The fit technology arena has been in an acquisitive state over the last year or so. As the apparel & retail industry moves through an impressive and accelerated digital transformation brought on by the digital-first dominant consumer, this space is expected to burgeon as more brands look to digital channels for revenue growth.

Sizing is all! Incorrect size and sloppy fit mean the product comes back. Then starts the rigmarole of unsold inventory and deep discounts making it a retailer's worst nightmare. But, technology has a way out. Since the pandemic, broad acceptance of sizing solutions is generating greater revenue streams and triggering new business models.

The existing Foreign Trade Policy of India is outdated by two years, but given the global trade situation—first hit and then exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—is showing no signs of improving, it might be a while before a new FTP sees the light of day. Meanwhile, can India do something to brand itself as an attractive sourcing destination? Buying agents weigh in.

The apparel sourcing experience in India is entirely a function of the kind of product one is procuring, and knowing where to get it from. A mismatch can lead to a total washout of the order, while knowledge and experience could totally alter that exercise.

Oil crisis, rising cotton prices, stagnating growth — too many factors at play now, some interconnected, others having a cascading effect this way or that — all these put buying agents in an unenviable position as they need to deal with two sides of the manufacturer-brand equation, in the backdrop of US sanctions on Russia.

The force majeure cancellations and payment battles that socked Indian exports after the first 2020 lockdown are mostly a thing of the past. But if Indian industry has to rise from the COVID-19 ashes, it will have to boost capacities and need the requisite resources too.

The importance of the textiles-apparel sector in terms of share in manufacturing has been growing over the years, but its share in global apparel exports has been more or less stagnant, even falling marginally at the last count. If India has to become a global sourcing destination, a cursory look at the backdrop is paramount.

The recently-announced EU Textiles Strategy is likely to have a bearing on how the textiles-apparel-fashion industry works around the world. But before that can happen, the Strategy would have to be writ in law(s). A peek into how matters might unfold.

Keeping consumers at the heart of policies/decisionmaking would be key in the days ahead, and it should not just be about products but also how products are used. And, empowering consumers on tackling greenwashing would sum up the process. People in the know tell texfash.com.

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is one of the leading organisations working on sustainability in fashion. María Luisa Martínez Díez, Public Affairs Director at GFA, speaks to texfash.com about how GFA sees the just-announced EU Textiles Strategy from a global standpoint.