A Fashion Design Council of India-KPMG study has put the Indian designer market at a measly 0.2 per cent of the total branded apparel market, but if the interest shown by corporate buyers at the ongoing Lakme India Fashion Week with Liberty is anything to go by, Indian designers need not fret.

Trade buyers at the Lakme India Fashion Week, which is now touted as India's largest fashion and business event, seem to be generating as much interest and excitement as the designers and the models.

The show boasts of participation from over 180 domestic and 30 international corporate buyers, who are using this opportunity to interact with the Indian fashion fraternity and explore and tap their potential.

These buyers have come from all across India and from the US, the UK, France, the UAE and Hong Kong and include names like Raymonds, Ebony, Pyramid, Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Ensemble, Origins and Madame Butterfly from the domestic market and Leclaireur, Maria Luisa, Zingara, Kikis London, Aesthetics, Pegasus Fashion Imports, Sanskrit, A J Collections and Purnima from the international market.

With nearly two-thirds of the Indian population outside the 'buying' group as far as designer wear is concerned, foreign buyers are much sought after at the event.

And rather encouragingly, foreign buyers seem impressed with what they have seen at the fashion week so far. Buyers like A J Collections, Geneva, have already identified designers they would like to work with.

"The idea here is to identify a good designer, take him to Europe and then promote his designs under our label. We have a store on Bond Street and for an Indian designer to be on Bond Street will be all the international exposure he could hope for," said Ajay Mirpuri of A J Collections.

Most foreign buyers are direct about what really attracts them to the Indian market and it is not just creativity as most Indian designers would like to believe.

"Apart from their creativity, Indians offer very low production costs but that should not come with a compromise on quality," said Jean Marc Loubier, president of the French fashion house Celine.

Though Mirpuri is rather supportive of ideas like the Raymond's BE store, he does not think the biggest market for Indian designers abroad are non-resident Indians.

Asian colours and silhouettes are still the flavour of the season in Europe and, according to trade analysts, the Indian influence is here to stay.

Though international buyers are eyeing the Indian couture market favourably, they are unanimous about the importance of strong pret and ready-to-wear collections for every designer.

Vania Maria of Purnima, France, is a regular at the fashion week and has already worked with Manish Arora.

"Couture is good, but pret is what can take you places. We are specifically looking at ethnic chic in a ready-to-wear collection," she says.

While Indian designers cannot expect a slew of orders overnight, foreign buyers are definitely showing a good deal of interest.

Judging from their presence at this year's fashion week, India is no longer a fad like in the 1970s. It is slowly becoming a fashion destination for big fashion houses.

And it is not just the designs that these international buyers are interested in but the end products themselves This augurs well for the domestic textile industry.

In demand

• Over 180 domestic and 30 international corporate buyers are participating in the show.
• Buyers have come from all across India and from the US, the UK, France, the UAE and Hong Kong.
• Buyers like A J Collections, Geneva, have already identified designers they would like to work with.
• Asian colours and silhouettes are still the flavour of the season in Europe.