Reliance and Shein aim to sell India-made clothes abroad within a year

Fashion retailer Shein and its partner Reliance Retail plan to rapidly expand their Indian supplier base and begin overseas sales of India-made Shein-branded apparel within six to 12 months, according to sources familiar with the matter. The China-founded, Singapore-headquartered e-commerce firm has been in discussions with Reliance since before the United States (US) imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, which increased the urgency to diversify sourcing. The aim is to raise the number of Indian suppliers from 150 to 1,000 within a year. Shein has licensed its brand for use in India, with Reliance responsible for manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and operations domestically. Currently, Reliance has contracted 150 garment manufacturers and is in talks with 400 more.
Shein, known for its low-priced apparel, such as Rs. 428.42 (US$ 5) dresses and Rs. 856.84 (US$ 10) jeans, ships products mainly from China to customers in about 150 countries, with the US as its largest market. The retailer launched in India in 2018 but was banned in 2020 due to government action against China-linked firms amid border tensions. It re-entered India in February under a licensing deal with Reliance, which operates SheinIndia., selling Shein-branded clothes produced locally. Reliance is collaborating with suppliers to replicate Shein's global best-sellers at lower costs, following an on-demand manufacturing model that starts with small batches before scaling successful designs. The company plans to source fabric, especially synthetic fibre-based, and import machinery to address gaps in local expertise. This expansion is part of Reliance’s broader efforts to strengthen its fashion portfolio, competing with Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart, and Tata’s Zudio while supporting Shein’s goal to list India-made products on global websites such as those in the US and United Kingdom (UK).

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