Shein's Comeback: Reviving Fast Fashion in India with Reliance

Shein's app was banned in India in 2020 due to China-India tensions but the sale of its branded products was not prohibited. In 2023, Shein partnered with Reliance Retail to establish a local e-commerce platform and manufacturing network, focusing on growth in India's textiles and employment sectors.

Despite the ban on its app in June 2020, Shein's branded products continued to be sold in India, according to recent information shared in the Parliament. The fast fashion brand was among several Chinese apps banned by India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology following heightened border tensions with China.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal clarified in the Lok Sabha that the ban did not extend to selling Shein-branded products. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) has now entered a strategic agreement with Singapore-based Roadget Business Pte Ltd, which owns Shein, to establish a local e-commerce platform.

This venture aims to bolster India's textile industry by networking local manufacturers to produce and sell Shein products domestically and internationally. The initiative, cleared by the Ministry of Textiles, promises to energize local craftsmanship and create employment. The agreement ensures compliance with Indian laws and secure data localization.

(With inputs from agencies.)