Category: Textiles
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From Heritage to Market Identity
Cultural industries were once seen as soft expressions of tradition, often confined to local markets and seasonal tourism, but over time they have moved into the center of economic strategy where identity itself has become a tradable asset; historically, India’s crafts, textiles, and artisanal products were embedded in community life…
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Shifting Threads of Global Apparel Trade: From Cost Arbitrage to Strategic Integration
From Quota-Driven Trade to Networked Globalization: A Historical Rewiring The global apparel trade has quietly undergone one of the most profound structural transformations since the dismantling of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement in 2005. What began as a cost-arbitrage game—where low wages dictated export dominance—has now evolved into a deeply networked ecosystem…
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Power Politics in Textile Clusters
Textile clusters have long been celebrated as engines of local growth, employment, and exports. From Tiruppur to Surat, Panipat to Ludhiana, each cluster has played a defining role in shaping India’s manufacturing geography. Historically, these clusters emerged as dense networks of specialised firms—spinners, weavers, dyers, processors, exporters—thriving on proximity, skill…
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Buyer Behaviour Turns Tougher: When Power Moves Down the Supply Chain
For much of industrial history, demand was the dominant uncertainty and producers structured their systems to manage volatility at the consumer end. From mass production in the post-war decades to the lean manufacturing revolution of the 1980s and 1990s, efficiency gains largely benefited large buyers—retailers, OEMs, and global brands—who could…
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India’s Textiles & Apparel Transition: Between Tariffs, Technology, and a Global Reset
India’s textiles and apparel industry stands at a defining crossroads — not because of a single disruption, but because of the convergence of tariffs, technology, and labour dynamics that are reshaping global competitiveness. The recent policy shifts, global protectionism, and emerging supply-chain restructurings have created a paradoxical moment: pressure and…
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India’s Textile Sector : How Exporters Are Weaving a New Future in Europe Amid U.S. Tariff Pressures
A Shifting Fabric of Global Trade India’s textile exporters are rethreading their global strategy. Faced with rising U.S. tariffs—impacting nearly 29% of India’s textile and apparel exports—they are now turning toward Europe, a market long valued for its design diversity and regulatory depth. According to Reuters, Indian exporters are not…
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India’s Textile PLI 2.0: Lower Barriers, Higher Ambitions
Introduction: The Evolution of India’s PLI for Textiles When India launched its Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles in September 2021, it was a bold step to strengthen domestic manufacturing, attract global investments, and position India as a competitive player in man-made fibres (MMF) and technical textiles. However, despite…
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India’s Textile Sector Under Fire: 50% U.S. Tariffs Shake Export Clusters to the Core
India’s ready-made garments (RMG) sector was already poised for a slowdown, with Crisil forecasting a growth dip to just 3–5% in FY26—about half of earlier projections—due to rising U.S. tariffs . But the game changed dramatically on August 27, 2025, when the U.S. escalated tariffs to 50%. This shift is…
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India’s Garment Exports Face New Headwinds Under U.S. Tariff Shock
India’s ready-made garments (RMG) sector—long a vital contributor to export earnings and employment—is bracing for a sharp slowdown. According to a recent forecast by Crisil, revenue growth is expected to shrink to just 3–5% in FY26, nearly halving from previous levels. The primary reason: new U.S. tariffs that are set…