Micro and small enterprises in the non-leather footwear sector have received an extended deadline of July 31, 2027, for mandatory quality control. This provides additional time for Bureau of Indian Standards certification. Manufacturers can also import up to 4,500 pairs annually for research and development without QCO compliance.

The EU’s July 2026 ban on destroying unsold apparel, footwear and accessories transforms excess inventory into a measurable compliance and financial risk.
Combined with EPR obligations and disclosure requirements, the rules push brands to improve forecasting, inventory management, resale and recycling strategies, making overproduction increasingly costly and difficult to justify.

According to the company, it has served over 50,000 customers through its direct-to-consumer platform, marketplaces and offline retail channels. The brand reported more than 200 per cent growth in customer traction between February and May 2026. It also said that around 15 per cent of customers on its D2C platform have made repeat purchases.

UK retailers increased imports of summer apparel ahead of the spring heatwave, indicating proactive demand planning rather than reactive buying.
Growth was strongest in T-shirts, shorts and lightweight clothing, while sportswear lagged.
The trend highlights the importance of agile sourcing, seasonal relevance and competitive pricing in a cautious consumer environment.

Frido’s retail network now includes locations at Oberoi Sky City Mall in Mumbai; Bhartiya Mall, Phoenix Mall of Asia and Lulu Mall in Bengaluru; and multiple outlets across Hyderabad, including Kompally, Banjara Hills, Gachibowli and Lake Shore Mall. In Pune, the company operates stores across Phoenix Marketcity, Amanora Mall, Nexus Westend Mall, KOPA Mall, Amar Tech Park and Elpro City Square Mall. Its Delhi NCR presence includes a store at Vegas Mall in Dwarka.

India’s textile and apparel exports fell 4.44 per cent year on year (YoY) to $5.91 billion in April-May FY27, dragged down by a 12.98 per cent decline in apparel shipments despite a 3.03 per cent rise in textile exports.
Weak Middle East demand and a high base impacted apparel export, while cotton imports surged and textile imports remained subdued.

IAF’s new manifesto urges apparel manufacturers and brands to move beyond lowest-cost sourcing and focus on end-to-end productivity, demand alignment and supply chain resilience.
It highlights smart flexibility, stronger textile-apparel collaboration and lower inventory risk.
The roadmap centres on defining shared goals, enabling innovation and standardising scalable industry practices.

Before joining Neeman’s, she served as senior manager, buying and merchandising at Adidas India, where she led buying and merchandising operations across the company’s owned retail, franchise and e-commerce businesses. She has also held roles at Bata India and Koutons Retail India.

Indian apparel manufacturers are embedding sustainability into factory design, energy sourcing and production processes to meet evolving global compliance requirements.
Investments in renewable energy, net-zero facilities and climate-resilient infrastructure are accelerating, while heat stress mitigation and decarbonisation are emerging as critical priorities for long-term competitiveness.

According to Gujral, the brand has witnessed nearly a 60 per cent decline in NRI visits during the current wedding season, affecting demand for high-ticket couture purchases. Summertime traditionally sees a large influx of overseas Indians travelling to India for wedding shopping, but that trend has weakened considerably this year.