Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles, inaugurated the 74th Edition of India International Garment Fair (IIGF), at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi on 23rd January 2026, in presence of exhibitors and international buyers. The inauguration was followed by the lamp lighting, unveiling of fair guide and Minister’s address. IIGF is one of Asia’s largest garment fairs bringing MSMEs and buyers together. The Minister also took rounds of stalls after the inauguration. Shri Giriraj Singh was the Chief Guest of the event.
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 further said the Shri Narendra Modi government has removed all barriers in textiles, be it QCO, increasing RoDTEP, RoSCTL, reduced import duty by 6 months, rectified the inverted duty structure, etc. We have supported the industry through Rs 50,000 crore via RoDTEP, RoSCTL schemes.”
Textiles Minister in his address highlighted that, the Textiles sector has seen tremendous growth in the last decade, from 8.4 lakh crore rupees in 2014 to around 16 lakh crore rupees today. Shri Singh said that the domestic market has also increased from 6 to 13 lakh crore rupees in 2025, while the country’s exports have also witnessed over 25% rise post-pandemic. Minister said that the sector has become one of the biggest platforms for generating employment.
The Minister said that the challenges have allowed us to remain resilient and stable despite headwinds. Our export diversification drive to 40 new countries is showing positive results. Minister further informed that in Argentina we grew by 77%, Egypt- 30%, Poland and Japan by 20%, Sweden and France by 10% which is a very encouraging sign. The positive news is India- EU agreement will be signed in the next few days.
We have a young workforce, raw material and foreign exchange surplus therefore we must see that we achieve all targets, the Minister noted.
In his address, the Union Textiles Minister noted that, India is moving away from reliance on foreign benchmarks and is developing its own standards through indigenous initiatives such as VisionNxt and IndiaSize, in line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat by strengthening India-specific design forecasting and identity. He appealed to the industry to use Indian standards.
Speaking at the inaugural function, 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.”
Despite challenging global conditions and ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, the Indian apparel industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience. I am happy to share that cumulative RMG exports during April–December 2025–26 stood at USD 11,584.3 million, registering a growth of 2.4% over the corresponding period of the previous year. This performance underscores the industry’s ability to adapt, innovate, and move forward even in turbulent times, Chairman AEPC added.
Further Chairman AEPC remarked, “At the same time, the industry has placed certain important requests before the Government to sustain and strengthen our export competitiveness. These include the introduction of a Focus Market Scheme for apparel exports to the USA, with freely transferable duty credit scrips equivalent to 20% of the FOB value, removal of the annual value cap of ₹50 lakhs per exporter under the interest equalization scheme under the Export Promotion Mission, enhancement of interest subvention rate to 5% etc. We are confident that such supportive measures will provide a much-needed boost to exporters, especially MSMEs, in these difficult times.”
I am particularly delighted to note the strong participation of international buyers from major global brands and retail chains at this edition of IIGF. Buyers from Lulu Group – Reo Brand (UAE), Al Fan Emirates (UAE), CNLFNC Co. Ltd (South Korea), Queenspark (South Africa), Imtiaz Al Arabia (Saudi Arabia), Melon Fashion Group (Russia), Teijin Frontier, Koizumi, Gloria, and Takahashi Companies from Japan, Alex Group (Italy), Crazy Line (Israel), Santex International (Hong Kong), Groupe Eram (France), Jetha Tulsidas & Sons (Mauritius), Coosy (Spain) and many others are here to explore sourcing opportunities from India. Their presence clearly reflects the growing global trust in India’s design, quality, compliance, and delivery capabilities, Dr Sakthivel informed.
Chairman AEPC underlined, “Looking ahead, we are optimistic about the future. With the India–EU Free Trade Agreement expected to be concluded soon, and competing countries gradually losing preferential market access such as GSP benefits, the tables are likely to turn decisively in India’s favour. These developments will open new avenues for growth and enhance India’s competitiveness in key global markets. We remain confident that with the collective efforts of industry and government, India will achieve the ambitious target of USD 40 billion in apparel exports by 2030.”
Shri Rakesh Vaid, Vice Chairman IGFA delivered a vote of thanks and praised everyone for this effort.
