West Asia Conflict Triggers Industrial Strain in Gujarat as Textile Mills Cut Operations
Escalating crude oil prices and supply‑chain disruptions from the West Asia conflict have forced Surat’s textile mills to curtail operations, instituting two‑day weekly shutdowns. Rising costs of yarn, coal and energy have left mills with only 10‑20 days of coal stock, making production economically untenable. The slowdown threatens the livelihoods of roughly 300,000 workers employed in the city’s 400‑500 mills. Parallel logistics problems are also choking Gujarat’s ceramic exporters, as Gulf ports face container delays.
India Tightens Quality Rules for Apparel
India’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has rolled out new quality benchmarks for woven shirts and trousers, covering fabric strength, stitching durability, colour retention and shrinkage limits. The move seeks to inject uniformity into a sector that has long relied...
Gokaldas Exports Bolsters Manufacturing Strategy with Senior Leadership Appointment
Gokaldas Exports has appointed Sreeja Balachandra as Associate Vice President to lead a manufacturing transformation agenda. Her mandate includes embedding lean systems, process optimisation, and capability building across the company's export‑focused factories. The move comes as Indian apparel exporters grapple with...
Flipkart Group CFO Sriram Venkataraman to Step Down Amid IPO Preparations
Flipkart announced that Group CFO Sriram Venkataraman will step down after a decade, remaining temporarily to aid transition. Marketplace CFO Ravi Iyer will assume interim oversight of the finance function. The change aligns with Flipkart’s accelerated preparations for a domestic...
Industrial Diesel Hiked by 25%: Textile Industry Faces Rising Input Costs
Indian Oil Corporation raised the price of industrial diesel to Rs 109.59 per litre, a 25% increase effective 20 March 2026. The hike targets bulk consumers such as factories, where diesel fuels captive power plants and heat‑intensive processes. The textile sector, which relies...
Depth Over Diversification: Inside 9shines’ Focused Category Strategy
9shines Label, founded in 2017, has built a D2C nightwear and comfort‑wear business around a single, well‑defined category. By prioritising breathable fabrics, inclusive sizing up to 7XL and functional details, the brand enjoys a near‑50% repeat purchase rate. Its hybrid...
West Asia Conflict Drives Surge in Raw Material Costs, Squeezing Textile Units in TN’s Perambalur
Textile manufacturers in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu are grappling with sharply higher raw‑material costs as the West Asia conflict disrupts oil supplies and shipping routes. Polyester fibre prices have risen about Rs 40 per kilogram, while freight rates have jumped 20‑30 %, squeezing profit...
Innerwear, Shapewear Brand Pinq Polka Raises US $429,000 in Pre-Series A Round
Pinq Polka, a contemporary innerwear and shapewear label founded in 2017, secured Rs 4 crore (US $429,000) in a pre‑Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The capital will fund expanded marketing for its shapewear line, team growth, and working‑capital needs as the...
Government Unveils US $53 Million RELIEF Scheme to Support Exporters Amid Middle East Disruptions
The Indian government launched the Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) scheme, allocating Rs 497 crore (US $53 million) to shield exporters from Middle‑East conflict‑driven disruptions. The program, administered by the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation, offers extended export obligations, stable insurance premiums,...
Kraus Jeans Plans 20 New Stores in 2026, Eyes Footwear Segment Expansion
Fashion brand Kraus Jeans announced a plan to open 20 new exclusive‑brand stores in 2026, adding to its existing network of 27 outlets. The company has already launched 16 stores in the current fiscal year and recently opened a new...
Prozo Expands Hyderabad Footprint with New Fulfilment Centre Amid South India Growth Push
Prozo has opened a 1,04,524 sq ft multi‑client fulfilment centre in Medchal, Hyderabad, expanding its local footprint to nine warehouses covering roughly 6.5 lakh sq ft. The new site, positioned on NH‑44 with direct Outer Ring Road access, taps a logistics hub that accounted for...
Polymer Price Surge Disrupts Footwear Supply Chain, Forces Manufacturers to Consider Price Hikes
Footwear manufacturers in India are confronting steep cost pressures as polymer‑based sole producers in Kerala scale down operations. Approximately 20‑25% of the state’s plastic processing units have halted due to capital shortages, while polymer prices have jumped nearly 59% since...
Indian Textile and Apparel Exports See Marginal Decrease in April ’25-February ’26
Indian textile exports fell 2.1% YoY to $18.36 bn in April ’25‑February ’26, while apparel exports edged up 0.5% to $14.53 bn. Combined, the sector’s total exports slipped 1% to $32.89 bn versus the previous year. February 2026 showed a sharper apparel decline...
Banana Club Targets 50 Stores by 2026 Amidst Aggressive Retail Expansion
Banana Club, the Bengaluru‑based men’s fast‑fashion label, announced a plan to grow its physical footprint to 50 stores across India by the end of 2026, up from the current 17. The expansion is a core pillar of its long‑term growth...
India to Defer US Trade Pact Signing Pending New Tariff Framework, Says Commerce Secretary
India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal announced that the country will postpone signing the bilateral trade agreement with the United States until Washington finalizes a revised tariff framework. The delay follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated several Trump-era tariff...
Fitkin Secures US $ 108,000 Shark Tank Deal, Targets Growth in Women’s Activewear
Fitkin secured a Rs 1 crore ($108,000) investment on Shark Tank India, giving investor Vineeta Singh an 11% stake and valuing the brand at roughly Rs 9.09 crore. The women’s activewear label, founded in 2022, reported revenue growth from Rs 98 lakh in FY 21‑22 to Rs 2.34 crore...
PDS Limited Consolidates UAE Apparel Trading Arm with Full Acquisition of PDS Radius Brands
PDS Limited has fully acquired the remaining 25% equity in its UAE trading arm, PDS Radius Brands, through its step‑down subsidiary PDS Multinational FZCO for US$6.812 million. The transaction turns PDS Radius UAE into a wholly owned subsidiary, simplifying the group’s...
India Overtakes China as Largest Supplier of Cotton Products to the US in 2025: USDA
India became the United States' top supplier of cotton products in 2025, overtaking China for the first time in recent years. The USDA reports that India shipped roughly 0.6 million metric tonnes, while China delivered about 0.5 million tonnes, out of total...
LPG Shortage Threatens Shutdown of Sanganer’s Textile Printing Industry
A severe shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders threatens to halt production in Sanganer’s textile dyeing and printing cluster. Around 2,000 units, requiring roughly 3,000 cylinders daily, have supplies sufficient for only two to three days. The crunch stems...
Heritage Menswear Brand Sri Ram & Son Appoints Sunil Goklani as MD, CEO to Drive Global Expansion
Sri Ram & Son, a 140‑year‑old Indian heritage menswear label, has appointed Sunil Goklani as Managing Director and CEO. Goklani brings more than three decades of senior retail experience across premium fashion brands. The leadership change is aimed at accelerating...
D2C Fashion Brand Odette Plans Kidswear Launch and 100-Store Expansion by FY ’28
Odette, a direct‑to‑consumer fashion brand founded in 2021, announced a June 2026 launch of a kidswear line and an aggressive rollout to 100 exclusive brand outlets by FY ’28. The company already operates over 35 stores across major Indian metros and is...
Retailers Are Boarding The Airport Retail Boom
India’s airports are evolving into major fashion destinations as passenger traffic tops 350 million annually, driving a surge in non‑aeronautical revenue. Retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Levi’s and luxury houses like Hugo Boss are expanding storefronts across existing and upcoming terminals, despite rents...
Bangladesh Bank Governor Assures Garment Exporters of Timely Cash Incentive Payments
Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman told BGMEA leaders that pending export cash‑incentive payments will be processed within the same month, aiming to ease manufacturers’ liquidity crunch. The guarantee comes as garment factories face cash shortages from frozen deposits at...
West Asia Conflict Hits Bhilwara Textile Exports; US $86 Million–US $100 Million in Shipments Affected
The Gulf conflict is disrupting trade routes, causing Indian textile exporters to face delays and higher costs. Bhilwara, a major textile hub, now has shipments worth Rs 800‑1,000 crore (US $86‑$108 million) on hold, affecting key markets in the Gulf and Europe. Exporters cite...
Uzbekistan, India’s Rupa Explore Joint Knitwear Manufacturing Venture
Uzbekistan’s ambassador to India met Rupa & Company’s director to explore a joint knitwear manufacturing venture in Uzbekistan. Rupa, a $150 million annual turnover Indian apparel leader, sees the Central Asian market and CIS region as a growth frontier. The talks...
TechnoSport Appoints Achal Sharma as Chief Technology Officer
TechnoSport has appointed Achal Sharma as chief technology officer to steer its technology strategy and digital transformation. Sharma brings over 18 years of experience scaling tech teams at Wakefit, Myntra, Mobile Premier League and Vision11. He will oversee digital platforms,...
Middle East Conflict Ripples Through Karnataka’s Garment and Silk Industries
The escalating Middle‑East conflict is disrupting Karnataka’s textile supply chain, slashing new garment orders by 25‑30% for March 2026 and pushing overall garment exports down 15‑20%. Export shipments worth roughly $2 billion are stranded, while silk demand has slipped 8% and cocoon...
Suta Opens First International Store in Mauritius, Marking Global Expansion
Suta, the Indian fashion label founded by sisters Sujata and Taniya Biswas, opened its first overseas retail store in Mauritius, marking a key milestone in its global expansion. The boutique features in‑store tailoring, lifetime alteration services and customization, aiming to...
Surat-Based Ajmera Fashion Plans IPO as Revenue Growth Accelerates
Ajmera Fashion Limited, the Surat‑based ethnic wear brand, is preparing an IPO slated for filing between Q3 and Q4 of FY 2026‑27. The company aims to raise capital through a pre‑IPO private placement that values it at roughly ₹300 crore, offering about...
Arvind Announces Resignation of Textiles MD Susheel Kaul
Arvind Limited announced that Managing Director and President of Textiles, Susheel Kaul, will resign effective March 9, 2026, citing personal reasons. Kaul, a veteran of the Indian textile sector, oversaw denim, woven and advanced‑material operations and helped cement Arvind’s position among top...
Brandman Retail Partners With ANTA Group to Launch Wilson and ANTA in India
Brandman Retail announced a strategic partnership with ANTA Sports Products Limited to bring Wilson Sporting Goods and ANTA to India. The alliance will open dedicated mono‑brand stores in major metropolitan areas, with the first location slated for April 2026. The curated...
Apparel Group Expands India Portfolio with Nike Littles and Jordan Partnership
Apparel Group announced it will bring Nike Littles and Jordan to its Indian retail network. The move expands the group’s youth‑focused portfolio and adds both physical stores and digital marketplace presence. The partnership aligns with Nike’s inclusive sport mission and...
Medical Apparel Brand Knya Appoints Chintan Adeshara as Head of Retail
Medical apparel brand Knya has hired retail veteran Chintan Adeshara as head of retail to accelerate its offline expansion. The company aims to grow its footprint to more than 100 stores across India within three years, adding two new outlets each...
Flipkart Reappoints Nishant Verman as SVP as IPO Preparations Gather Pace
Flipkart has reappointed Nishant Verman as senior vice president as the Walmart‑owned retailer accelerates its IPO preparations. Verman previously led the $16 billion sale of Flipkart to Walmart and a $4 billion fundraising round involving SoftBank, Tencent, eBay and Microsoft, and he...
Mainetti Accelerates Sustainable Packaging Push With New Chennai Facility
Mainetti, the world’s largest hanger maker, has launched a new paper‑packaging production facility in Chennai’s SIPCOT Industrial Park. The plant, coupled with a Testing Centre of Excellence, will produce more than 250 recyclable paper packaging designs and serve both the...
Ludhiana Textile Exporters Seek Exemption From 45-Day Payment Rule Amidst West Asia Crisis
Ludhiana’s textile exporters, led by the Chamber of Industrial & Commercial Undertakings, have asked the Indian government to waive the 45‑day payment requirement under Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act. The request follows severe shipping disruptions caused by the West...
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Pushes Polyester Fibre Prices Up
Polyester fibre prices in India jumped by Rs.12 (US $0.13) per kilogram after the Strait of Hormuz closure forced vessels to reroute around Africa. The diversion adds roughly 20‑25 days to transit times, inflating freight costs and straining supply chains. SIMA...
Ethnicwear Brand Kiaasa Retail Targets 250 Stores by FY ’29 as It Accelerates Expansion
Kiaasa Retail Limited, an Indian women’s ethnicwear brand, plans to grow its footprint to roughly 250 stores by fiscal year 2029, up from more than 120 outlets today. The company will deploy Rs 69.7 crore raised in its IPO to finance new...
Italian Luxury Menswear Brand Vercelli Enters India with Flagship Retail Presence in Mumbai
Italian luxury menswear house Vercelli has opened its first flagship store in Mumbai, marking the brand’s direct entry into India’s organized retail market. The 4,500 sq ft, two‑level boutique, launched with longtime textile partner Rishab World, showcases the full ready‑to‑wear line and...
Rising Sulphur Prices Add Pressure to India’s Textile Dye Chain
Rising sulphur prices, driven by Middle East supply disruptions and higher freight costs, are adding fresh cost pressure to India’s textile dye industry. The country, which imports most of its sulphur, now faces higher input costs that threaten margins for...
Punjab Attracts US $ 82 Million Textile Investment as Yarn Maker Ganga Acrowools Expands Operations
Ganga Acrowools Limited announced a Rs 750 crore (US $81.85 million) expansion in Punjab, marking the state’s largest recent textile investment. The project will add more than 1,500 jobs to the company’s existing 5,600‑strong workforce and focus on specialised yarns for knitting, weaving, carpets...
Call for Textile Park in Shivamogga Ahead of Karnataka Budget
Chairman Chetan K. Gowda of Karnataka State Textile Infrastructure Development Corporation has pressed the state government to announce a dedicated textile park in Shivamogga during the upcoming budget. He met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on March 2, submitting a memorandum that highlights...
D2C Channels Growing Faster Than E-Commerce Marketplaces in India: Report
McKinsey’s latest report finds India’s direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) market, now worth $10‑11 billion, is set to explode to $55‑60 billion by 2030, growing at a 38% CAGR. This outpaces traditional e‑commerce marketplaces, whose sales are expected to reach only $100 billion with a 10‑12%...
Blackberrys Brings Onboard Apparel Industry Veteran Sartaj Singh Mehta
Blackberrys, the Indian menswear label, has appointed Sartaj Singh Mehta to its senior team, tapping a veteran with nearly three decades in fashion and lifestyle. Mehta most recently served as Senior Director of Product and Design at Pepe Jeans London,...