India’s leading fashion retailers, including Marks & Spencer, H&M, Zudio, and Lifestyle, are struggling with apparel shortages nearly three months after New Delhi restricted Bangladeshi readymade garment imports to only two seaports—Kolkata and Nhava Sheva (Mumbai).
Previously reliant on faster land-route imports, shipments are now delayed by 2–3 weeks, particularly affecting low-cost fashion items under ₹1,000. As a result, garment imports from Bangladesh have fallen by around 25% year-on-year, just ahead of India’s peak festive season.
Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest garment exporter, supplies India with affordable apparel worth ₹5,000–₹6,000 crore annually, much of it catering to mass-market retailers. Despite imports rising 3.5% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, the new restrictions have disrupted supply chains.
The crunch coincides with broader challenges for India’s textile sector, which is also reeling from the 50% US tariff on Indian apparel exports, raising further concerns for retailers and manufacturers alike.
