Let’s not even compare for a second. Just think of the time when Game of Thrones was being shot around the world, they chose India to supply them with costumes and tents. That’s the kind of art and authenticity this country provides when it comes to apparel. So while China beats India in garment production by quite a margin, India has the upper hand in offering variety, uniqueness and quality clothing. Hence, even though there’s a big gap in manufacturing at the moment, it’s not such a crazy idea to think that India could replace China in the future as the leading textile industry. India has great potential and thus there is a growth of the Indian Textile Industry.
India’s Track Record in Textiles Production
- India overtook the United States in 2007 to become the second largest cotton producer in the world, after China. Eventually China too was left behind in 2014, making India the leading cotton manufacturer.
- The textile industry in India has seen a jump in the last 5 years along with FDI worth US$ 3.44 billion from April 2000 to March 2020.
- In light of the Prime Minister’s ‘Local to Global’ initiative, The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is planning to export its Khadi face masks to foreign countries namely Dubai, USA, Mauritius and several European and Middle East countries where Khadi’s popularity has significantly grown over the last few years.
- On September 2, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved signing an MOU between India and Japan, for improving quality and testing Indian textiles and clothing for the Japanese market.
Benefits of Investing in the Indian Textile Industry
Abundant Raw Material
Being the largest producer of the cotton, second largest producer of polyester and silk, 3rd largest manufacturer of viscose and 4th largest maker of acrylic and nylon, it’s pretty obvious that there is no shortage of clothing raw material here. On top of that, this overflow of resources greatly helps reduce the overall production cost as well.
Unlimited Labour in Indian Textile Industry
**The
... keep reading on reddit ➡Mark's and Spencer- All products made in Bangladesh.
Zara- Made in China. Made in Vietnam. Made in Cambodia. Made in Morocco.
Forever New- All made in China.
Vero Moda, Only, Jack and Jones- some like jeans and jeggings are made in India. Rest made in China.
These were the shops on the ground floor and occupying maximum floor space.
Then there was Mango- Again Made in Bangladesh and China.
United Colors of Benetton- Made in Bangladesh, some made in India.
Then there was the Accessorize brand- all made in China.
I didn't venture into Forever 21, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Aldo etc but I dont think the scene would be better there.
Textiles from what I understand is the least tech heavy manufacturing and we are importing even that.
I have heard in certain political circles that prior to the British invasion of India and the establishment of colonial rule, the Indian textile industry was producing higher quality textiles at lower costs than the British textiles being produced in Great Britain.
Thus, one of the motivating factors for British imperialism to be extended to India was to take control of their crops, shift their industry to more agricultural based production of things such as spices, and generate revenue via trade while eliminating competition for British textiles.
How much truth is there to the claim that the Indian textile industry outperformed the British textile industry in terms of quality and cost and would this have been significant enough to warrant an invasion?
