Anil Kohli and Firemount Textiles: Building a Denim Business in Mauritius

When Anil Kohli arrived in Mauritius in the 1980s, obtaining a telephone line could take three months. It is a detail he still remembers from the early days of establishing Firemount Textiles, and one that says something about the practical realities of building a factory on an island undergoing rapid economic change. This article looks at how the Firemount Textiles founder moved a denim business from the UK to Mauritius, and how both the company and the island have grown since.

Why Anil Kohli Moved His Denim Business to Mauritius

Kohli was already in the denim business in Britain. Mauritius offered favourable access to European markets, and an existing local denim producer, Novel Denim, could supply the fabric his factory needed. He also had a distribution company and retail customers in the United Kingdom. Rather than arriving without a market, he was moving part of an existing business to a location that made commercial sense.

Much of the machinery came from his UK operation. Some equipment was purchased later, but at the outset he was able to ship machines he already owned. Building and fitting out the factory proved slower. Materials were not always readily available, skilled tradespeople could be difficult to find, and basic services took time to arrange.

Hiring Factory Workers in Mauritius: Then and Now

Recruiting factory employees was comparatively straightforward. Kohli recalls putting a notice outside the building and seeing hundreds of people arrive looking for work. Mauritius already had clothing businesses and people familiar with sewing and tailoring, so the factory was not starting with an entirely inexperienced workforce.

Today he describes almost the opposite situation. With more industries competing for labour, manufacturers may spend weeks trying to fill a vacancy. Firemount Textiles now recruits workers from several countries, including Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. The contrast is one of the clearest changes Kohli has observed in nearly four decades.

How Firemount Textiles Scaled Production in Its First Year

His existing customers helped the new operation grow quickly. In a recent interview, Kohli recalled moving from roughly 30,000–40,000 garments a month in his earlier UK operation to around 300,000 a month during the first year in Mauritius. Initially, the garments travelled to his UK company for distribution to retailers. Over time, the model changed and Firemount began supplying retail customers directly, including customers beyond Britain.

Founded in 1987: From a Practical Move to Premium Denim

Anil Kohli began manufacturing in Mauritius in 1987. What started as a practical move has grown into an international business. Today, Firemount Textiles is known for premium, tailor-made denim.

That reputation rests on the decisions he made early on: keep fabric close, keep customers close, and let the business grow from solid foundations. Nearly four decades later, the group’s focus on quality remains one of its clearest strengths.

How Mauritius Has Changed Since the 1980s

Kohli remembers an island with fewer employment opportunities and far less developed infrastructure. Today he sees a country with a substantial tourism industry, shopping centres, modern buildings and an established international financial-services sector. Firemount has changed alongside it, expanding beyond garment assembly into denim fabric production.

Did Anil Kohli ever doubt moving to Mauritius? Asked whether he ever thought he had made the wrong decision, Kohli did not offer a dramatic account of doubt and adversity. His answer was simply that the business was well suited to Mauritius at the time. He had the machinery, the customers and a nearby source of fabric. The challenge was putting those pieces together in a place where everyday tasks could take longer than expected.

Firemount Textiles and Mauritius: Growing Together

Firemount has grown alongside Mauritius, and it supports the island’s wider economic diversification. As Kohli’s business moved from garment assembly into denim fabric production, it also took on a sustainability-minded approach to how it makes its products.

His outlook beyond the business is just as consistent. Kohli treats generosity as a lifelong habit rather than a late-career gesture. He and his wife quietly back charitable work in India, Mauritius and further afield, usually without fanfare.