The Apparel sector is a highly employment intensive industry especially for women.
In the perspective of China losing share in the global market for exports in the apparel sector on account of rising costs of production, the time is ripe for India to make forays into this market.
However, various challenges exist before India can reap the benefits of this situation.
India’s competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnams’ exports have duty free access to markets of USA, EU and Japan. Other challenges include, high domestic taxes on man-made fabrics vis a vis cotton-based fabrics; stringent labour regulations; and high logistics cost.
