By Ajay Ajmera
Every business journey starts with a decision. Mine started with a decision to understand the textile industry from the ground up and to build something meaningful from what I learned.
Today, when I look back at my journey, I do not see it simply as the story of building Ajmera Fashion Limited. I see it as a journey from learning the basics of textile trading in Surat to creating opportunities for retailers, resellers, entrepreneurs and customers across India and international markets.
Surat played a central role in that journey. The city gave me an opportunity to learn the textile business closely, understand the needs of retailers and experience the speed at which fashion markets change. Over the years, those lessons became the foundation for building a textile business with a larger vision.
Who Is Ajay Ajmera?
Ajay Ajmera is the Founder and CEO of Ajmera Fashion Limited, a Surat-based textile and fashion business. My professional journey in Surat began in 1992, when I entered the city’s textile industry and started learning the business at the grassroots level. Ajmera Fashion Limited was founded in 2011 with the objective of creating a stronger connection between textile manufacturers and retailers.
Over more than three decades, my work has moved beyond simply selling garments. The focus has increasingly been on creating an ecosystem where people can source fashion products, start businesses, understand the market and grow with the right supply and support.
My Journey Began in Surat’s Textile Industry
Surat is one of the most important textile centres in India. For anyone who wants to understand the textile trade, the city itself is a classroom.
I came to Surat at the age of 19 and began my professional journey by working as a broker and later across different areas of a textile company, including packaging, procurement and sales. Working across these functions gave me something that no textbook could provide: a practical understanding of how the textile supply chain works.
I learned how products move from manufacturers to retailers, how customers evaluate quality, how pricing affects business and, most importantly, how trust determines whether a customer comes back.
Those early experiences shaped my approach to business. I understood that a successful textile company cannot depend only on products. It has to understand the people who sell those products.
The Beginning of Ajmera Fashion Limited
In 2011, I founded Ajmera Fashion Limited. The idea was straightforward: create a stronger way for retailers and small businesses to access quality fashion products while building long-term relationships rather than focusing only on individual transactions. The company’s published history identifies 2011 as the year Ajmera Fashion Limited was established, with a focus on direct retail dealings in Surat.
Our journey began with sarees and gradually expanded into a broader fashion portfolio. Today, the business covers categories including sarees, lehengas, kurtis, gowns, women’s wear, men’s wear and kidswear.
But products were only one part of the vision. The bigger objective was to make textile entrepreneurship more accessible.
Why I Chose to Focus on Entrepreneurs
One of the biggest things I noticed during my years in the textile market was that many people wanted to start a clothing business but did not know where to begin.
A person could have the motivation to become an entrepreneur but still face questions about sourcing, pricing, products, inventory and customers. This was particularly visible among people in smaller towns and women who wanted to build an income source from home.
That observation became an important part of Ajmera Fashion’s business philosophy: if we can help a retailer or reseller grow, our own business will naturally grow with them.
Our initiatives have therefore focused not only on supplying fashion products but also on creating opportunities for people to enter the apparel business with manageable investment and practical support. The company’s published journey highlights its “Har Ghar Business” initiative, which helped people start saree businesses with an investment of around ₹25,000.
From Sarees to a Complete Fashion Portfolio
Fashion does not remain the same. Customer preferences change, new trends emerge and different generations shop differently.
For a textile company, this means continuously understanding the market.
Ajmera Fashion Limited expanded beyond sarees into several categories:
- Sarees and designer sarees
- Lehengas and bridal wear
- Kurtis and ethnic wear
- Gowns and occasion wear
- Women’s fashion
- Men’s wear
- Kidswear
This diversification helped the business serve different types of retailers and entrepreneurs instead of depending on one product category.
From Surat to Markets Across India
Building a business in Surat was only the beginning. The next challenge was to take the products and the business model beyond the local textile market.
Over the years, Ajmera Fashion expanded its reach across India. The company reports having served more than 1 lakh textile merchants and retailers, reflecting the scale of the network developed around its wholesale and apparel business.
For me, this growth is important not simply because of the number. Every retailer represents a business, a family and often a personal entrepreneurial journey.
That is why I have always believed that textile business is ultimately a people business.
Taking Indian Textiles to the Global Market
The next natural step was international expansion.
India has a strong textile heritage, from traditional sarees and ethnic wear to modern apparel and fabrics. The global market provides an opportunity to take that heritage beyond India’s borders.
Ajmera Fashion Limited began exporting internationally and has expanded its reach to more than 30 countries, according to the company’s published profile. Its international footprint includes markets across regions such as the Middle East, Europe, Africa and other international destinations.
This global journey is especially meaningful because it demonstrates how a textile business that started in Surat can build relationships beyond India’s domestic market.
India’s broader textile industry also continues to have significant international potential. According to IBEF, India’s textile and apparel exports, including handicrafts, reached approximately US$37.75 billion in FY2025, up from US$35.87 billion in FY2024.
What Global Textile Business Has Taught Me
Entering international markets teaches a business a different level of discipline.
Customers in different countries can have different expectations around product quality, pricing, delivery, packaging, communication and documentation. A business cannot simply take a domestic model and expect it to work everywhere.
Global textile business requires consistency.
For me, three principles remain particularly important:
1. Quality Must Remain Consistent
When a customer is thousands of kilometres away, trust depends heavily on whether the product delivered matches expectations. Quality control therefore becomes a business necessity, not just a marketing statement.
2. Understand the Buyer
Every market has its own preferences. Successful international business requires understanding what customers actually want rather than assuming that one product works everywhere.
3. Build Relationships for the Long Term
Global business is not built through one shipment. It is built through repeated orders, reliable communication and consistent service.
Technology Is Changing the Textile Business
The textile industry I entered decades ago is very different from the industry entrepreneurs operate in today.
Technology has changed how customers discover products, communicate with suppliers and place orders. Social media, e-commerce, digital catalogues, online payments, data analytics and digital marketing have made it possible for even small businesses to reach customers outside their local markets.
I believe the next generation of textile entrepreneurs will combine traditional market knowledge with technology. Understanding fabric and fashion will remain important, but so will understanding digital customers, online branding and data.
Ajmera Fashion has also invested in educating entrepreneurs through digital content and textile-focused platforms. The company’s published journey notes the development of a textile-focused YouTube channel and customer support infrastructure as part of its effort to make textile knowledge more accessible.
My Vision for the Future of Indian Textile Business
India has the talent, manufacturing capability, craftsmanship and entrepreneurial energy to become an even stronger global textile and apparel destination.
My vision is not limited to growing one company. I want more people to see the textile industry as a genuine business opportunity.
A small reseller can become a retailer. A retailer can build a brand. A local business can reach national customers. A manufacturer can enter international markets.
That progression is what makes entrepreneurship exciting.
At Ajmera Fashion Limited, our broader vision is to become a leading apparel sourcing brand while maintaining the values of integrity, customer satisfaction, quality and inclusivity.
What My Journey Can Teach New Entrepreneurs
If there is one lesson I would share with someone starting a textile or fashion business today, it is this: do not wait for the perfect opportunity. Start by learning the market.
Understand your customer. Visit markets. Study products. Learn pricing. Talk to retailers. Understand your suppliers. Use technology. Start small if necessary, but keep learning.
Business success rarely comes from one big decision. It is usually the result of thousands of small decisions made consistently over many years.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Ajay Ajmera?
Ajay Ajmera is the Founder and CEO of Ajmera Fashion Limited, a textile and fashion business based in Surat. He entered Surat’s textile industry in 1992 and founded Ajmera Fashion Limited in 2011. His work focuses on textile business, apparel sourcing and entrepreneurship.
2. When did Ajay Ajmera enter the textile industry?
Ajay Ajmera entered Surat’s textile industry in 1992 at the age of 19. His early experience included working as a broker and learning different areas of textile operations, including packaging, procurement and sales.
3. When was Ajmera Fashion Limited founded?
Ajmera Fashion Limited was founded in 2011 by Ajay Ajmera. The company’s published history states that its early model focused on direct dealings with retailers in Surat.
4. What products does Ajmera Fashion Limited offer?
Ajmera Fashion Limited operates across multiple apparel categories, including sarees, lehengas, kurtis, gowns, women’s wear, men’s wear and kidswear. The broader product range allows retailers and entrepreneurs to source different fashion categories from the same business network.
5. How many countries does Ajmera Fashion export to?
Ajmera Fashion Limited’s published company profile states that the business exports to more than 30 countries. This international expansion represents the company’s journey from Surat’s textile market toward global apparel markets.
6. Why is Surat important to India’s textile industry?
Surat is one of India’s major textile manufacturing and trading hubs, particularly known for synthetic textiles, fabrics, sarees and textile processing. Its large network of manufacturers, processors, wholesalers and traders makes it an important sourcing destination for domestic and international buyers.
7. Can someone start a clothing business with a small investment?
Yes. The required investment depends on the business model, products and inventory size. Ajmera Fashion’s published “Har Ghar Business” initiative was designed to help people start saree businesses with an investment of around ₹25,000, demonstrating that textile entrepreneurship can be approached at different investment levels.
8. What is important for success in the textile business?
Strong product quality, reliable sourcing, competitive pricing, customer understanding and consistent service are fundamental. In today’s market, entrepreneurs also need digital skills because customers increasingly discover products and communicate with businesses online.
9. What is the future of India’s global textile business?
India has significant potential in global textiles and apparel. India’s textile and apparel exports, including handicrafts, reached about US$37.75 billion in FY2025, according to IBEF citing industry data. Continued investment in manufacturing, technology, product development and global market access can create further opportunities.
10. How can I connect with Ajay Ajmera or Ajmera Fashion Limited?
You can connect through the official website ajayajmera.com. The published contact details include +91 6358 863 689 and info@ajayajmera.com. The listed Surat office is at G-1, Ground Floor, Surana 101, Sahara Darwaja Ring Road, Umarwada, Surat, Gujarat 395002.
Contact Ajay Ajmera
If you are a retailer, wholesaler, reseller, entrepreneur or international buyer looking to explore opportunities in the textile and fashion industry, you can connect with us.
- Website: ajayajmera.com
- Phone: +91 6358 863 689
- Email: info@ajayajmera.com
- Brand: Ajmera Fashion Limited
From Surat to the world, the journey continues.
For me, the textile business has never been only about fabric, fashion or numbers. It has always been about people, opportunity and the belief that a small beginning can become something much bigger with the right vision and consistent effort.
— Ajay Ajmera