Creating 100,000 Jobs & Becoming One of the Largest Apparel Exporters | Ep 20 | Growth is Good

Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel exporter, started in 1974 with one sewing machine. Today, it employs over 100,000 workers across 50+ factories, with women making up nearly 70% of its workforce. In this episode of Growth is Good, we explore Shahi’s remarkable rise, its impact on women’s empowerment, and what it teaches us about India’s manufacturing potential. From family-led beginnings to becoming a global supplier for the world’s top brands, this is the story of how one company stitched together an industry success. 📘 Learn more about Shahi’s journey in our detailed case study report: https://www.fedev.org/wp-content/uplo... Chapters: 00:00 – Promo 01:36 – Introduction: India’s textile story and Shahi’s beginnings 03:42 – From one sewing machine to a leading exporter 05:47 – Challenges and Landscape of Exporting in the Early Years 09:15 – Building scale: women workers at the center of growth 09:40 – The Growth Story After 1991 15:28 – Competing globally: quality, compliance, and innovation 20:40 – Why and How is Good Treatment of Labour Good for Business? 26:43 – How do Some Aspects of our Law and Regulation Hold Back Investment? 29:05 – Challenges: costs, infrastructure, and competition from Bangladesh & Vietnam 33:52 – Automation, Sustainability and Future of fashion manufacturing in India 42:27 – Lessons for policymakers and India’s growth path 48:01 – Closing reflections: balancing scale, jobs, and global competitiveness You can also tune into the podcast on Spotify: Subscribe to our newsletter for latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/fedev.org/alternat...