The landscape of Indian textile manufacturing is undergoing a significant transition as the Hong Kong-based Epic Group prepares to inaugurate its first Indian manufacturing facility in Khurda, Odisha, on April 29, 2026. This Rs 220 crore investment marks a strategic pivot for the global garment leader, choosing Odisha’s burgeoning industrial ecosystem over traditional textile clusters in Western or Southern India. The 40-acre facility, operated via subsidiary Trimetro Garments India, is a cornerstone of a broader US $100 million expansion plan designed to leverage India’s vertically integrated fiber-to-fabric supply chain amid shifting global sourcing patterns.

Decarbonization and the net-zero manufacturing standard

Setting a new benchmark for technical textiles and apparel production, the Bhubaneswar-area unit is engineered to be net-positive in both energy and water. A critical innovation within the facility includes the world’s first deployment of high-temperature electric heat pumps for industrial laundry, developed in collaboration with Tonello Italy. By eliminating coal-fired boilers, Epic Group addresses the intensifying ESG demands from its top-tier clients, including Walmart and Levi Strauss & Co. Furthermore, the use of India’s first ‘green steel’ TMT bars in its construction underscores a commitment to minimizing embodied carbon across the entire textile value chain.

Economic impact and strategic workforce integration

The facility is projected to generate over 6,000 direct jobs, with a targeted focus on increasing female labor participation in the garment sector - a move supported by Odisha’s generous employment subsidies of up to Rs 7,000 per month for female workers. This inauguration coincides with a ‘second industrial revolution’ in the state, where major players like Page Industries and MAS Holdings are also grounding projects.

Epic Group is a premier Hong Kong-based apparel manufacturer producing 90 million garments annually for global giants like Uniqlo and Amazon. With a presence in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Vietnam, the group is now expanding aggressively into India to achieve a half-billion-dollar valuation by 2030 through net-zero, tech-driven production.