Domestic technical textiles Industry Segment-wise consumption of ...

Soft Luggage
The luggage industry is classified into hard and soft luggage. Hard luggage are mainly the large travel
bags made from moudled plastic. Soft luggage is made out of woven fabrics like nylon and polyester.
It comprises of uprights, totes, duffle and sky bags which can be with or without wheels and handles.
The soft luggage today is becoming very popular due to the ease of carry as it is light and flexible. It
includes handbags, military backpacks, athletic backpacks, wallets, briefcases and other soft sided
luggage items.
Product Characteristics
Outer dimensions of a soft luggage bag vary from 460mmX340mmX160mm to
790mmX620mmX280mm. The size of a small soft suitcase can vary from 20” to 31”. A standard 64”
fabric used for soft luggage weighs around 350 grams.
Market dynamics and key growth drivers
Out of the total luggage industry, 40% is hard luggage while 60% belongs to the soft goods. Due to
increasing pressure from input costs in recent months, prices of moulded luggage are on an upward
spiral. Prices of polypropylene, the primary raw material, have shot up by over 100% in the past one
year. Polypropylene makes up around 75% of the raw material pie for hard luggage. Hence, more and
more people are shifting from hard luggage to soft goods. In the soft goods market, around 60% of
the market belongs to the unorganised sector. The price of a soft luggage in the organized market
ranges from Rs 800 to Rs. 9,000 depending upon its size, raw material, etc.
Most luggage and travel bags companies in India are following international trends and designs
closely because they are aware that the buyer is becoming more conscious of design and exclusive
patterns looking luggage/baggage. With more and more people travelling, manufacturers, exporters
and suppliers of handbags, bags, luggage and travel accessories ensure that each and every luggage
item are given away with ample safety features, theft-proof, sturdy and strong.
The current and future forecast of Soft Luggage is given below:-
Particulars
% of soft luggage industry in total luggage 60%
Value of textile in the total value of soft goods 15%
Average price of fabric used in soft luggage Rs 130 per sq m
Share of organised sector in soft luggage industry 40%
Expected growth rate of the organised segment 23%
Expected growth rate of the unorganised segment 28%