CMAI welcomes Indian govt’s new decision on loose garments

The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) has welcomed the Indian government’s latest notification on excluding loose garments from Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) rules. The government has clarified that garments or hosiery products, sold in loose form, will not be covered under the provisions of these rules, subject to providing a few details.

The notification provides a clear definition of a ‘loose’ garment as one sold loose or open at the point of sale in such a manner that the consumer can inspect the products before buying.

The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) has welcomed the Indian government’s latest notification on excluding loose garments from Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) rules. The government has clarified that garments or hosiery products, sold in loose form, will not be covered under the provisions, subject to providing a few details.

CMAI has been representing to the concerned ministries for years now that garments by their very nature—which can be seen, touched, felt, and even tried on in most cases—should not be included in the ambit of a ‘packaged’ commodity, where the consumer buys the product in a sealed condition without having the opportunity to see, examine, or test the communicated parameters, the association said in a media release.

“By giving a precise description of what constitutes a loose garment, the government has addressed a long-standing grievance of the industry and will hopefully minimise and even eliminate the inspector harassment faced by the industry,” said Rajesh Masand, president, CMAI.

“The other crucial clarification included in the current notification is that the garment should be in a loose form as defined in the notification, at the point of purchase by the consumer – again issuing a clarification that goods being in a packed form for safety or hygiene consideration during storage and transit before it reaches the point of purchase will not be considered as ‘packed’,” added Rahul Mehta, chief mentor and past president, CMAI.

CMAI, at the same time, welcomed the details required to be indicated on the garments such as MRP, internationally accepted size indicators, name of the manufacturer or marketer or importer, as well as contact details of consumer care, which will offer protection to the consumer.

This notification has been issued by the government as a result of years of representations by the industry, and in particular by CMAI and Federation of Hosiery Manufacturers Association (FOHMA).

“CMAI wholeheartedly thanks the minister of consumer affairs, who is also the minister of textiles, Piyush Goyal, for taking this step which will go a long way in improving the ease of doing business in the garment and retail industry,” the release added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)