Initially, Vimal was not readily accepted by traders in Ahmedabad and Bombay who were controlled by long-established textile tycoons. Shri Dhirubhai Ambani decided to bypass the wholesaler and take Vimal directly to the customer. In 1972, Vimal opened its first exclusive showroom at Roxy Theatre, near the Opera House, Bombay.
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Due to lack of space in Bombay, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani scouted in Gujarat, his home state, to find a suitable land for a textile mill. In February 1966, he bought a 10,000 sq. yard plot at Naroda. He also bought the plots of factories around it that were facing business losses. Soon, the textile mill at Naroda spread over 125 acres.
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Printing master Shanbaug, who joined Reliance in its early days and helped set up Reliance Textiles, looks on as Shri Dhirubhai Ambani explains to foreign exporters the mill’s 12-colour automatic roller printing plant, imported from Switzerland.
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Reliance Naroda began with four German wrap knitting machines and a processing house. The design team was soon churning out 2,200 designs every month. Reliance Naroda mill would lead a textile revolution in India and become the birthplace of 'Vimal'—the most iconic brand in the history of textile manufacturing in India.
Image Courtesy: Reliance Industries Limited.
