Indian wear is expected to lead festive-season growth with 45 per cent of respondents identifying categories such as salwar suits, churidars and kurtas as the strongest performers

| Photo Credit:

The Indian apparel industry is hoping to witness strong sales in the upcoming festival season with Indian ethnic wear expected to lead the sales. The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India on Monday said that while the festive outlook for the apparel industry remains positive, with stronger demand and consumer confidence expected to drive growth, rising input costs could limit margin expansion.As per the survey findings released by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, nearly 52 per cent of its members are expecting higher sales than last year, while another 30 per cent expect to match last year’s performance. Less than 20 per cent of respondents anticipate a decline in sales, the industry body noted. The optimism is supported by improving macro-economic conditions, a reasonable monsoon, positive consumer sentiment among others.“Strong order bookings by Retailers at CMAI’s recently concluded National Garment Fairs (NGFs) have further reinforced industry confidence. However, rising raw-material costs remain a concern. Around 54 per cent of respondents are absorbing higher costs by reducing margins, while only about 35 per cent have increased prices. This indicates that higher festive sales could come with continued pressure on profitability,” the industry body noted.Indian wear is expected to lead festive-season growth with 45 per cent of respondents identifying categories such as salwar suits, churidars and kurtas as the strongest performers, followed by western casual wear such as T-shirts and Denims.At the same time online apparel sales are also expected to be strong. “With online currently accounting for around 12 per cent of apparel sales, its anticipated growth challenges the traditional assumption that festive apparel shopping will remain predominantly offline,” CMAI stated.Published on September 7, 2026