A Comparative Analysis Of India & China, The Two Manufacturing Giants Of The Apparel Industry

India and China are the two most populous countries in the world. And they also happen to be neighbours of each other. If they work together, they could be more powerful than any other superpower in the world, but what they are known for is their rivalry. 

India and China compete with each other as two of the biggest manufacturing giants for various industries, especially apparel and garment manufacturing. So, let’s take a moment to do a quick comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of India and China as the two prominent manufacturing hubs of the apparel and garment industry.

The Strengths & Similarities Of India & China As Manufacturers In The Apparel Industry

Large Workforce

Both India and China have the two largest working populations in the world. This allows the apparel industry, which is somewhat labour intensive, to flourish because there are labours available locally. This allows businesses not to have to hire people from overseas and effectively save some production costs in the process. The availability of a large workforce also allows these countries to speed up their production processes and improve production timing.

Availability Of Raw Materials

For any economy to flourish, you need both labour and raw materials, and these countries are blessed with both. India and China both have an abundance of raw materials. India is the world’s leading producer of jute and cotton, and China specialises in the production of synthetic fabrics like polyester and georgette. India is also adept at the production of synthetic fibres, but it is comparatively lower than China, and vice versa for raw materials like cotton and jute in China.

Large Demand Both Nationally & Internationally

India and China are the two largest populations, which ensures huge internal demand for garments. However, the industries are so huge that both countries have the capacity to meet the country’s demand and then go on to export internationally. Studies show that China exports almost 40% of the entire world’s garment market. India is not far behind as they are the fifth largest garments exporter in the world.

The Weaknesses & Differences Between India & China As Manufacturers In The Apparel Industry

Technological Limitations

India depends on neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and even China for the supply of some specialised fabrics. This is because India does not have the infrastructure required to meet the production requirements. However, another important discerning factor is that India prefers and goes forward with a set approach for its apparel industry. China, on the other hand, goes, has a much larger and more diversified field of interest and infrastructure to be on top of every possible requirement.

Geographical Limitations

The apparel export network in India is spread across the entire country to cities where the production takes place the most. China, on the other hand, has a completely different approach; most of its export activities take place from the special administrative unit of China, which is Hong Kong. Given Hong Kong has easy land, water, and air connectivity to the rest of the world, it is one of the largest export hubs in the world. Due to the geographical limitations of India, the country can not consolidate the export functions of an entire industry in only one city.

Conclusion

There you have it, a quick comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of India and China, the two manufacturing giants of the apparel industry. Both economies are growing rapidly and are expected to be in competition with each other even more closely as time passes. To learn more about the apparel industry, check out CheerSagar. You can also take a look at CheerSagar’s services if you want to work with one of India’s top apparel manufacturers and exporters.