Incepted in 1925, Raymond has been synonymous with Trust, Quality and Excellence. Raymond is a diversified group with majority business interests in textile and apparel sectors as well as presence across diverse segments such as FMCG, engineering and prophylactics in national and international markets. Having enjoyed the patronage of over a billion consumers, Raymond as a brand has been consistently delivering world class quality products to its consumers since the past nine decades.
Having established its dominance in the Textiles, Raymond is also an aggressive player in the ready to wear apparel segment with reputed brands such as Park Avenue, Raymond Ready To Wear ColorPlus & Parx that are a part of its product portfolio. Having pioneered the innovative concept of customised clothing, ‘Raymond Made To Measure’ offers luxurious service allows discerning customers to personalize their ensemble bringing together their own personal taste.
The Raymond Group is present in the FMCG business through associate companies - J.K. Helene Curtis Limited and J.K. Ansell Private Limited (JKAL). Through these companies, Raymond Group caters mainly to the male grooming segment through pioneering brands like Park Avenue and KS; home care segment through Premium brand and sexual wellness segment through KamaSutra brand.
Raymond Group also has an extensive presence in the B2B space, through its garmenting business. Raymond’s state of the art & wholly owned subsidiaries such as Silver Spark Apparel Ltd, Celebrations Apparel Ltd & Everblue Apparel Ltd by crafts suits, trousers, shirts & Jeans for leading fashion labels across the world and is the only manufacturer of Full canvas premium Jackets in India.
Raymond Ltd ventured into the engineering business with the establishment of JK Files (India) Ltd. in 1949. JK Files Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of steel files in the world with a domestic market share of about 65% in the files business. The group also has a presence in the auto components industry through its subsidiary Ring Plus Aqua Ltd. This business comprises of the manufacture of Ring Gears, Flexplates and Water pump bearings. The company is present in diverse industry segments such as Automotive, Industrial and Power generators, Agricultural and Marine Applications, marked by strong relationships with domestic and international OEMs.
Raymond is a leading Indian textile, lifestyle and branded apparel company. The company has its wide network of operations in local as well foreign market. The company sells its product through multiple channels including wholesale, franchisee, retail etc.
1925: A small woolen mill named as Raymond Woollen Mill was set up in Thane.
1944: When Lala Kailashpat Singhania took over Raymond in 1944, the mill was used to manufacture coarse woollen blankets and modest quantities of low-priced woolen fabrics. Soon Raymond embarked upon a gradual phase of adapting new technology innovations which led to the production of superior quality fabrics.
1950: Post-independence, in a quest to become self-reliant, production commenced at the company’s new manufacturing unit JK Files in 1950. The unit manufactured indigenous engineering files.
1952: Gopalkrishna Singhania arrived to assist his uncle Lala Kailashpat Singhania at the Raymond Mills in Mumbai.
1958: Raymond became the first company to blend polyester with wool and introduced Terool - a runaway success that was the forerunner in the series of superfine fabric blends that was launched later.
1958: Raymond forayed into retail sector by opening the first exclusive retail showroom in King’s Corner - Ballard Estate in Mumbai.
1960: Earmarked total replacement of machinery with sophisticated machinery and since then modernization has become a way of life at Raymond. Raymond was the first in the country to import most modern machinery which was ever available in the world at that time.
1967: the company launched Trovine - a first of its kind cool and comfortable fabric ideal for Indian summers.
1968: Set up of a readymade garments plant in Thane.
1979: New manufacturing facility was set up at Jalgaon, to meet the increasing demand for worsted woollen fabrics.
1980: Dr Vijaypat Singhania, the son of Lala Kailashpat Singhania took over the reins as the Chairman of Raymond. An AMP Alumnus from Harvard and a high flier in spirit and deed, it was under his leadership that the group forayed into several new areas such as polyester filament yarn, indigo denim, cold rolled steel, prophylactics and charter air services
1984: A new plant was set up in 1984, that enabled Raymond’s to upgrade the quality of its traditional product line of woollen blankets and produce a superior variety of shawls and blankets. Raymond was the pioneer in the development of machine washable wool and wool blended suiting with a variety of finishes to offer total easy care and stain proof fabric.
1986: Launched Park Avenue provides stylish and innovative wardrobe solutions to well-dressed gentlemen. As India's premium lifestyle brand, its designs embody the latest in international fabric, styling, colour and fashion trends.
1990: The first showroom abroad for Raymond in Oman in 1990.
1991: The company launched KamaSutra India’s premium condom brand. Within a year of the launch KamaSutra became the second largest condom selling brand in India
1995: The company introduced a range of superfine pure wool collection under the lineage line (Super 100S to Super 140S).
1996: Also, the group forayed into the aviation sector in 1996 with the launch of Raymond Aviation. Raymond Aviation provides air charter services to corporate travellers in India.
1996: The company also forayed into manufacturing Denim; focusing on quality, innovation and the creation of exclusive products & designs that have always caught the eye of some of the world's leading jeanswear brands as well as making it amongst the top producers of specialty ring denim in India with a 60% market share.
1999: Parx a premium casual wear brand was launched to offer customers a range of semi- formal and casual clothes.
2000: Mr. Gautam Singhania was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Raymond Limited in the year 2000.
2002: The year 2002 witnessed the acquisition of ColorPlus
2003: Silver Spark Apparel Limited was set up in 2003 for manufacturing suits and formal trousers catering largely to export markets.
2005: In 2005, Raymond achieved a rare feat and a historical milestone with the creation of the world's finest worsted-suiting fabrics from the finest wool ever produced in the world- The Super 230s made up of 11.8 micron of wool.
2006: A Greenfield unit was set up in Kolhapur in 2006 to produce high value cotton shirting.
2006: World’s largest integrated composite Textile mill was set up Vapi in 2006 to produce finest quality worsted fabric
2008: The year 2008 witnessed the launch of Readymade garments under the Raymond brand name now known as Raymond Ready to Wear.
2011: In 2011, Raymond is the first textile company in the world to produce the Super 250s fabric. and the first in India to produce innovative fabrics from bamboo fibre, stain resistant and UV resistant fabrics and many such innovations.
2014: In 2014, opened the first EBO for Raymond Ready to Wear
2016: Launched Technosmart- Smartest fabric in the World
2016: Setting up a new regional office in Dubai, Middle East
2016: Laid the foundation Stone for setting up a greenfield Textile manufacturing Plant in Amravati
2016: Construction begins for greenfield manufacturing/garmenting facility in Ethiopia
2017: Garmenting Plant commissioned at Hawassa in Ethiopia
2017: A new office established in New York, USA
2020: Raymond’s wholly owned subsidiary -- Silver Spark Apparel (SSAL) has entered into a ‘Share Transfer Agreement’ for divestment of its entire stake in Dress Master Apparel (DMAPL), wholly owned subsidiary of SSAL.