At this time of the year, buyers from Western markets travel to China to negotiate with garment exporters for the next season. Because of the coronavirus spread, most of them have reportedly cancelled the trip and started discussing with exporters from other countries, including India.
T Rajkumar, chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, says it is possible for export of finished textile goods, clothing and fabric to rise by at least 20-30 per cent this year, due to the Chinese virus issue.
The flip side is exporters saying they are not in a position to convert such enquiries into orders, being unable