Industry Veteran and Founder of renowned garment export house Texport Industries,Narendra Goenka has recently taken charge of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) as its new Chairman. Leading India’s official body of garment exporters and working in association with industry stakeholders is a task in itself but the baton seems to be in capable hands as Narendra has already started working in a direction where invaluable assistance can be provided not just to the Indian exporters but also to the buyers.
The timing couldn’t have been better as India is already seeing a lot of influx of orders and the efforts of the Government to increase production of textile and apparels through schemes like MITRA, PLI are visible at ground level…Taking charge at this positive time will surely help Narendra to keep things rolling and accelerating.
However, the road ahead isn’t that easy for himas the industry is also grappling with certain prolonged issues that need to be taken on priority with proper game-plan. In an exclusive interview with Team Apparel Resources (AR), Narendra Goenka answers a number of questions as well as shares his views about bringing positive change in the sector, boost growth in exports. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
AR: What newness will you bring to the AEPC?
Narendra:Our clear-cut thought and one-point agenda is to present a strong ‘Brand India’ image of the Indian apparel industry at the global level. This would help us attract more buyers who are currently not sourcing much from India.
Since India is far ahead in sustainable practices and compliance standards compared to other apparel manufacturing countries as well as has the strength of farm to fashion value chain, we have an edge in the export sector. And we will highlight this not just through showcasing our strengths in various ways in global events but also through networking. We will involve Government as well as the media in this. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has done such promotional activities well during the last two years. For example, they were effectively present in Cop 26 in Glasgow.
AR: Indian apparel industry needs thrust on skill development, sustainability, automation, product development etc. What will be your core priorities as an industry leader?
Narendra: There is no single top priority as we need to work on all these fronts. For product development, AEPC is concentrating on MMF and the same will increase. Skill development and automation are continuous processes and a lot of things are happening on these fronts also. ATDC is doing a good job and coming up with new projects, not just for the shop floor but for mid-management too. Looking at the capital cost in automation and its returns,this should not be a very big challenge also. We have to keep pushing all these priorities.
AR: What are the steps required to increase India’s apparel export especially when sentiments are up and the exporters are seeing an upward trajectory?
Narendra: Yes, opportunities are coming our way and this is the time when our industry can achieve its lost glory. At industry level, there is a strong need to increase the capacity rapidly as without having enough capacities, this opportunity will not last long and other countries can take advantage of this. So, those who will be able to expand are sure to reap benefits. Many big as well as medium-level companies have already started expanding. Once capacities are developed, we are here to speak about the sensitivity of the matter and involve Government to take advantage of their schemes and policies. Without a positive mindset and expansion, we can’t grab the coming opportunities. The good thing is that schemes like Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) have been there for around 3 years.
AR: Skyrocketing price of cotton and cotton yarn has been a major issue for more than one year.What is your take on ban of cotton yarn export and ban on cotton trading at MCX?Do you have any strong plans to help apparel exporters to overcome these issues?
Narendra: We never support ban on yarn export as yarn manufacturers are also very important players in textile supply chain as well as our industry partner.We all stakeholders of the industry need to have a common ground for this issue to find a common solution that should support the entire supply chain. Cotton price volatility is there at the international level also, so such issues take time to get solved. As far as ban on cotton trading at MCX is concerned, I would like to reserve my comment on it.
AR: Time and again labour shortage is also there. How can the industry overcome this?
Narendra: Now labour shortage is not as big an issue as it used to be! The best solution for this is to focus more on training and the industry has been doing this for long now. There are abundant people looking for jobs, so the entire industry should increase its focus on training such people. Even small and medium companies should enhance their focus on worker training.
AR: The apparel industry majorly constitutes MSMEs and they struggle mostly due to various reasons. What would you do like to suggest to them so that they can run a smooth business?
Narendra: MSMEs are the backbone of our industry and with the changed definition of MSME, there are several opportunities for them. There are interesting schemes like interest subvention and MSMEs must avail these schemes. Even at an international level, small retailers and boutique buyers prefer to work with MSMEs.
I would suggest them to focus on their core strength as every such unit has its own strength but at the same time as this segment is flexible enough, MSMEs should use their nimbleness to get more opportunities like adding new products and new markets with them.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
