AEPC urges government to reform labour laws in apparel industry, upskill sector

The Apparel Export Promotion Council has urged the government to reform India’s labour laws and upskill the country’s textile workforce to help to address a skilled labour shortage and increase exports. 

The AEPC’s chairman Sudhir Sekhri announced that the government should “introduce reforms in Indian labour laws, improve schemes for skilling the workforce and make policy for fabric import flexible and industry friendly,” the Press Trust of India reported. The Indian apparel industry has an export target of $40 billion for ready-made garments by 2030 which, according to Sekhri is an ambitious goal but one which the sector is determinedly working towards. 

“Among the major asks of brands is the need for building capacity and fast-tracking manufacturing,” said Sekhri. “Also, the skilled labour shortage which is hampering India’s growth story needs to be addressed. Brand leaders also suggested that free trade agreements are working in our favour and orders have grown in volume.”

One ‘Made in India’ product which has proved especially popular is sweaters, ET Retail reported. The April to November period of the 2025 financial year saw domestically produced sweater exports total $11.45 million and the rising demand presents an opportunity for growth. The AEPC also announced on Facebook that the current crisis in Bangladesh represents an opportunity worth up to $250 million for Indian garment exporters.