Rahul Mehta
Having passed his MBA from one of the most prestigious Management Schools of India, the Bajaj Institute in 1971, he joined what was then called Goodlass Nerolc Paints, and rose rapidly to be the India Sales Manager by 1982 – when the Entrepreneurial bug bit him. He joined the Creative Group as Partner and Managing Director in 1982, and launched the UFO Jeans – perhaps one of the earliest International Brands to come to India. Today, he oversees most of the Domestic Business of the Group, such as 109F, Fusion Beats, Urban Republic Jeans, Portico, etc.
He is acknowledged as one of the leaders of the Domestic Garment Industry, and is currently the President of International Apparel Federation (IAF) based out of Netherlands, President of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), and member of the Managing Committee of the Apparel Export Promotion Council.
The IAF is a Federation of the National Associations of 47 countries including USA, China, Germany, France, Italy, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Korea, Taiwan, etc. Rahul is the first Indian to be elected as President of the IAF.
CMAI is the premier Association of Indian Garment Manufacturers, with over 2000 Manufacturing members and over 15,000 Retailer members.
He is extremely involved in Education, and is Chairman, Advisory Board, School of Fashion Technology, Pune, Vice Chairman, Institute of Apparel Management, Delhi, and on the Board of B. D. Somani Institute of Fashion and the Neeta Lulla School of Fashion.
He is also a Trustee with the Sadhana Education Society, which runs prestigious Educational Institutes in the suburbs of Mumbai, including the L. S. Raheja College of Commerce.
His experience and ready wit also makes him a popular Teacher and Lecturer, and he has been a Visiting Faculty Member to various Educational Institutions in Bombay. He is also a regular invitee to innumerable seminars and discussions.
Rahul Mehta is not just a one-dimensional personality. He is an active participant in Theater, being a Playwright, a Director, and an Actor, and has won Awards in all these categories.
