Garments exports up 19.5% in Jan; highest in FY11

Helped by rising demand in the US, India's apparel exports in January grew by 19.5% year-on-year -- the highest in this fiscal -- to $1.14 billion, according to Apparel Export Promotion Council.

The exports stood at $957 million in January 2009-10.

"There is a good demand for our exports in the US. There is an improvement in the European market as well," AEPC Chairman Premal Udani said.

The US accounts for about 40% of India's total garment exports.

However, the apparel exports in the April-January period declined by 0.33% to $8.71 billion against the same period last year.

Exports started growing in August 2010 after witnessing deceleration in the initial months of the current fiscal.

Udani said Indian exports have become competitive, thanks partly to the government's restrictions on exports of cotton and cotton yarn, which resulted in check on the raw material prices.

During 2009-10, India's garments aggregated to $10.64 billion.

The garment industry employs about 70 lakh people in the country, out of which almost half are engaged in the export sector.