Dilip Guha ★ New Delhi : Building on the success of its inaugural edition in 2024, Bharat Tex 2025 aimed to further elevate its stature by attracting over 5,000 exhibitors, 6,000 international buyers from over 120 countries, and more than 1,20,000 visitors. The event featured comprehensive pavilions, showcasing the entire textile value chain under one roof.
Bharat Tex 2025-a prestigious global textiles event organized by the Bharat Tex Trade Federation (BTTF) by a consortium of 12 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India serves as a premier international platform for India’s textile industry. The event features an exhibition, knowledge sessions, thematic discussions, G2G meetings, B2B networks, MoUs, product launches, and interactive pavilions, attracting top policymakers, global CEOs, international exhibitors, and buyers. Aligned with the 5F vision—Farm to, Fiber to, Factory to, Fashion to, Foreign Markets, and showcased India’s manufacturing strength, sustainability efforts, and innovations driving sector growth.
As an integral part of the Bharat Tex Trade Federation, The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) highlighted India’s growing strength in the global textile & apparel landscape through a series of engaging activities by presenting a niche pavilion featuring leading brands, panel discussions, and sustainable initiatives aimed at promoting Indian apparel manufacturers, brands, and start-ups to a national and international audience.
This prestigious event brings together leading professionals, innovators, and enthusiasts to showcase the latest trends, technologies, and developments in the field. Bharat Tex serves as a dynamic platform for fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the industry.
Bharat Tex 2025 marks a pivotal moment for India’s textile and apparel industry by embracing innovation, sustainability, and global market leadership. The event highlights the increasing demand for ethically produced and sustainable textiles. With the participation of CMAI with the ‘Brands of India’ Pavilion, showcasing over 40 leading brands, who have built, sustained, and developed the Indian domestic retail market to become one of the most sought-after in the world.
It underscores India’s thriving domestic retail market. The event serves as a platform to explore new partnerships and strengthen India’s position in the global supply chain, aiming for a sustainable and profitable future. Considering the growth potential of India’s apparel sector, there is hope that the government will avoid revising GST rates to prevent industry disruption.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is currently playing its role as the knowledge partner for Bharat Tex 2025. They are organizing and curating a series of panel discussions, master classes, book releases, signing of MoUs, showcasing patents, and displaying creative work of the institution in the form of the NIFT Palette and Stop. These events promise to be both insightful and inspiring, bridging the past and future through the threads of creativity by students and faculty members. As part of its participation, NIFT will also facilitate an alumni meeting, celebrating the achievements of its distinguished graduates.
Over the past four decades of its existence, NIFT has contributed significantly to the global fashion industry by nurturing creative talent, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable practices. As it approaches its 40th anniversary in 2026, the institute continues to stand as a beacon of excellence in fashion education. Established in 1986, NIFT has grown into a premier institute of design, management, and technology in the field of fashion in India. With campuses across the country, NIFT offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, all known for their cutting-edge curriculum and research initiatives. As NIFT nears this milestone, it remains committed to advancing the frontiers of fashion education and maintaining its status as a leader in the field.
At Bharat Tex 2025, NIFT has curated a diverse panel of esteemed experts from various sectors of the textile and fashion industry. The panel discussions provided valuable insights and fostered meaningful conversations on key topics. The NIFT hosted a pivotal panel discussion, “No More Misfits: How India’s Own Size Chart Will Lead to Better Fit & Improved E-Commerce” On 14th February 2025.
This session delves into India’s first size chart initiative, led by the Ministry of Textiles and implemented by NIFT with CMAI’s support. The session aimed to address garment fit inconsistencies and improve commerce by developing standard body sizes for the Indian apparel sector.
This event spotlighted the transformative impact of INDIAsize, the National Sizing Survey of India— an initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Textiles (MoT) and implemented by NIFT. Designed to develop standardized body size charts reflecting India’s diverse population, the project aims to resolve persistent challenges related to fit, sizing inconsistencies, and customer dissatisfaction in the apparel and fashion industry. A major highlight of the event was the official release of the size charts for the most populous categories of Indian men and women, derived from an extensive anthropometric survey encompassing data from over 26,000 individuals across the country. By introducing standardized size charts, INDIAsize is set to revolutionize how Indian apparel is designed, manufactured, and marketed.
This panel discussion offered a unique platform to explore the far-reaching impact of standardized sizing on commerce, innovation, and consumer experience, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey toward a globally competitive apparel industry
The panel discussion was chaired by Ms Tanu Kashyap IAS DG NIFT and moderated by Dr. Manoj Tiwari.
Speakers were prominent industry leaders who played a critical role in shaping the project’s trajectory from conceptualization to execution and analysis.
Mr. Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor of CMAI, outlines the transition from traditional sizing models to INDIAsize-based labels, shedding light on CMAI’s ongoing efforts to drive industry-wide adoption among Indian apparel manufacturers.
Lal Sudhakaran, Chief Sourcing Officer at Arvind Fashions, shared insights on how standardized sizing can enhance product fit and improve supply chain efficiency.
Srinivas Govindan, Head of Strategy & Projects at Reliance Retail (Fashion & Lifestyle), discussed the role of INDIAsize in bridging the gap between consumer expectations and industry standards.
Kaushik Basu Mallick, Head of Quality Control at Raymond Lifestyle Limited, highlighted the quality control measures necessary to ensure seamless adoption of the new sizing system.
While, Neeraj Gaur, Vice President of Technical Services & Digital Product Creation at Aditya Birla Fashion & Lifestyle Limited, explores the digital transformation opportunities that standardized sizing can unlock for the apparel sector.
Dr. Noopur Anand, Principal Investigator of the INDIAsize project, provided an in-depth look into the challenges and opportunities surrounding its implementation, focusing on how NIFT is ensuring industry-wide readiness
Attendees had the opportunity to engage with industry experts, participate in interactive sessions, and gain valuable insights into the latest trends and developments. These panel discussions were highlighted at Bharat Tex 2025, offering a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
