Niki Mahajan sees losses mount as shipments to Middle East remain grounded

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 26, 2020

Women’s traditional wear designer Niki Mahajan has already felt the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown and has seen business drop with outgoing shipments to the Middle East grounded in India. 

 
As businesses see retail and production grind to a halt under the 21-day nationwide lockdown in India, designer Niki Mahajan has already experienced losses amounting to millions of rupees, the designer told Sputnik News. The lockdown has prevented Mahajan from shipping her orders to the Middle East for Ramadan and she has had to cancel exports.
 
“In my entire career of 36 years this is the first time I feel so helpless,” Mahajan told Sputnik News. “I have had to cancel all my export orders. My stores are shut, my factories are shut. My shipments for Middle East for Ramadan have yet to leave.”

The spring wedding season in India has also been effectively cancelled by the lockdown which has also disrupted business. “I have cancelled all new wedding orders and have no idea how I will complete the pending ones,” said Mahajan. “There is fear of the unknown in every one. There is a major loss already and there will be much more as I cannot see the end anywhere close.”
 
Designer Niki Mahajan launched her eponymous brand in Delhi and the label retails in over 100 countries, according to Mahajan’s LinkedIn. The brand is stocked in a number of department stores including Harvey Nichols in London, UK; Iseten in Tokyo, Japan; and Bloomingdales in the U.S.