In a move aimed at revolutionising the shopping experience for Indians, the Textiles Ministry is set to launch the 'INDIAsize' initiative. Textiles Secretary, Rachna Shah, announced the upcoming rollout, which aims to introduce measurements and standards tailored to better suit the diverse body types of the Indian population.
Currently, both international and domestic brands available in India use sizing metrics primarily based on US or UK standards, with generic labels such as 'small', 'medium', and 'large'. This one-size-fits-all approach has often led to fitting issues for Indian consumers, as Western body types differ significantly from those of Indians in terms of height, weight, and specific body measurements.
The 'INDIAsize' initiative is expected to resolve this long-standing concern, allowing Indian shoppers to find clothes that fit them better and enhance their overall shopping experience. With a focus on addressing the unique body proportions of the Indian populace, this initiative is likely to be welcomed by consumers across the country.
"We are hoping... that will happen very soon," stated Textiles Secretary Rachna Shah in response to queries about the launch date of the INDIAsize initiative.
Beyond catering to consumer needs, the government has set ambitious goals for the technical textiles segment. The Textiles Secretary expressed the government's determination to boost the domestic technical textiles sector's value from the current USD 22 billion to a remarkable USD 40-50 billion within the next five years.
The introduction of 'INDIAsize' is expected to not only improve the clothing shopping experience for Indians but also stimulate growth and innovation within the country's textile industry. With the government's emphasis on promoting indigenous technical textiles, the nation is poised to witness a substantial economic transformation in the coming years.
As anticipation builds for the imminent launch of the 'INDIAsize' initiative, industry stakeholders and consumers alike are eager to embrace this positive change that promises a more inclusive and tailored approach to fashion in India.
The Textiles Secretary said the government's goal is to take the domestic technical textiles segment to USD 40-50 billion in the next five years or so, from USD 22 billion at present.
"Our exports of technical textiles is presently at USD 2.5 billion, our objective is to enhance it to USD 10 billion during this period," Shah added.
The technical textile market globally is to the tune of about USD 250-260 billion and is expected to increase to about USD 320-325 billion by 2025-26, she said.
The Textiles Secretary shared that the government is working in the technical textiles sector with a multi-pronged approach.
"There is focus on R&D activity in the technical textile segment including fibre and in development of various applications. There is also focus on developing a skilling ecosystem and skilled manpower for this sector.
"The government is promoting investment in technical textiles through its flagship schemes namely the PLI scheme for textiles as also the PM-MITRA Mega Textiles Parks," Shah said.
She informed that the Textiles Ministry is working very closely with various user Ministries and Departments within the government and state governments to increase demand and increase the penetration of technical textiles.
One very critical element of the approach is focusing on developing standards and regulations for technical textiles, she said while addressing a Ficci conference.
The Ministry of Textiles sanctioned the INDIAsize project to develop standard body sizes for the Indian apparel sector to address the prevailing disparities and inconsistencies in provided fits.
The project entails gathering anthropometric data pan-India from more than 25,000 male and female persons between the age group of 15 years and 65 years using human safe 3D whole-body scanning technology.
The created body-size chart will help national and international retailers and manufacturers to produce goods which are best suited for Indian body types and create a balance between demand and supply of well fitted garments.
Apart from apparel, the findings of the study will have ramifications across various sectors such as automotive, aerospace, fitness & sport, art, computer gaming, etc. where the insights from this data can produce ergonomically designed products which are well suited for the Indian population.
(With inputs from PTI)
