RETAIL BUSINESS RECORDS 10% YEAR-ON-YEAR GROWTH IN MARCH 2026, CLOSING FY2026 ON A STABLE NOTE: RAI SURVEY

Retail sales in India grew 10% year-on-year in March 2026, according to Round 69 of the Retailers Association of India's (RAI) monthly Business Survey — closing FY2026 on a steady note. Retail has been growing at 9% to 10% since about 6 months. Regional performance was broad-based. West and North India led at 11% each, South at 10%, and East at 9%.

Food and grocery topped the category chart at 14%, followed by apparel at 13%, jewellery at 12%, and QSRs at 11% — the latter having sustained strong growth throughout the full year.

Seven HKTDC Lifestyle and Licensing mega events to open next week.

Debut of Reimagine themed floor, IP and e-Commerce Support Services Zone.

Seven annual lifestyle and licensing mega events organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) are set to open next week. These include the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, Home InStyle and Fashion InStyle on 27-30 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, HKCEC; and the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair and DeLuxe PrintPack Hong Kong co-organised by the HKTDC and CIEC Exhibition Company (HK) Limited, held concurrently at AsiaWorld-Expo on 27-30 April; and the Hong Kong International Licensing Show and Asian Licensing Conference on 27-29 April at the HKCEC.

Immersive celebration marked the opening, bringing sport and style to Bayside Marketplace.

U.S. Polo Assn., the official sports brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), recently grabbed the spotlight in Miami with the grand opening of its Bayside Miami Global Flagship Store marked by a high-energy waterfront celebration attended by professional polo players, Olympic athletes, notable personalities, influencers, and invited guests from the worlds of sport, fashion, and culture, reflecting Miami's role as one of the world's most influential global style and culture hubs.

Set against the iconic Miami skyline, the event celebrated the brand's relocation from its former Bayside location into a newly expanded 3,000‑square‑foot Global Flagship, an elevated destination designed to showcase the heritage of the sport while placing U.S. Polo Assn. at the center of one of the city's most dynamic retail and lifestyle hubs. With 1,200 stores around the world, and thousands of other points of distribution across 190 countries.

Wage Hike and Labour Unrest Put Noida Apparel Exports Under Strain

India which is aspiring for becoming future manufacturing PowerHouse raising the contribution out of manufacturing to aspirational 25% in coming years; the recent development doesn't bode well, as Apparel exporters in Noida (U.P.) have raised concerns where Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) is a very active trade body representing the voice of garment sector mirroring that it is a very serious matter clearly reflecting that virtually trade experts are wary of garment export units' ability to absorb the recent minimum wage hikes announced by the Uttar Pradesh government close on the heels of hostile labour unrest demonstrated in the recent days, warning that shooting costs and amplified pressure from global buyers could jeopardize orders in the already uncertain times. The situation is further magnified by ongoing labour unrest, which industry experts/stakeholders say is already beginning to disrupt shipments to spoil the party.

Navigating Purposeful Consumption and Connected Commerce.

As the Indian retail sector concludes a year of structural transformation, the Retailers
Association of India (RAI) presents its year-end analysis (April 2025 – February 2026). The data reveals a resilient sector that has pivoted from "impulse-driven" growth to a model defined by "purposeful consumption" and digital democratisation.
The Year in Review: A Study in Resilience
The past 11 months was characterised by a steady acceleration in consumption momentum.
Retail growth, which began the fiscal year at 4-5 per cent, surged to 7-8 per cent by mid-year and peaked at 10-11 per cent during the festive season.

Concept to Commercialization

Date: 29th and 30th April 2026 
Time: 2pm - 5pm
Context Setting:
Today, the traditional Indian textile sector faces a combination of structural, geopolitical, and environmental challenges. While the industry is transitioning toward becoming a high-value manufacturing partner, several hurdles—particularly punitive tariffs, stricter global compliance, and energy shortages—are straining its competitiveness.

Giriraj Singh, Minister, Ministry of Textiles while addressing earlier today at NITRA Protective textile one day conference. The excerpts are as per below:
The Rise of Protective Textiles: India's Path to a $350 Billion Market by 2038

I've written extensively on Protective Textiles—and they're essential in every sector, from homes and kitchens to factories and beyond. Wherever you look, the need is clear.

Accelerate your venture growth | Apply for Wadhwani Accelerate at NO COST

WADHWANI FOUNDATION Entrepreneurship

GROWTH IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

Wadhwani Accelerate

Structured Growth Execution Program for entrepreneurs ready to scale.

Preview in Seoul (PIS) - Korea's premier textile exhibition, August 2026, Seoul, South Korea.

27th edition of Preview in Seoul (PIS) - Korea's premier textile exhibition organised by Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI), will be held from 19th – 21st August 2026 in COEX Hall A, B1, Seoul, South Korea.  Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) is the official partner representing India. 
CREDITS: PR received from CITI India official WhatsApp chat. The content has not been edited and reviewed by us.

Krishikalpa Foundation, deeply believes that some of the most powerful ideas to transform our rural economy come from people who understand ground realities closely.

With this belief, it invites applications for “Pitch Your Idea 2026,” a platform created to discover, nurture, and support promising startup ideas, emerging and expanding in the Kalyana Karnataka region.

It warmly encourages early-stage founders and startups working on solutions that can strengthen agriculture, rural development, and sustainable livelihoods.

India’s apparel exports: Performance 

By the way India’s apparel exports rose 1.5% in dollar terms during April–December FY26, according to ICRA records, it has to be mentioned here that while growth in rupee terms was 5.8% due to unprecedented currency softness. Whilst no brainer that exports to the US declined around 6%, mainly because tariff pressures/headwinds impacting demand considerably. 
However, This shortfall was partly cushioned by stronger shipments to Europe and the UAE (on the back of existing FTA which turned out to be fundamental tailwind). 

India's Textile Lifeline Amid Iran-US Conflict
India's textile industry faces never seen before multiple global headwinds from the Iran-US war, with Hormuz Strait disruptions driving up freight costs by 30% and ballooning insurance rates. In response, the government has rolled out the RELIEF scheme—a robust ₹497 crore package under the Export Promotion Mission—to safeguard exporters. Today government  has announced extending of The Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme extending  till Sep., 2026.