Kothari Industrial Corporation acquires footwear brands Zodiz, Jeetlo 

Chennai-based Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd. (KICL), the flagship company of the D.C. Kothari group, has acquired Zodiz, Jeetlo and other associated sub-brands in the footwear field.

The acquisition of Zodiz, Jeetlo and associated sub-brands will come into effect from August 4, 2025, the company said.

Zodiz is owned by Zaimus Trends Private Ltd., a company based in Coimbatore.

Jeetlo Footwear is another Indian footwear brand known for affordable, trendy shoes and sandals. It has a strong presence on leading Indian e-commerce platforms, the company said.

These brands cater to the price- and quality-conscious mass market, offering products below ₹1,000 per pair — a segment that accounts for nearly 80% of the Indian footwear consumption, valued at ₹80,000–85,000 crore annually, it said.

This acquisition gives KICL an immediate foothold in one of the fastest-growing and underserved consumer segments, the company said.

Jinnah Rafiq Ahmed, Executive Chairman, Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd
| Photo Credit:
Bijoy Ghosh

“Our business strategy will be distribution-led, targeting Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities — India’s emerging urban hubs where the appetite for affordable fashion is on the rise,” said Jinnah Rafiq Ahmed, Executive Chairman, KICL.

KICL is deeply into the non-leather footwear field having set up a non-leather footwear park in the backward district of Perambalur in Tamil Nadu. It has already tied up foreign makers of iconic brands such as Kickers, Adidas and the like.