Fashion retailer Shein, in partnership with India’s Reliance Retail, is set to significantly expand its manufacturing footprint in India by boosting its supplier base from 150 to 1,000 within the next year. The move will support plans to export India-made Shein-branded apparel to international markets, including the US and UK, within six to 12 months.

Shein, originally founded in China and now headquartered in Singapore, re-entered India earlier this year via a licensing agreement with Reliance, after being banned in 2020. Its new platform, SheinIndia.in, features products made by local garment manufacturers, unlike its global platforms, which largely list China-made goods.

Reliance has already contracted 150 suppliers and is in talks with 400 more. The partnership targets on-demand manufacturing, initially producing small batches of 100 pieces per design, scaling based on demand. The model mirrors Shein’s core strategy of rapid trend response, enabled by tech-driven design and supply chain processes.

Executives from Reliance recently visited Shein’s facilities in China to study its operational model. To support the supplier scale-up, Reliance plans to help Indian factories upgrade, especially in synthetic fabric production, by importing machinery and offering investment.

This expansion aligns with Shein’s broader diversification strategy amid rising U.S. tariffs on China-made goods and reflects growing global interest in India as an alternative sourcing hub. According to Sensor Tower, the Shein India app has recorded 2.7 million downloads so far, with fast-growing engagement and a catalogue of 12,000 designs.

The scale and timeframe of Shein's India supplier strategy are being publicly reported for the first time.