KPR Mill has opened a garment unit in Ethiopia. The complete set-up of the garment unit took about two months. Extensive training of the workforce took place in both Ethiopia and India. At full capacity, the company will employ 1,500 machine workers who will produce 50,000 garment pieces a day for the world market. So far, employment has been created for 700 people and export shipments have commenced to Europe and the United States.

KPR Mills is an integrated textile manufacturing company from India. This is its first overseas garment unit. The opening of the factory is the result of a collaborative partnership with the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Supporting Indian Trade and investment for Africa program (SITA), which works to build trade and investment linkages between India and East Africa. ITC’s SITA program aims at improving the competitiveness of selected value chains, including textiles and apparel, in five East African countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania – through the provision of partnerships with institutions and businesses from India. KPR Export is a showcase example of Ethiopia’s attractiveness and investment potential and a demonstration of the successful effort by ITC’s SITA program in strengthening business linkages across the Indian Ocean.