Newry group was founded in early 70’s by Mr. Manu Makhija. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Kishinchand Chellaram College (K.C. College) in Mumbai, India. In 1971, after several years working in the territory, Mr. Makhija and his partner started a new company in Hong Kong called Sonex that specialized in the trading of general merchandise such as garments, footwear, electronics and toys to Africa, South America and the Middle East. A decade later, Sonex shifted its strategy to concentrate mostly on the trading and manufacturing of garments and accessories .

Over time, Sonex grew to be one of the largest apparel traders to Latin America, with offices in most major Asian cities and Latin America. From 1971 to 2001, the Sonex Group achieved a cumulative turnover in excess of USD2 billion, reaching close to USD300 million annually at its peak .

In 2001, Mr. Makhija and his business partner agreed to dissolve the Sonex partnership. Immediately, Mr. Makhija founded a new company called Newry Limited with his two sons, Sanjay Makhija and Vijay Makhija. Since Mr. Makhija’s demise, Sanjay and Vijay have assumed the day to day management of Newry which continues to grow under their leadership .