New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- Madhav Agasti, 76, prefers to hand-sew the buttonholes of a suit at his store in Bandra, Mumbai-a practice he's been following since he started work as a bespoke menswear tailor 50 years ago. Each buttonhole takes over an hour; a machine can do it in less than 10 seconds. The difference is that Agasti's stitches are nearly invisible.

This attention to detail is how Madhav Agasti has made his name in men's tailoring in the country. He's designed costumes for over 350 Hindi films, including Mr. India, Ram Lakhan, Andaz Apna Apna, Chameli Ki Shadi, Himmatwala and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and dressed chief ministers and Presidents, including the late Pranab Mukherjee, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Farooq Abdullah and Bal Thac...