaining competitiveness. He concluded that the conference will serve as a platform to align government, industry, and exporters toward a unified roadmap for global growth.
Following the welcome address, Mr. PMS Uppal, President, OGTC while delivering the opening remarks emphasized the need for collective readiness and unified strategy to navigate global disruptions and seize new opportunities in the textile and apparel sector. He highlighted OGTC’s collaborative decision-making model