Global buyers expand sourcing from Indian apparel units on better compliance: AEPC.

With a significant number of apparel units addressing the issue of child labour, global buyers like Walmart and Zara have preferred to expand their merchandise sourcing from India which may fetch more business of $3 billion in 2013-14, garment industry body AEPC said on Tuesday.

The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said that factory-compliant manufacturing in India has surged with new and unprecedented export orders in the current season.

"In the present volatility in international buying, brands have preferred expanding their merchandise sourcing from India. The flow of expansion of orders in India is expected to fetch additional $3 billion (around Rs 17,500 crore) business in the country," it said.

In 2012-13, the apparel exports declined by 5.76 per cent to $12.92 billion due to demand slowdown in major markets of the US and Europe. These are the biggest markets for India's garment sector.

AEPC said global chain stores and brands like Walmart, GAP, JC Penny, Nike, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Mango, Zara and French Connection and many more expect the highest standards of factory compliance.

The textiles ministry has set a target of bringing 2,900 apparel units in the 12th Plan under DISHA (Driving Industry Towards Sustainable Human Capital Advancement), was launched in December 2011, a programme aimed at encouraging members to follow better social practices, against the backdrop of pressure from developed countries, like the US and EU to meet global standards on labour issues.

Source : indianexpress.com