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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Apparel exporters urged to expand production capacities
Bilateral trade negotiations between India and the US are progressing positively, said Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to A. Sakthivel, vice chairman of the AEPC, recently. A press release said Mr. Sakthivel met the Minister in New Delhi and briefed him on the current status and challenges faced by the apparel industry. He also thanked the Minister for the India - UK Free Trade Agreement. Regarding the progress of the ongoing negotiations with the US, Mr. Goyal said the discussions were progressing positively and were expected to conclude with a mutually beneficial agreement that would be an encouraging development for Indian exporters, the release said. Mr. Sakthivel said the scope for apparel export growth was promising and the exporters should now gear up for large business opportunities. They should look at expanding the production capacities, he said in the release.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
GBCI, apparel exporters' body sign pact for sustainable manufacturing
Apparel exporters body AEPC on Sunday said it has inked a pact with Green Business Certification Institute (GBCI) with an aim to promote sustainable manufacturing in the garment sector. It will help increase the number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified garment factories in India. LEED certification is a globally-recognised rating system for evaluating a building's environment performance and sustainability and indicates building's adherence to green building principles promoting energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthier indoor environments. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo This Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) secretary general Mithileshwar Thakur and Gopalakrishnan P, managing director, GBCI Asia Pacific and Middle East. Sudhir Sekhri, chairman AEPC, said the Indian garment industry is committed to promote sustainable practices. "The LEED certification indicates reduced resource consumption, lower carbon footprint and improved air quality within the factory. Additionally, it lowers the operating cost, increases the property value, and improves investors' confidence. I am sure more and more factories will go for this certification in times to come," Sekhri said. Live Events Thakur said India has only 13 LEED certified garment factories as against around 250 in Bangladesh. "There is a greater emphasis from the reputed brands globally on sustainability and we need to quickly catch the boat for staying competitive in the international market," he said.
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Business Standard
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
AEPC inks pact with GBIC for climate-friendly garment manufacturing
The MoU aims to increase the number of Indian garment factories with LEED certification, reflecting a push towards climate-friendly and energy-efficient manufacturing Himanshu Thakur New Delhi Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman of AEPC, reaffirmed the Indian garment sector's dedication to sustainability, stating, 'The LEED certification indicates reduced resource consumption, lower carbon footprint and improved air quality within the factory. Additionally, it lowers the operating cost, increases the property value and improves investors' confidence. I am sure more and more factories will go for this certification in times to come.' Thakur pointed out that while India currently has only 13 LEED-certified garment factories, Bangladesh has around 250. 'There is a greater emphasis from the reputed brands globally on sustainability and we need to quickly catch the boat for staying competitive in the international market,' he said.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bangladesh should not assume Northeast as a captive market for its exports: Experts
NEW DELHI: India's recent import restrictions on Bangladeshi goods have sparked a broader conversation about the future of bilateral trade, with officials and experts stressing that Bangladesh should not assume India's Northeast as a captive market for its exports. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On May 17, the government imposed curbs on imports worth $770 million from Bangladesh, impacting nearly 42% of the total import volume. The restrictions, affecting garments, processed foods, and plastics, barred many goods from land ports and limited them to just two seaports: Kolkata and Nhava Sheva. For Bangladesh, this is a major blow. Apparel exports alone, valued at $618 million, now face longer routes, higher shipping costs, and delayed delivery times. Petrapole land port accounted for over 75% of apparel imports in 2024–25, according to official data, PTI reported. 'This move will help Indian MSMEs in the textile sector regain competitiveness,' said Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). He pointed out that Bangladeshi firms enjoyed unfair pricing advantages thanks to duty-free Chinese fabrics and export subsidies, giving them a 10–15% edge. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Vice Chairman A Sakthivel agreed: 'It was a long-standing demand from domestic exporters. This is the right step.' India's measures come amid growing unease over Bangladesh's own trade practices. Dhaka recently restricted Indian imports like yarn and rice and introduced a transit fee on Indian cargo, which New Delhi sees as a violation of earlier understandings. 'India will pursue reciprocal trade, not one-sided terms,' a senior source said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Bangladesh must realise it cannot cherry-pick trade benefits without giving back.' Still, experts caution against a breakdown in ties. 'As the larger neighbour, India must lead with maturity,' Srivastava said. 'Trade shouldn't be weaponised. There's still room to rebuild trust through dialogue and economic cooperation.' AEPC Secretary General Mithileshwar Thakur noted the shift to sea ports could strain small Bangladeshi exporters. 'Sea shipping is costlier and slower. This could hurt their ability to meet demand from Indian retailers.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
India-UK trade deal set to boost India's fashion export market
Chairman of the export promotion committee of India's Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and managing director of export company Kaytee Corporation Pvt Ltd Premal Udani is 'highly enthused' by the India/UK free trade agreement (FTA). He told Just Style: 'The FTA neutralises a 10% duty, thus giving India a level playing field with some of our neighbouring countries. We expect a minimum 30% increase in exports of apparel within the first year after the FTA is operationalised.' Chief mentor and past president of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) Rahul Mehta, agrees adding: 'Considering that product categories such as t-shirts, trousers, dresses, shirts and blouses – all in which India has a significant strength in manufacturing - occupy a major share in the import basket of the UK, the FTA certainly provides us with an opportunity to increase our exports. It has also come at a right time, when our major competitor Bangladesh is going through political turmoil.' Branding the FTA "a game changer", N Thirukkumaran, general secretary of Tiruppur Exporters' Association told Just Style: 'India's textile exports to the UK, currently estimated at $1.3bn annually, is poised to increase very significantly (at least double in one to two years) once the FTA comes into effect.' This might take a year, as ratification and formalisation procedures are completed. The India-UK FTA also comes when international buyers are comparing potential so-called 'reciprocal' tariff rates (based on trade deficit data rather than actual protection) threatened by the US from 8 July. The Trump administration's proposed tariff (37%) on Bangladesh is substantially higher than what is proposed for India (26%). The US imported $79.3bn's worth of apparel in 2023, accounting for about one-fifth of global imports. Bangladesh was the largest US supplier by value, supplying 9% of US apparel imports ($7.1bn), followed by India ($4.6bn, or 5.8%), according to APEC. India wants to leverage this strength throughout the value chain, from fibre to fashion, in ongoing bilateral trade talks with the US: 'We expect that a India-US bilateral trade agreement should be in place by June end,' predicted Mr Udani. "We expect that the Indian apparel industry will be a major beneficiary of such an FTA.' One benefit from the Trump administration's perspective is that India's substantial appetite to buy US products, from cotton to agriculture to oil to defence equipment, and the fact that India's traditional exports such as clothing do not compete with many American manufacturers are facilitating factors, he said. India's domestic textile and fashion market is also substantial - growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.59% from $172.3bn sales in 2022 and expected to reach $387.3bn by 2028, said the India Brand Equity Foundation. There are however challenges in India. 'Our capacities are not enough, our scale is inadequate, and our supply chain timelines are not geared. We also do not have the ease of access to appropriate raw materials, especially of MMF [man-made fibre] fabrics which Bangladesh enjoys,' said Mehta. To this end, the Indian government, the garment industry and the AEPC are working in tandem to expand production capacity, train additional personnel and diversify India's fabric base, said Udani. In the short run, large capacity exporters may gain from Bangladesh's losses because they can deliver the quantities needed by major buyers, but medium and small players will also benefit from the FTAs that India is pursuing, which also includes talks with the European Union (EU), said Thirukkumaran. Higher visibility of Indian exporters at major US trade shows, such as Apparel Sourcing New York, MAGIC Las Vegas, and Texworld USA, is also attracting buyers. With the anticipated increase in India's production of MMF fabrics, technical fabrics and performance fabric, Indian apparel manufacturers are likely to expand their production base from traditional cotton products, said Thirukkumaran. India's increasing emphasis on environment, social and governance (EGS) practices is a major attraction for the global brands catering to the increasingly conscious clientele, to look to India as a sourcing hub, said Thirukkumaran. Tiruppur, in Tamil Nadu, for instance, is rapidly emerging as a global leader in ESG practices. The textile and knitwear hub generates 1,950MW of renewal energy and treats 130m litres of wastewater per day through advanced zero liquid discharge systems achieving 90% water reuse, according to the Tiruppur Exporters' Association general secretary. Earlier this month (May), the UK fashion and textile sector welcomed the 'landmark trade agreement' with India but said caution must be exercised to maintain a level playing field. "India-UK trade deal set to boost India's fashion export market" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
