What is common among leading global garment importers like Wal-Mart, Tommy Hilfiger, Carrefour, JC Penny, GAP, Otto, RH Mecy and AIE Buying House?

They are all attending the first ever global buyer-seller meet organised by the Apparel Export Promotion Council here next week. “The buyer-seller meet organised by the council here on September 11 and 12 is an interactive platform that would provide an opportunity to apparel exporters of the western region to showcase their competitive edge to leading international buyers,” said AEPC western region vice-chairman Ashok Rajani.

The region is fast losing its share in the export of garments from the country. “It has come down to almost 20% from 40% for the western region while Tirupur and New Delhi gradually increased their share.” We expect around 75 to 100 leading overseas buyers to attend this two-day high profile export promotion event, he added.

This interaction has gained much importance these days as the major overseas buyers expect compliance to various conditions from their suppliers. “With the phasing out of the quotas, the AEPC is redefining its strategies to ensure that India remains a dominant exporter of high value fashion garments to the world,” he said. The strategies AEPC proposes to pursue include projection of India as a reliable supplier at competitive prices, developing expertise to address various WTO issues such as anti-dumping, assisting development of infrastructure, apparel parks and design centres and promoting standards of excellence amongst garment manufacturers.