News DeskDubai, UAE – The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), with support from the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Embassy of India in UAE, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC), TEXMAS (Dubai), and Readymade Garments Merchants Group (Dubai), will host the 2nd edition of ‘Brands of India’ from November 12 to 14, 2024, at Za’abeel Hall 4, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE.
This mega event comes at a time when India’s apparel exports are experiencing strong growth, benefiting from political instability in Bangladesh, which has led many buyers to shift to Indian manufacturers for time-sensitive orders. Overseas buyers are considering moving 10-15% of their orders from Bangladesh to India, potentially adding $300 to 400 million in monthly business for India. In the first six months of the current financial year, India’s apparel exports increased by 8.5%, compared to a 15% decline in the same period last year. In September alone, India recorded a 17.3% year-on-year increase in exports.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and UAE, which eliminates the 5% import duty on Ready Made Garments (RMG), has further strengthened India’s competitive edge. According to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics, Government of India, apparel exports from India to UAE reached US$ 462.3 million from April to August 2024, with demand expected to grow with the upcoming Ramadan and Eid in March next year.
Santosh Katariya, President of CMAI, highlighted the significance of the UAE market: “UAE has been a big market for apparel for many years because of the competitive position it enjoys. It accounts for 12% of total apparel exports from India and helps tap into other neighboring countries. Brands of India is designed for our members to get introduced to varied export destinations, especially GCC states, the wider Middle East, North Africa, European Union, and CIS region.”
Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to UAE, who will be inaugurating the exhibition, noted, “UAE is the third largest trading partner of India. The Emirates is also India’s second largest export destination. Brands of India provides huge exposure to Indian brands, their creativity, and their skills to international markets.”
Sunil Barthwal, Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi, added, “The show provides an effective platform to Indian brands in international markets and will help in enhancing the image of the Indian apparel industry across GCC and neighboring countries.”
The exhibition will feature over 150 Indian apparel brands and white label manufacturers, showcasing a diverse range of fashion including men’s wear, women’s wear, and kids’ wear, featuring casuals, ethnic, formals, denim, athleisure, winter wear, sleepwear, innerwear, tops, bottoms, and much more. This presents a unique sourcing opportunity for retailers, chain stores, boutique stores, wholesalers, agents, distributors, importers, traders, e-commerce, and buying houses from across the globe.
Mujeeb Rehiman, Director of Buying at Lulu Group International, UAE, praised the event: “Brands of India is an excellent sourcing platform for the latest styles and collections. The mix of exhibitors was quite good, and we could actually discover what India can offer at competitive prices.”
The show has pre-registered over 1,400 retailers, wholesalers, and importers from countries including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, Turkey, Angola, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Algeria, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Singapore, South Africa, and more.
Leading exhibitors include 8i, All Seasons, Amul Florio, Anchor Socks, Banswara, Bodycare, Cotton Opera, Essa Garments, Lux Premium, Neo, Noor By Aditee, Satya Fusion, TT, Urban Trail, and many others.
The first edition of Brands of India, held in November 2023 in Dubai, attracted 2,800 overseas buyers from 63 countries, and an estimated business worth US$350 million is expected to be generated over three years.
