Unlocking The Local Domestic Garment Industry

Meera Warrier explores the current situation of the Domestic Apparel Industry post lockdown and its way forward after the disastrous FY 2020-21

- Meera Warrier

At a time when the global pandemic situation has worse hit the world than the Bubonic Plague in the 14th century or the SARS Epidemic of 2003, it is indeed alarming to see millions of Indians nonchalantly shopping and roaming crowded markets before the Festive Season. However, despite the current situation, the Domestic Apparel Industry has gradually begun to recover from its disastrous first quarter of FY 2020-21 in the midst of another sharp rise in Covid-19 cases across the country.

“The week leading up to the festival finally saw some movement in the business. Wholesalers and retailers have been stocking up so as to ensure that shoppers have a wide range to choose from. However, given the current situation, credit is the only thing keeping the industry afloat. While it will take another four to five months for any measure of normalcy to set in, the wheels of the sector have slowly begun moving again,” shared Hemant Gosalia, a trader for more than 17 years now.

A BLEAK PICTURE