Noida, India – Sheela Foam, and its recently acquired Kurlon brand, have emerged as a dominant supplier of PU foam to the lingerie market. It made its debut in the sector more than a decade ago, and after R&D investment now offers various grades of foam that meet all international specifications.
“According to market research company IMARC Group, India’s lingerie market was estimated at $4.4bn in 2022, and is expected to double to $8.2bn by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 10.9% during 2023-2028,” said Sheela Foam director Tushar Gautam.
Sheela highlighted the future of PU foam technology for lingerie applications at the recent Source NXT 2024 exhibition, held in Mumbai at the end of January. It described advances in PU foam technology for lingerie such as thermoformable and memory foam technology, ways to delay UV yellowing, and foams that are RoHS and Reach compliant.
“We are now working on providing a dry feeling to lactating mothers using high absorbent foams and exploring the use of memory foams for bra cup applications,” Gautam said.
In India, two types of bra cups predominate: light-lined and push-up. About 80% of the market is made up of padded bras. On average, six pairs of cups can be made from each 1.5x1m foam sheet. Water-based adhesives are generally used to laminate fabric to foam in the low-to-medium end of the market, while hot-melt lamination is more commonly used for high-end lingerie.
The regular and premium end of the market are largely homegrown brands, while global brands dominate the luxury market. Sheela supplies PU foam to many notable domestic brands, including Tweens, Kalyani, Innocence, Magpie, Sympty, Lovable, Good Luck, Rupa Centra, Souminie, Centra, Rajnie and Komil.
