New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) Chinese online fast fashion brand Shein has re-entered the India market almost five years since its ban through the country's leading retailer Reliance Retail.
Shein India Fast Fashion App from Reliance Retail currently has over 10,000 downloads on Google's Play Store and is ranked among the top-10 among peers on Apple's store.
The brand, now based in Singapore, offers affordable fashion products through its app and online stores in India -- one of its fastest-growing markets.
Shein was one of the apps that was banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in June 2020 after escalation of tensions with China.
Almost three years after getting banned in India, Shein signed a partnership in 2023 with Reliance Retail, led by Isha Ambani, the daughter of billionaire Mukesh Ambani.
Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) through its subsidiary RRL (Reliance Retail Ltd), had entered into a technology agreement with Roadget Business Pte Ltd, which owns Shein, to develop an indigenous e-commerce retail platform.
In December last year, the government had informed the Lok Sabha that sale of branded products from Shein was not banned, though its app was blocked.
This platform is intended to create a network of local manufacturers and suppliers who will manufacture products under the brand Shein and sell them domestically and globally, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had said in a written reply.
The Ministry of Textiles consulted with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which in turn consulted the Ministry of Home Affairs, and conveyed no objection to the proposal of RRVL, he added.
"The licence agreement covered the protection that ownership and control of the platform will always remain with RRVL through its wholly owned subsidiary," Goyal said, adding, "as per the agreement, at all times, the platform will be hosted on infrastructure in India and all platform data will remain in India with Shein having no access to, or rights over, such data".
The agreement requires consenting parties to follow Indian laws and ensure localisation of infrastructure and platform data, Goyal added.
Established in 2008, Shein is known for its affordable pricing and is popular among millennials for its trendy women's wear and other apparel.
It was banned, along with 59 apps, by the government citing "threat to sovereignty and integrity" posed by these platforms.
However, Shein products were available in the online market through e-commerce platforms as Amazon. The issues were also brought up at the Delhi High Court. PTI KRH TRB