AEPC has applauded the Indian government on reduction of the corporate tax to 25 per cent for companies with an annual turnover upto Rs 400 crore and proposed reduction in customs duty on wool fibres.

AEPC also welcomed the procedural simplifications proposed - like Interchangeability of PAN and Aadhaar, simplified single monthly return, fully automated GST refund module and the electronic invoice system. The industry hopes to witness a reduction in the compliance burden following these measures.

The industry today is faced with sever working capital shortage, due to long pending ROSL dues, difficulties in getting bank credits and GST refund blockages. AEPC hopes that the Rs. 70,000 crore proposed to be provided to PSBs will ease up the working capital credit flows. The industry is also waiting for the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (ROSCTL) scheme to be operationalised. We are hoping that the scheme gets enough funding for a smooth roll out and faster clearance of all past dues.

Nike has chosen tennis player Serena Williams to endorse its new accessory nicknamed as the ‘Broosh.’ This Swarovski crystal sewn-on Swoosh brooch will be worn by Williams on her knit-textured Nike dress.

This accessory is inspired from the decorative jewelry of the past generations but has been given a modern spin. Williams will also endorse Nike’s Flare Knit Low, made with Swarovski Ultrafine Crystal Rocks. The shoe is comprised of thousands of crystal chatons to create a refined surface structure and flexible texture that is incredibly thin and lightweight.

Cifra, the leader in the production of knitwear with WKS technology which is internationally patented, is investing in research and design thanks to the expansion of its design department and the addition of new eco-sustainable yarns including:

Econyl®: This yarn by Aquafil is a Nylon 6 fiber made completely regenerated waste materials. It has to do with a nylon thread to be exact, coming from recovered plastic materials: fishing nets, and more generally, scraps of fabrics used by the textile industry which are salvaged and regenerated through a complex process of decomposition.

QNova®: This yarn by Fulgar is a pre-consumer Nylon 6.6 recycled and eco-sustainable fiber derived exclusively from regenerated raw materials, and produced according to the criteria and requirements of modern traceability. Q-Nova® consists of waste materials coming from the company's main production cycle. Materials as such cannot be reused in any other way and should be disposed of externally as waste.

The Starlight® by Radici yarn, derived from the post-consumption of PET bottles, offers a valid post consumer alternative.

The Amni Soul Eco® by Fulgar enables garments to rapidly decompose once disposed of and placed in landfills. In favor of a circular model of sustainability, all these yarns will be combined with Eco Smart® by Roica elastomer which lends a very high level of biodegradability to the fabrics.

The ISKO I-SKOOL™ Grand Finale, held on July 3, 2019 in Berlin celebrated young denim talent. Promoted by ISKO™, leading denim ingredient brand, and carried out with the help of its research division Creative Room™, ISKO I-SKOOL™ - the design denim competition announced its winners with a unique tribute to the Creative Theme.

Launched in January 2019 at the international trade show Premium Exhibition in Berlin, the project’s Creative Theme “New Denim Codes” challenged the designers’ creativity to explore a novel perception of the body, developing the right fit for any shape or form.

A first in the history of the program, this edition was attended by Denim Design Professionals in the early stages of their careers, in addition to students in their final year of a Fashion Design BA or MA. Designers were asked to focus on the body as inspiration, along with a market and target consumer analysis. They then worked on their own vision of the future of fit. They had to go beyond the creation of a single outfit, designing a complete Capsule Collection by selecting some of the most advanced ISKO™ denim fabrics and patented technologies.

The diversity of these emerging New Denim Codes, the variety of body types and the different facets of our society were echoed in many aspects of the evening’s concept and performances, through a mix of elements and materials.

The decision was based on several criteria, such as the impact of the finalists’ vision and storytelling and the actual marketability of the garments, created with the help of Creative Room™. Responsible Innovation™ was an integral part of the designers’ projects as they tapped into ISKO™ premium fabrics, all of which are created implementing responsibility throughout every step of the production process. Part of these innovative fabrics is a special denim selection which led ISKO to be the first mill in the world to have achieved Nordic Swan and EU Ecolabel certifications.

Vietnam’s supply chain diversification has been happening for a few years already, mainly driven by rising labor costs in China. Even before the trade war, Vietnam was getting attention because of the proximity to China and because of the existing infrastructure in the country. The full supply chain has been set up in the country for the past decade already.

In 2018, Vietnam’s exports of textiles and apparel to the US increased 6.19 per cent over 2017. Vietnam is currently the third largest supplier of textiles and apparel to the US after China and India. The country has invested significant effort into building up the apparel sector, in particular. By the end of this year, Vietnam expects to become the second largest exporter in the world.

With the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) now in place, even more eyes are on Vietnam for sourcing. As part of the deal, Vietnamese garments bound for Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei either are already enjoying duty-free access or will within ten years as some tariffs get phased out in waves. Because of CPTPP, a lot more investment into fully vertical supply chains is happening in Vietnam.

Primark sales rose four per cent for the first three quarters of the year. Sales bounced back after a soggy May kept shoppers out of stores. Margins widened to 11.7 per cent in the first half from 9.8 per cent in the year-earlier period.

Primark is a budget fashion retailer owned by Associated British Foods. Primark is driving sales growth by expanding new stores at a breakneck pace. AB Foods expects better purchasing and fewer discounts to help offset a recent recovery in the dollar in the second half. The company has forecast a higher operating margin this year and has been reducing markdowns and benefiting from a weaker dollar that makes it cheaper to source garments from Asia. A stronger July is expected due to the improving weather. Last year had the feel-good factor, with the hot weather, the royal wedding and soccer World Cup, which boosted sales for Primark. A huge new Primark outlet in England has been outfitted with trend rooms that showcase the latest looks as well as Harry Potter and Disney areas. It’s designed to be a concept store for the future. The retailer will expand in the US.

Gap has been growing at an average annual rate of 3.4 per cent over the last three years. This growth has been driven almost completely by Old Navy, which contributed more than 95 per cent of the revenue growth over this period. Old Navy’s strong revenue growth coupled with a lower tax rate helped the company’s net income margin expand from 4.4 per cent in 2016 to over six per cent in 2018. However, Gap’s iconic brand, Gap Global, continued to struggle. The brand’s revenues over the last three years have fallen at an average annual rate of 5.4 per cent. Gap Global’s contribution to total revenue has gone down from more than 35 per cent in 2016 to about 31 per cent in 2018.

Banana Republic’s revenue is projected to remain flat while Gap Global’s revenue is likely to continue to decline over the next couple of years. Earlier this year, Gap unveiled a plan to split itself into two independent, publicly-traded companies – an independent Old Navy, and a yet-to-be-christened new company that would include a smaller portfolio of niche brands in denim (Gap), upper middle-class fashion (Banana Republic), female athleisure (Athleta), and men’s performance lifestyle (Hill City).

Dolce & Gabbana has extended its women’s size range to include XXL. The intention is to pay tribute to women, their morphology and all types of beauty. The Italian luxury label has always glorified a certain type of sensual Mediterranean beauty, and its ad campaigns often feature voluptuous women.

Plus-size women represent an increasingly important market segment and a genuine business challenge. Inclusivity also plays a part, an increasingly influential factor in the new strategies deployed by luxury labels. This explains their gradual shift in approach towards a clientèle which, until now, was overlooked. Retailers in the US are rolling out trendy plus-sized collections. They are dedicating more time and resources into developing plus-sized collections — a sign they are starting to see them as bigger potential revenue streams than they have in the past. They aim at giving plus-size customers the same trends, same colors, same wonderful print and patterns that are available in other women’s lines. The pieces have bright colors and prints, trendy cuts, and fun details, rather than the historical plus-sized collections from traditional retailers whose offerings don’t expand much beyond neutrals and basics. Traditional retailers risk losing business if they don’t give their plus-size lines the same attention, both in-stores and online, as other collections.

Bangladesh’s earnings from readymade garment exports grew 11.49 per cent over the last fiscal year. Earnings from knitwear exports were 11.19 per cent higher than the last fiscal year. Earnings from woven items registered a 11.79 per cent growth. The country’s overall merchandise export earnings registered a 10.55 per cent growth.

Apparel exports were helped by safety and compliance upgradation in the apparel industry, helping to boost buyers’ confidence on sourcing more clothing from the country, the US-China trade war, and good performance of apparel exports in non-traditional markets. In particular the US-China tariff war opened an opportunity for Bangladesh as global buyers shifted orders from China to Bangladesh to remain on the safe side. The sector also went on a massive machinery upgradation scheme to ensure product quality and to produce value added goods. Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector contributes 84 per cent to the country’s total export receipts. The US economy was better than it was last year, which also helped the country to export more. However, most apparel export earnings of Bangladesh are from basic goods. To get a better price, the country needs to invest in technology for value addition. Also manufacturers have to establish links with buyers who are shifting from China to other countries.

"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her maiden budget in Modi 2.0 government. However, the textiles sector seems to have been low on her priority list as the Budget allocation for textiles has been reduced to Rs 5831.48 crore in fiscal 2019-20 from Rs 6,943.26 in the last fiscal. Total textile infrastructure like SITP has been reduced from Rs 3729.83 crores to Rs 58.55 crores. What’s more there has been a reduction in custom duty from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent on import of raw materials under 5101 and 5105 (wool fibre and wool tops)."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her maiden budget in Modi 2.0 government. However, the textiles sector seems to have been low on her priority list as the Budget allocation for textiles has been reduced to Rs 5831.48 crore in fiscal 2019-20 from Rs 6,943.26 in the last fiscal. Total textile infrastructure like SITP has been reduced from Rs 3729.83 crores to Rs 58.55 crores. What’s more there has been a reduction in custom duty from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent on import of raw materials under 5101 and 5105 (wool fibre and wool tops). Moreover there has been an increase in customs duty from 0 to 20 per cent for water blocking tapes for manufacture of optical fiber cables. Reacting to the budget Sanjay Jain, Chairman, CITI says, “It’s neutral and a non event.”

Relaxation of FDI in single brand retail

The FM has proposed further relaxation of foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in single brand retail sector to attract more overseas investments. This assumes special significance as several foreign entities had raised concerns over the mandatory local sourcing norms from India. This included the high-end technology companies who had expressed their reluctance to procure goods from India due to the difficulty in meeting the 30 per cent condition.

The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal trade had mooted a proposal earlier this year to ease these norms. According to that proposal, these relaxations would allow retailers more time to comply with this regulation. The proposal also sought permissions for such firms to start their online operations even before setting up brick-and-mortar shops, provided they are able to attract over $1million of FDI. However, the proposal also mandated these firms to set up their brick-and-mortar shops within two years of starting their online sales.

Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Hong Kong based Counterpoint Research feels easing rules in single brand retail is likely to help many foreign companies to expand their operations by setting their own stores in the country.

Focus on promoting Khadi globally

The government has also focused on promoting Khadi globally, urging its missions abroad to come up with ideas to project Khadi as an employment generation solution and not merely a garment.

The Budget also announced a 2 per cent interest subvention for MSME and corporate tax reduction to MSMEs upto Rs 400 crores. Labour laws have been simplified and restructuring of power distribution has been proposed. Also the formation of National Research Foundation has been announced in the Budget.

As a part of the NDA government’s focus on bringing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the formal economy’s fold, a payment platform for the MSMEs will be set up. This comes in the backdrop of the government’s plan to start an e-commerce platform on the lines of Amazon and Alibaba to sell products from MSMEs and the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

Given its focus on MSMEs, the government has also announced a pension scheme for 30 million small traders, recognising the plight of shopkeepers, small traders and the self-employed hurt by the November 2016 decision to demonetize high-value currency notes, and the much-debated roll-out of the goods and services tax (GST) in July 2017. All small shopkeepers and self-employed persons as well as the retail traders with GST turnover below Rs1.5 crore and age between 18-40 years, can enrol for this scheme. The scheme would benefit more than 3 crore small shopkeepers and traders.

Reacting to the Budget the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) stated it is a mixed bag for the textile and apparel industry. Rahul Mehta, President, CMAI, stated that the extension of lower rate of 25 per cent corporate tax with an annual turnover up to Rs 400 crores is a welcome step. Currently, this rate is only applicable to companies having annual turnover up to Rs 250 crore. Moreover the infusion of Rs 70,000 crore capital into public sector banks will ease the current credit squeeze. Also, Rs 350 crore allocated for 2 per cent interest subvention for all GST-registered MSMEs on fresh or incremental loans will give a big thrust to MSMEs. Considering that over 80 per cent of the domestic apparel industry is in the MSME sector, all these measures could provide a boost to the sector.