Aug-2014
Future of Sri Lanka’s Apparel Industry – Soaring to Great Heights
Future leaders of Sri Lanka’s apparel industry are geared to steer this sequential industry into a successful new era by the year 2020, forging ahead with new branding and ambitions for the thriving commerce.
The apparel industry is one of Sri Lanka’s largest revenue earners carving a notch as the country’s main foreign exchange earner and boasting a 40% stake of total exports. The country has benefitted immensely with the over 350 strong garment factories scattered throughout the country offering direct employment to more than 300,000 of Sri Lanka’s population.
Since its humble beginnings in 1977 the apparel industry has grown to great heights which is why the Joint Apparel Association Federation (JAAF) has decided to create a Future Leaders Committee offering control to the garment industries new stars, the future ‘movers and shakers’ of the industry who will look at stronger branding and futuristic concepts to take locally manufactured apparel to all corners of the globe.
Plans are underfoot to create ‘Tailor Shop’ concepts encouraging foreign buyers to specify needs and demands enabling Sri Lanka’s garment producers to look at innovation and design while also focusing on taking popular local designer brands to foreign markets.
JAAF Secretary General Tuly Cooray, is excited about the new blood that would be taking over the reins of the garment industry and offers support and encouragement for garment manufacturers to break into lucrative mass markets in countries such as China, Japan, Russia and Brazil. Working closely with the government JAAF is ambitious in improving on consistency and speed with on-time deliveries.
Apparel Manufacturers in Sri Lanka proudly produce garments for international branded labels such as Victoria’s Secrets, GAP, Nike, Levis, Calvin Klein, Speedo and M&S amongst a few while the already popular local designer brands are soaring to new heights with their innovative and trendy designs.
Another plus point Sri Lanka’s apparel industry enjoys is the ‘Garments without Guilt’, concept where garment producers offer foreign buyers the satisfaction of purchasing garments manufactured under humane conditions ruling out forced labour, environmental pollution and short cuts in terms of quality. In fact the garment industry is spearheading the country’s ‘No Carbon Footprints’ perception.
The development of the commerce is envisaged with new market penetration taking off with rapid expansions and new ambitions, already the country’s North and East provinces are home to 10 new garment factories.
Today Sri Lanka’s three principal apparel manufacturers are already amongst the world’s 50 most valued garment producers as such it is no wonder that this industry has consistently seen over US 3 Billion in export revenues with aspirations for colossal growths by the year 2020.
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