Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles, officially inaugurated the 74th edition of the India International Garment Fair (IIGF) at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi, in the presence of exhibitors and overseas buyers. The ceremony included lamp lighting, the unveiling of the fair guide, and the Minister’s address, followed by his visit to various exhibition stalls. IIGF remains one of Asia’s largest garment trade platforms, connecting MSMEs with global buyers.
As Chief Guest, the Minister highlighted India’s transition away from foreign benchmarking, emphasizing the development of indigenous systems such as VisionNxt and IndiaSize. These initiatives align with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision and aim to strengthen India-specific design forecasting and identity. He encouraged industry stakeholders to adopt Indian standards.
Speaking at the event Shri Singh said, “I am fortunate that I got the opportunity to visit last year when I became a minister, and that was my first such occasion. I thank everyone for this. I am very happy that IIGF has invited me again. This is a trusted platform, and I can say that the India International Garment Fair has now become a major global platform for international garment buyers.”
He added that the government has removed multiple bottlenecks in the textile sector, including QCO issues, higher RoDTEP and RoSCTL support, temporary import duty reductions, and correction of the inverted duty structure. He noted that the industry has received support worth Rs 50,000 crore through RoDTEP and RoSCTL schemes.
Despite global challenges, the Minister stated that India has remained stable and resilient. Export diversification into 40 new countries is showing positive outcomes, with export growth reported in Argentina, Egypt, Poland, Japan, Sweden, and France. He also mentioned that the India–EU agreement is expected to be signed soon. With a young workforce, strong raw material base, and foreign exchange surplus, he urged the industry to work toward achieving all targets.
Dr A Sakthivel, Chairman AEPC, said, “The 74th edition of IIGF, with 233 exhibitors spread across 5,073 square metres and over 1,120 registered buyers, once again reflects the strong and sustained global interest in India. The presence of exhibitors from all parts of the country highlights the depth and breadth of our manufacturing ecosystem, while the enthusiastic participation of international buyers reaffirms confidence in Indian capabilities.”
He noted that, despite geopolitical and economic uncertainties, India’s apparel sector has remained resilient. Cumulative ready-made garment exports from April to December 2025–26 reached USD 11,584.3 million, marking a 2.4 percent increase over the same period last year.
Dr Sakthivel further stated that the industry has requested additional government support to maintain export competitiveness. Key proposals include a Focus Market Scheme for apparel exports to the USA with transferable duty credit scrips equal to 20 percent of FOB value, removal of the annual cap under the interest equalization scheme, and increasing the interest subvention rate to 5 percent.
He also highlighted strong participation from international buyers representing major brands and retail chains across the UAE, South Korea, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, France, Mauritius, and Spain. Their presence reflects global confidence in India’s design, quality, compliance, and delivery strengths.
Looking ahead, Dr Sakthivel expressed optimism about future growth, especially with the expected conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement and shifting trade advantages. He reiterated confidence that India can achieve the USD 40 billion apparel export target by 2030.
He concluded by thanking the Government of India for continued support through initiatives such as PM MITRA Parks, the PLI Scheme, the National Technical Textiles Mission, SAMARTH, and other policy measures aimed at strengthening the textile and apparel ecosystem.
Shri Rakesh Vaid, Vice Chairman IGFA, delivered the vote of thanks and acknowledged the collective efforts behind the event’s success.
