Regain India’s textile glory: How to reverse the slide in apparel exports and ride a high growth path.

A look at last year’s apparel export figures is chastening. China exported $145 billion, Bangladesh $36 billion, Vietnam $33 billion and India a mere $17 billion. India is far behind China and steadily losing to smaller countries. The biggest reason is India’s near absence from the main product category that accounts for 70% of world trade in apparels – synthetic apparels. Today, most formal, sports and fashion wear uses synthetic fabrics. They are durable, do not fade, can have any colour. Easy blending with wool, cotton, or rubber allows experimentation. Unsurprisingly, synthetics have overtaken cottons and become favourites of the fashion industry. With weak synthetics, India’s apparel industry is a horse running with one leg tied. The results are low exports, low wages, and low investments in the sector. Here is how. Globally cotton dominates spring and summer sales seasons. Synthetics and blends dominate autumn and winter seasons. Indian units run six months a year to produce cotton apparels. In the remaining six months, most units are shut or run at a low capacity as they do not have orders for synthetics/ winter wear. Most workers go home.