Apparel and textile exports register growth despite challenges

Apparel exports registered 12.9 % growth in dollar terms in December 2024 compared with the previous year and cumulative exports for April - December of 2024 registered 11.6 % growth as against the same period the previous year.

Sudhir Sekhri, chairman of the AEPC said in a statement, “This is the appropriate time when India needs to capitalise this opportunity and accelerate the momentum to expand its global footprints and enter new markets.”

The long-term outlook for Indian apparel exports remains positive, largely on account of improved product acceptance, adaptability to changing consumer trends, focus of factories on compliance, etc., he said.

In April - November of 2024, apparel exports from India to the US grew 14.3 %, to Spain by 20.7 %, and 33.6 % in Netherlands. The exports did well in India’s FTA markets too, registering 22.7 % growth in South Korea, 9 % in Japan, and 9.8 % in Australia.

According to the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, textile exports in December went up by 12.76 % compared with December 2023 and 4.87 % in April-December 2024 compared with the same period the previous year. This shows the sector’s resilience to global uncertainties, said Rakesh Mehra, its chairman.

Indian textile and garment industry can improve its competitiveness and gain more share in the global trade with the Quality Control Order norms are relaxed and the import duty on cotton is removed, said SK Sundararaman, chairman of the Southern India Mills Association.