New garment buyers from the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, Panama and South Africa among others plan to replace China with India as their major garment supplier. The extended COVID lockdowns in China have restricted supplies, forcing buyers to look for other options to diversify risks.
A buyer from South Africa, Lizzard Pty, which has 180 stores, wants to buy women's clothing, he said, while a buyer from Greece wants men's garments.v The Noida Apparel Export Cluster has 3,000 units with an annual turnover of ₹35,000 crore and employs around 9,00,000 people.
China eased COVID restrictions in Shanghai after two months of lockdown on Tuesday, but the country's "zero Covid" policy continues and nearly 650,000 will remain confined to their homes.
The entry of new buyers at Noida export cluster has also raised hopes for the Tirupur garment manufacturers.
India recorded its highest-ever textiles and apparel exports in FY22 at $44.4 billion, a rise of 41 per cent compared to FY21.
The US was the top export destination for the country's textiles and apparel shipments accounting for 27 per cent share, followed by the European Union, Bangladesh and the UAE. Export of ready-made garments grew by 31 per cent to $16 billion.
However, the high cotton prices are dampening the export opportunity that has opened up for Indian manufacturers.
