New Delhi: From the everyday shirts and pants worn by millions, the government has introduced a new set of quality norms to bring long-overdue uniformity to a segment that has largely operated without common benchmarks.
According to a government order released earlier this month, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has introduced a new set of standards covering woven shirts and trousers. With consumers purchasing these garments across a wide price spectrum—from local markets to high-end retail outlets—the new norms aim to establish a uniform baseline of quality across segments.
The new standards for woven shirts, for instance, formalizes specifications around stitching durability, dimensional stability and colour retention—areas that directly affect consumer experience but have historically lacked uniform measurement criteria in the domestic market. A similar framework has been introduced for woven trousers, enabling structured assessment of garment construction and wear performance, particularly relevant for institutional buyers and bulk procurement agencies, two government officials, who did not wish to be named, said.
“These BIS standards for shirts and trousers are not about fixing a single body size or fit for all markets. They (standards) focus on quality parameters—things like fabric strength, seam durability, colour fastness, shrinkage limits, stitching quality and overall construction,” said the first of the two officials cited above.
Also, they do not prescribe that a shirt must follow “Indian body measurements” or a universal sizing chart, this official said.
Queries emailed to BIS, and major textile manufacturers Arvind Mills and Aditya Birla Group remained unanswered till press time.
The government’s move is part of a broader push to expand India’s quality infrastructure across both mass-market apparel and technical textiles, in line with India’s focus on improving manufacturing competitiveness and product reliability.
The development assumes significance as, until now, much of India’s —especially in the domestic market—has relied on company-defined specifications rather than nationally harmonized benchmarks.
India’s , valued at over ₹39,000 crore and dominated by men’s wear (94%), is expanding steadily, with women’s segments growing at an 11% CAGR (compound annual growth rate), while the trouser market is also witnessing strong growth, driven by rising incomes and urbanization, and is projected to reach ₹78,480 crore by 2027.
This assumes significance as India is a major exporter of shirts, with outbound shipments of men’s and boys’ shirts rising from $1.06 billion in FY24 to $1.08 billion in FY25, while exports of women’s shirts increased from $1.04 billion to $1.10 billion during the same period. Despite this, the new standards are unlikely to alter export volumes, as manufacturers will continue to follow the sizing and specification norms of importing countries, while ensuring compliance with BIS requirements for the domestic market.
Similarly, exports of men’s rose from $1 billion in FY24 to $1.12 billion in FY25, while women’s trousers saw a sharper increase from $2.84 billion to $3.10 billion during the same period, underscoring India’s strong presence in the global apparel trade.
“A uniform standard will benefit exporters, as different buyers currently impose varying testing standards, increasing compliance costs. If BIS standards gain wider acceptance, they could serve as a common reference point, reducing duplication in testing and enhancing the credibility of Indian products,” said Arun Kumar Jha, a former chief executive officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
“Export units usually follow strict quality norms set by global brands, but a large part of the domestic apparel sector still lacks uniform quality standards,” the second official said.
“The absence of common standards has meant that quality expectations often vary widely across manufacturers and buyers, leading to inconsistencies in product performance and durability,” the second official said. “By codifying parameters such as seam strength, fabric performance and colour fastness, BIS is creating a baseline that can be uniformly applied across the industry,” this official said.
The move is also aligned with the government’s broader push on quality control orders (QCOs) and standardization as tools to improve product quality, reduce substandard imports and enhance export competitiveness. Over time, such standards can be referenced in procurement contracts, compliance requirements and certification systems, gradually nudging the industry towards higher and more consistent quality levels.
India’s textile sector, one of the country’s largest employers and export contributors, spans a wide spectrum—from low-cost apparel to high-value technical textiles used in sectors such as automobiles and defence. By introducing standards across both ends of this spectrum, BIS is seeking to strengthen quality assurance across the value chain, at a time when global buyers are increasingly emphasizing consistency, traceability and compliance.