H. E. Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to UAE will inaugurate the 2nd Brands of India on 12th November 2024 in Dubai

• Apparel exports from India in the first six months of the current financial year has registered an 8.5 per cent increase compared to a 15 per cent decline in the same period last year.
• Brands of India is being held at a time when overseas buyers are considering to move 10-15 per cent of their orders from Bangladesh to India, potentially adding $300-400 Mn in monthly business for India.

Date: Dubai, UAE; November 6, 2024

The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) with support from 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 be hosting the 2nd edition of ‘Brands of India’ from 12 to 14 November 2024 at Za’abeel Hall 4, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE.

The mega show of Indian Apparel manufacturers is being held at a time when India’s Apparel exports has seen strong growth recently, benefiting from the political instability in Bangladesh, as a result many buyers have shifted to Indian manufacturers to meet demand, especially for time-sensitive orders. Notably, overseas buyers are considering to move 10-15 per cent of their orders from Bangladesh to India, potentially adding $300 to 400 Mn in monthly business for India. Apparel exports from India in the first six months of the current financial year has registered an 8.5 per cent increase compared to a 15 per cent decline in the same period last year and in September alone, India recorded a 17.3 per cent year-on-year increase in exports.

Unleashing a new era of India-UAE trade, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) eliminates 5 per cent import duty on Ready Made Garments (RMG), further strengthening India’s competitive edge, especially against major competitors like China. As per Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics, Government of India, Apparel exports from India to UAE was US$ 462.3 Mn during the period April to August 2024 and demand is expected to grow considering the ensuing Ramadan and Eid in end of March next year.

Speaking about the prospects, Santosh Katariya, President, CMAI, stated, “UAE has been a big market for Apparel for many years because of the competitive position it enjoys. It accounts for 12 per cent share in total Apparel exports from India and also helps to tap into other neighbouring countries. Brands of India is designed for our members to get introduced to varied export destinations especially GCC states, the wider Middle East beyond the GCC, North Africa, European Union and CIS region.”

H. E. Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to UAE, who will be inaugurating the exhibition highlighted, “UAE is the third largest trading partner of India. The Emirates is also India’s second largest export destination. There is no doubt that India is one of the major exporters of Garments to the world, and much of our exports are made on the overseas labels. Brands of India provides a huge exposure to Indian brands, their creativity and their skills to the international markets.”

Sunil Barthwal, Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi, said, “The show provides an effective platform to Indian brands in International markets and will help in enhancing the image of Indian Apparel industry across GCC and neighbouring countries.”

The highly anticipated exhibition will feature 150+ Indian Apparel brands & White Label Manufacturers presenting a diverse range of Fashion in Men’s Wear, Women’s Wear & Kids Wear featuring Casuals, Ethnic, Formals, Denim, Athleisure, Winterwear, Sleepwear, Innerwear, Tops, Bottoms and much more. Thus, presenting a one-of-its-kind sourcing opportunity for Retailers, Chain & Department Stores, Boutique Stores, Wholesalers, Agents, Distributors, Importers, Traders, E-commerce and Buying Houses from across the globe.

Mujeeb Rehiman, Director – Buying, Lulu Group International, UAE, asserted, “Brands of India is an excellent sourcing platform for latest Styles and Collection. The mix of exhibitors was quite good and we could actually discover what India can offer at competitive prices. The show helped us to identify potential suppliers and we could start working with few of them.” A leading Retailer with several chain stores in Saudi Arabia said “We attended the show last year and had a wonderful experience meeting new vendors for our business. We were able to source at competitive prices and had positive results. We are planning to be there again to explore new relationships.”

1400+ Retailers, Wholesalers and Importers from 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 other countries have pre-registered to visit the fair.

Mohammed Shahid, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Essa Garments, a leading cotton knitwear exporter from Tiruppur, said, “CMAI has offered us a unique opportunity as there are customers coming from different parts of the globe whom we wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. Our primary goal is to establish presence, showcase capabilities and engage in sourcing conversations. The show is ideal for revealing our range of fashion ensemble to a wide range of buyers.”

Abhishek Jain, Director, Urban Trail, a leading Casual wear manufacturer from Ludhiana, said, “This is our first time and we are looking forward on the opportunity to network, have face-to-face contact which is very important. We are keen to meet with big retailers and establish relationships that can last for years to come.”

Some of the leading exhibitors at Brands of India include 8i, All Seasons, Amul Florio, Amul Kandyfloss, Anchor Socks, Ankhua, Arun Varun The Fashion Studio, Banswara, Berri Kids, Bodycare, Bodydecor, Boom Jns, Carbon, Cocosherry, Color Hunt, Cool Colors, Cotton Opera, Dazzle, Dedart, Denim Dusk, Eleventy One, Espanio, Essa Garments, Evolve, Fck Plus, Feel It, Figli, Floramour, Floret, Fort Collins, Frd13, Hi-Flyer, Inferno, Jeeboy, Johnston, Juniper, Lara Fashion Scarves, Little Times, Lux Premium, Lyra, Max First Cry, Millschi, Nari, Neo, Nitro, Noor By Aditee, Okane, One Ethnic, Only Boyz, Pep-Up, Real N Rare, Red Rose, Royal Raccon, Sara, Satya, Satya Fusion, Shahitaka, Shinaaya, Simone Federico, Sonari , Spread, Stocai, Terri Kidz, Tiny Times, Topman, TT, Urbasy Apparels, Vanesis, Venfield, Victor & Jane, Vitamins, Wink & Blink, Yoke and others.

The first edition of Brands of India was successfully held in November 2023 at Dubai which attracted 2,800 overseas buyers from 63 countries and an estimated business worth US$350 Mn is expected to be generated over three years.