ASIA’S RESILIENCE
Bose also believes Asia will be the first part of the world to recover from the crisis, hence it makes sense to focus efforts in this region. She is placing her faith in the resolute response of governments in Asia, including China, India and Singapore. “I think Asia will bounce back fast. We’ll adapt very quickly to the changes that need to happen and will emerge stronger out of this crisis.”
She has also sprang into action to help the company’s partner suppliers pivot their businesses. To counter the decrease in fashion manufacturing, Zilingo is working with factories to transform their production lines to make personal protective equipment, which is currently in short supply globally.
In the longer term, while Bose predicts it will take up to two years for the economy to recover, she is confident Zilingo is well-placed to thrive in a post-covid world.
“This is such a long crisis and it’s making us all stay at home and think hard about our lives and become very thoughtful about retail. So now more than ever, we need companies that will straighten out the supply chain so that there are no leakages. We will play the role of the digital backend to make the fashion industry more tech-enabled and transparent,” she says. “It’s impossible to physically do business now, so I think only the digital businesses will overcome the challenges, survive and become stronger.”
A garment factory in India within Zilingo’s network of partners; quality is paramount and attention is paid to the details such as the type of fabric used to manufacture new designs.
Zilingo CEO Ankiti Bose says that 60 per cent of its business partners and suppliers are helmed by women