Shein to re-enter India in partnership with Reliance Retail

Shein, one of the world’s top fashion brands which shut shop in India in June 2020 after the post-Galwan ban on Chinese apps, is set to re-enter the country in a tie-up with Reliance Retail, sources said. The partnership will see Reliance Retail set up offline stores as well as mark its presence online, possibly on the latter’s Ajio platform.

 

 

Shein is also likely to source its fabrics for its global as well as local manufacturing operations from India, as part of a wider partnership arrangement with Reliance Retail. The partnership will include sourcing, manufacturing and retailing, sources said.

 

Reliance Retail did not respond to an email seeking comment.

 

 

 

Sources said the government has approved the partnership. This comes at a time US lawmakers, a market where Shein has a big presence, are urging the nation’s markets regulator to get Shein to disclose its labour practices ahead of an IPO.

 

While Shein products did shortly retail on Amazon in India in 2021, the fast-fashion brand, which has operations in 165 countries across the world has been largely absent in the country over the last two years.

Shein was a popular brand in India among women for its affordable and trendy fashion wear before the 2020 Chinese app ban, sector experts said.

 

Founded in 2008 by Chris Xu in China, the company is now based in Singapore and the approval from India implies that the government views it as a non-Chinese entity, sources said.

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