After years of being in the shadows of China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and other sourcing nations, India is finally taking center stage. 

India has always had the right stuff, a huge population, domestic cotton, a strong textile sector for yarns and fabrics, and, of course, a legacy in apparel manufacturing. 

However, the nation hasn’t been able to pull it all together at a level that would not just get attention, but commitments from top international brands. 

That is until now.

India offers a wealth of opportunities – but those come with lots of challenges as well.

One of the business leaders who is working to develop sourcing in India for his company is Dr. Stephen Patton, regional sourcing director for Liverpool Department Store (Mexico).

After spending over seven years building Liverpool’s Shanghai office to a highly efficient team of over 60 people, in mid 2022 he headed to India to lead the company in establishing a sourcing office and exploring the possibilities of products that could be developed there.