The Indian men’s ready-to-wear market is worth around one billion dollars, and the total demand for men’s apparel, including custom-made garments, is closer to 9.3 billion dollars, which is expected to grow to 13 billion dollars by 2012. (Source: Technopak Advisors). This is one of the reasons behind the hyped event, which has been organized by Fashion Design Council of India, in partnership with global apparel giant Van Heusen.

The event in the capital New Delhi hopes to capture the interest of India’s millions of young males, many of whom have traded in traditional cotton outfits for shop-bought shirts and trousers.

Fashion Designers and buyers feel that men’s wear has been ignored for a long time and given stepchild treatment. India is only the fourth country to hold a separate men’s fashion week, despite the ready-to-wear men’s market being twice as big as the female sector, according to industry figures.

The male fashion week is expected to blend contemporary ethnic and modern western styles and is expected to take the men’s wear market to another level.