The latest data from the Ministry of Commerce reveals that India’s garment exports have experienced a commendable increase of 8.5 percent, reaching USD 7.5 billion during the first half of the fiscal year, from April to September. This growth is particularly noteworthy given the prevailing global uncertainties that have affected various sectors.
Export in the month of September: During September alone, exports of readymade garments rose by 17.3 percent at USD 1.11 billion, one of the highest increases in exports, showing robust demand for Indian apparel in international markets.
This is what Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), had to say about the encouraging numbers: “Indian exports have managed high growth rates in a fairly significant global headwind context and against sustained inflationary pressures. Several of the key apparel-exporting nations experienced a deceleration in their ready-made garment export growth recently. In this respect, India has emerged as something of a beacon as far as resilience goes.”
Sekhri emphasized the unique advantages being low import dependence, a holistic ecosystem that spans from fiber to fashion, and a young, abundant labor force. He argued that the combination of all these factors provided unlimited growth potential for the industry.
On the other hand, “this year, AEPC will aggressively increase its global presence through participation in many international trade fairs. The council will also stage Bharat Tex for the second time in 2025. This month, the council will conduct road shows of international destinations across Spain and New York to attract overseas buyers to showcase India’s strengths in trade, technology, and tradition.”
Mithileshwar Thakur, Secretary General, AEPC, said that India stood to unlock new areas and had shown impressive double-digit growth in ready-made garment exports, despite all the geopolitical challenges and supply chain disruptions. “It will not be an exaggeration to say that the entire world has begun viewing India as a preferred sourcing destination,” he said.
Principal export markets for the garment sector of India are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
