Welspun Living makes Wimbledon's iconic towels in Gujarat via 2006 Christy buyout
Welspun Living produces Wimbledon's official towels at its Vapi and Anjar facilities, having acquired British heritage brand Christy in 2006 and shifted production to India by 2010. Each towel takes 7 days to make, retailing at ~40 pounds — a marker of Indian home-textile manufacturing muscle for a global consumer icon.
What happened
Welspun Living manufactures Wimbledon's official towels at its Gujarat facilities (Vapi and Anjar) after acquiring British heritage brand Christy in 2006,
Key facts
- 7 days per towel
- 40 pounds retail price
- 500 towels missing daily in 2025
- 15% return rate
- acquired 2006
- production shifted by 2010
Why this matters
The 2006 Christy buyout and subsequent production shift to India is a playbook for acquiring Western heritage brands and relocating manufacturing to capture margin and brand equity simultaneously.
What to watch
- New heritage-brand M&A announcements by Welspun or Indian peers
- US/EU textile tariff or sourcing-disclosure policy changes
- Wimbledon/AELTC contract renewal or competitor bid
- Welspun margin mix shift toward branded vs. OEM revenue in earnings
- Bangladesh/Vietnam capacity moves into premium home textiles
- Welspun amplifies the Wimbledon/Christy provenance story in investor decks and ESG/quality narratives
- Pursue further UK/EU heritage-brand acquisitions in home and lifestyle textiles
- Expand Vapi/Anjar capacity and automation to protect the 7-day artisanal positioning at scale
- Push Christy D2C and premium retail listings in Western markets to capture full retail margin
Also reported by
- YourStory — Same time