Exclusive-Shein and Reliance aims to sell clothes made in India abroad within one year, say sources
By Dhwani Pandya and Helen Reid
The Mumbai / London mode retailer (Reuters), Shein and partner Reliance Retail Plan to quickly extend their Indian supplier base and start international sales of shein clothing made in India in the six to 12 months, said two people knowing the issue.
The Shein based on China and Singapore has discussed plans with the Indian retailer since the United States imposed prices for Chinese imports that have intensified the need to diversify the supply, people said. The objective is to raise Indian suppliers to 1,000 against 150 in one year, they said.
In a press release in Reuters, Shein said that his partnership with Reliance was limited to the license of its retail brand for Indian domestic consumption. Reliance did not answer questions.
Shein sells low -cost clothes such as $ 5 dresses and $ 10 jeans shipped directly from 7,000 suppliers in China to customers in around 150 countries. Its largest market is the United States where it adapts to rates on low-value electronic commerce packages from China which could be imported as a franchise on rights.
The retailer was launched in India in 2018, but its application was prohibited in 2020 as part of government action against companies linked to China in the middle of border tension with its northeast neighbor.
He returned in February as part of a license agreement with the Reliance Unit Industries which launched Sheinindia. By selling shein brand clothes produced in local factories. On the other hand, the other Shein websites mainly list goods from China.
Reliance, controlled by the richest person in Asia, Mukesh Ambani, has contracted 150 clothing manufacturers and is under discussion with 400 others, said the two people, refusing to be identified due to confidentiality problems.
The objective is 1,000 Indian factories manufacturing Shein brand clothes within one year for the Indian market and for serving some of the global shein websites, people said.
Shein initially wants to list India’s manufacturing clothes on its American and British websites, said one of the people. The discussions have been underway for months and the launch period of six to 12 months could change depending on the number of suppliers, said the person.
The supplier expansion scale and the export period is reported for the first time.
Shein has dismissed his brand for inner use of dependence which “is responsible for manufacturing, the supply chain, sales and operations on the Indian market,” said Shein in a statement.
In December, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, told the Parliament that the Relais Shein partnership was aimed at creating a network of Indian Shein brand clothing suppliers for sale “at national and global level”.
