Apparel and footwear: Follow one offering through the chain
Brands and garment makers selling finished clothing, shoes and accessories to shoppers
Follow one offering through the chain
A cotton T-shirt knitted in Tiruppur
Follow a T-shirt from a brand's order through Tamil Nadu's knitwear hub to the shop rail and beyond.
A brand places the order
$1.86tnworld fashion and footwear sales, 2025The chain starts with a brand, whether a US or European label or an Indian value chain, choosing the design, fabric, colours and price, then ordering thousands of pieces months ahead. Brands own the customer and keep the largest share of the retail price. Worldwide, shoppers spent about US$ 1.86 trillion on clothing and footwear in 2025, according to Euromonitor.1,2
Constraint Brands can move orders between countries each season; China alone made 31.6% of world garment exports in 2023 (WTO). Ct CottonPSF Polyester fibreSoftware and IT servicesMedia and entertainmentCotton yarn knitted and dyed
24%India's share of world cottonSpinning mills in Tamil Nadu turn cotton into yarn, and Tiruppur's knitting units make it into jersey fabric that is then bleached and dyed. India grows about 24% of the world's cotton, yet cotton is only about 19% of world fibre output while polyester, at 59%, dominates. Dyeing a single batch takes large amounts of water, salt, alkali and dye.3,4,5,11
Constraint A 2011 Madras High Court order shut about 700 polluting dye units; the rest must run zero-liquid-discharge plants, which carry high capital and operating costs. Ct CottonDye DyesNaCl SaltNaOH Caustic sodaH₂O WaterTextiles and leatherWater and sanitationCut, sewn and packed in Tiruppur
₹46,000crTiruppur exports, 2025-26In Tiruppur's factories the fabric is laid out in layers, cut to pattern and sewn on lockstitch and overlock lines, then labelled, pressed and packed into cartons. The cluster exported a record ₹46,000 crore of garments in 2025-26, up 3% from ₹44,747 crore, the Tiruppur Exporters Association says, and employs more than a million workers, many in small units.6
Constraint Sewing is labour-intensive, so wages, power supply and worker shortages decide whether orders ship on time and at what margin. Ct CottonPSF Polyester fibreDist Distribution grids, mini-grids and interconnectorsTextiles and leatherMachinery and equipmentAudited before it can ship
35.8%EU share of world garment importsBefore shipment, inspectors from firms such as SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas check wages, working hours, fire safety and restricted chemicals, and test the garment for colour fastness and shrinkage. European rules weigh heavily here: the EU took 35.8% of world garment imports in 2023, and its due-diligence and sustainability laws set terms for suppliers everywhere.2
Constraint A failed audit or forced-labour finding can stop a factory's shipments overnight, and buyers increasingly demand proof of where the cotton was grown. Dye DyesRgt Reagents and high-purity lab chemicalsSoftware and IT servicesShipped to the US, tariffs permitting
32-33%US share of Indian apparel exportsCartons are trucked to Tuticorin or Chennai, packed into containers and shipped, or flown when a buyer is in a hurry. The US takes 32-33% of India's apparel exports, ICRA estimates, so tariffs matter: US duties reached 50% in August 2025, a February 2026 deal set 18%, and since July 2026 a 10% Section 301 duty has applied instead.12,7,8,9
Constraint Tariff swings of tens of percentage points within a year can wipe out thin garment margins and push orders to Bangladesh or Vietnam. Shp Ship propulsionJet Aviation propulsionOil Crude oilTransport and logisticsPaper and packagingOn a Zudio rail at home
963Zudio stores, March 2026T-shirts made for Indian shoppers reach them through value chains and apps. Trent's Zudio, which sells low-priced own-label fashion, had 963 stores by March 2026 after opening 212 in a year, and Trent's standalone revenue rose 18% to ₹19,701 crore in 2025-26. Myntra, Amazon and other chains compete on price, range and delivery speed.10
Constraint Fast store openings need prime retail space on long leases, and unsold stock must be marked down, so forecasting errors land on retail margins. Bld Energy in buildingsWholesale and retail tradeE-commerce and digital marketplacesReal estateWorn, passed on, rarely recycled
<1%fibre from recycled textiles, 2024Once worn out, the T-shirt is handed down, sold to a used-clothes trader, cut into rags or thrown away. Turning old garments back into new fibre is still rare: recycled fibre was 7.6% of world fibre output in 2024, and less than 1% of output came from recycled textiles; most recycled polyester is made from PET bottles.4
Constraint Cotton-polyester blends, dyes and prints make fibre-to-fibre recycling hard, and sorting capacity in India is small and largely informal. Ct CottonPSF Polyester fibrePET PET resinWaste and recyclingWhat the chain shows
India grows the cotton and sews the shirt, but brands, tariffs and foreign rules set the price; sustainable dyeing and recycling are where Tiruppur can lead.
Sources
- Global fashion market on track for 2 trillion dollars by 2026 (Euromonitor data) Modaes, 2026
- China 2023's top global RMG exporter, Bangladesh 2nd, Vietnam 3rd: WTO Fibre2Fashion (WTO data), 2024
- Indian textile sector: overview and schemes Ministry of Textiles (PIB), 2025
- Materials Market Report 2025 Textile Exchange, 2025
- Dyeing cities Down To Earth (Centre for Science and Environment), 2014
- Tiruppur exports hit record high (Tiruppur Exporters Association figures) Maritime Gateway, 2026
- 50% US tariff on Indian apparel exports could be death knell for small firms: AEPC Deccan Herald, 2025
- United States removes additional tariffs on imports from India KPMG TaxNewsFlash, 2026
- USTR finalises Section 301 forced-labour tariffs Economic Laws Practice (ELP), 2026
- Trent Limited press release: FY26 results Trent Limited (NSE filing), 2026
- IIT Madras develops and deploys new technology to treat textile dyeing effluent IIT Madras, 2025
- Apparel and fabric: half-yearly update, March 2026 ICRA, 2026