Reliance and Shein together launch SheinIndia.in to sell India-made clothes in India and globally

The China-founded and Singapore-headquartered Fashion retailer Shein partners with Reliance Retail to rapidly expand their Indian supplier base and start international trading of India-made Shein-branded clothes within the next six to 12 months.

Shein is a well-known Chinese clothing brand that offers affordable apparel, including $5 dresses and $10 jeans. It ships directly from 7,000 suppliers in China to consumers in 150 + countries. The U.S. has always been its biggest market, but after the changes in tariffs on low-value e-commerce packages from China, which were previously imported duty-free, Shein is now trying hard to adjust and adapt.

 Earlier launched in India in 2018, the Shein app was later banned in 2020, basis the Indian Government’s action against China-linked companies amid the rising border tension between China with its northeastern states.
Very recently, Shein returned in February, now under a licensing deal with Reliance Industries. They together launched SheinIndia.in which will be selling Shein-branded clothes produced in Indian local factories in international markets. Whereas, Shein's other websites will continue to list goods mainly from China.

Reliance Retail, controlled by Asia's richest person, Mukesh Ambani, has already hired 150 manufacturers and is in discussion with 400 more.
It is interesting to know that Shein had been discussing plans with the Indian retailer Reliance, even before the U.S. imposed new tariffs on Chinese imports, which actually further intensified the need to diversify sourcing from other countries.

This merger aims to raise Indian suppliers from 150 to 1,000 within a year, said an undisclosed source.

Not just limiting the licensing of its brand for only Indian domestic consumption, the goal is 1,000 Indian factories making Shein-branded clothes within a year for both the Indian market and some of Shein's global websites.

Shein said in a statement, “Shein has licensed its brand for domestic use to Reliance, which is responsible for manufacturing, supply chain, sales and operations in the Indian market alone”. Going with the initial plan, Shein wants to list India-origin made clothes on its U.S. and British websites with a launch time of six to 12 months, depending on the supplier count.

In December 2024, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal reported to the parliament that “the Shein-Reliance partnership aimed to create a network of Indian suppliers of Shein-branded clothes for selling 'nationally and globally’.

A Win-Win for Both

·   Shein is one of the fastest-selling fashion brands with an annual revenue of more than $30 billion, all through its low pricing, trending styles and aggressive marketing. Its products are manufactured mainly in China, with some even made in countries like Turkey and Brazil.

·   Its expansion on Indian soils mirrors interest in the country from the likes of Walmart and others throughout the international fashion and retail industries, especially those looking for suppliers outside China due to the U.S.-China tariff war.

·   Upon its launch in February 2025, the Shein India app has been downloaded 2.7 million times across Apple and Google Play for Android phones, averaging 120% per month growth since its launch, statistics from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower showed.

·   Product offerings during its first four months have already reached 12,000 designs, which is 1/4 of 600,000 products on Shein's U.S. website.

·   In the women's dresses category, its cheapest item was valued at only 349 Indian rupees ($4) compared to $3.39 on the U.S. site as of June 9, 2025.

The Shein India partnership is one of many Reliance has with other fashion brands, such as Brooks Brothers and Marks and Spencer. Reliance also runs an e-commerce site, Ajio, that competes with Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart, and Tata's Zudio.

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