Buying an “Oxford University” t-shirt or carrying a backpack bearing the name of the iconic university, will soon be a reality in India.

Oxford University is currently in the process of firming up the licensing agreements for its merchandise that includes apparels, back-to-school products, mementos and other memorabilia.

According to Chris Evans, Managing Director, Oxford Ltd, the entire range of merchandise is expected to be available in India by 2015.

The university has already entered into agreements with some local partners and will roll out the products shortly.

Educational toys, mostly brain games, from the Oxford bran in partnership with a local partner are already available in India. “We are in the process of rolling out Oxford University products here. By 2015, we are hoping that the entire range of merchandise is available in India through the right partners,” he told BusinessLine during a recent visit to the country. Back-to-school products, that include tiffin boxes, backpacks and stationary items, are expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2015. Stationary supplies for office and school will be placed at the premium end.

Apparel

Apparel, however, are likely to be launched in the latter half of 2015. According to Evans, the university has already zeroed-in on an India-based retailer for manufacture and marketing its apparel and fashion accessories.

The apparel range will be placed in the “mid-to-premium range” and categorised in the “affordable luxury” segment. At present, UCLA (University of California and Los Angeles) and Harvard University are amongst the major global universities who sell their apparel lines in India.

Marketing

According to Evans, focus will also be on marketing the merchandise through appropriate channels like shop-in-shop formats and multi-brand outlets. Larger format stores will also be explored.

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