Major international brands of clothing from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries are switching to India as an import source amid unrest in Bangladesh. As a result, India’s exports of apparel and clothing increased in 2024, while Bangladesh’s exports declined in the same year. Export Genius shows in-depth coverage of how international brands doing business with Bangladesh are finding opportunities in India with yearly trends, data on the growth of the Indian clothing market, and much more.
India’s exports of apparel and clothing
As international brands are watching business opportunities in India amid Bangladesh unrest, India recorded a rise in exports of apparel and clothing under Chapters 61 and 62 in 2024. India is one of the world’s largest exporter countries in the textile industry. Trade data shows India’s exports of knitted or crocheted apparel and clothing increased to USD 8,548 billion and not knitted or crocheted apparel & clothing registered a value of USD 9,146 billion in 2024. Here’s a visualization of yearly trends of India’s exports of apparel and clothing both knitted and not knitted.
| Year | Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports | Not Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports |
| 2019 | 7,879 | 8,362 |
| 2020 | 6,120 | 6,104 |
| 2021 | 7,870 | 7,332 |
| 2022 | 8,203 | 8,473 |
| 2023 | 6,664 | 7,840 |
| 2024 | 8,548 | 9,146 |
*****Values in USD Million
India’s top export destinations of apparel and clothing
India’s top export destinations of apparel and clothing are the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and France. All these countries reported a rise in the value of clothing shipments from India. That means global brands are shifting to India instead of Bangladesh, struggling with political and economic tensions.
| Country | Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports (2023) | Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports (2024) | Country | Not Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports (2023) | Not Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports (2024) |
| United States | 2,142 | 2,892 | United States | 2,512 | 2,860 |
| United Arab Emirates | 638 | 746 | United Kingdom | 739 | 850 |
| United Kingdom | 592 | 744 | United Arab Emirates | 517 | 661 |
| Germany | 437 | 551 | Spain | 428 | 508 |
| France | 283 | 295 | France | 377 | 403 |
*****Values in USD Million
Impact on Bangladesh’s export market of apparel and clothing
In response to the unrest, the Indian government has paused the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) construction project. Diesel, a key resource for Bangladesh’s textile sector, may be affected by this decision, potentially disrupting garment production in the country, the report noted.
Bangladesh reported a decline in exports of apparel and clothing under Chapters 61 and 62 in 2024, due to tensions that started in the second half of the year. Below given chart shows yearly trends of Bangladesh’s exports of knitted or not knitted apparel and clothing.
| Year | Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports | Not Knitted or Crocheted Apparel & Clothing Exports |
| 2021 | 19,104 | 14,877 |
| 2022 | 22,844 | 19,012 |
| 2023 | 19,145 | 16,657 |
| 2024 | 17,770 | 14,151 |
******Value USD Billion
List of popular international brands of clothing
| Country | Brands |
| United States | Nike, Levi’s |
| United Kingdom | Burberry, Marks & Spencer |
| France | Louis Vuitton, Chanel |
| Spain | Zara, Massimo Dutti |
| Germany | Adidas, Puma |
India will see tremendous growth in the textile industry in 2025, as international brands are switching to Indian products amid Bangladesh unrest. For every update on the Indian textile industry or global markets, access Export Genius platform and get import export data with detailed insights that value to your business.
