Denim's domestic downturn is mitigated by strong exports

23rd August 2021, Mumbai:

Despite a drop in domestic sales as a result of the second wave, the export market has provided a much-needed boost to denim fabric sales. Denim sales and production at Gujarat mills have increased as a result of continuous export demand.

Gujarat is justifiably known as the denim capital of the country since it houses around 60% of the country's total denim production capacity. "Demand from the foreign market, which includes nations such as the United States and Europe, has substantially improved, and orders have begun to stream in. Export orders, in fact, were a lifeline for denim manufacturers, as they helped compensate for a drop in domestic demand from April to June 2021, when the second wave of Covid-19 was at its peak and a slew of restrictions were imposed to keep the spread in check "Jindal Worldwide Limited's head of corporate finance and strategy, Gaurav Davida, stated.

Despite the fact that denim producers saw strong growth in the first quarter, owing to a low base from the previous fiscal year's same quarter, the output is gradually returning to pre-Covid levels. "Manufacturers are also seeing higher price realizations, which is helping to offset margin losses. This is due to a rise in demand, with merchants in major regions such as Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States reporting a double-digit increase in both offline and online sales "a source in the sector stated. Clearly, major denim fabric manufacturers saw a significant increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2021-22.

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Arvind Limited, for example, recorded a 186 percent rise in denim revenues in the first quarter, going from Rs 145 crore in the first quarter of 2020-21 to Rs 416 crore in the first quarter of 2021-22. Overall volumes increased 2.8-fold year over year, according to the company's investor presentation. "We achieved at least 80% of our pre-Covid level of revenues from denim sales in the April to June quarter of 2021-22," Davda continued, "thanks to the higher realization from exports, we registered a revenue of at least Rs 500 crore during this time." Manufacturers all around the globe have been searching for alternatives to China since the Covid-19 epidemic. 

Gujarat, as a denim manufacturing center, stands to benefit, according to denim manufacturers. According to P R Roy, a denim expert, "Given its huge manufacturing capacity, China is a major participant. However, following the recent US and European sanctions on China's Xijiang province - a textile manufacturing powerhouse – based on reports of human rights violations, companies have moved their focus to India, and specifically Gujarat, for denim sourcing." As a result, Gujarati denim manufacturers have begun to receive more export orders.

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