The Chinese Rapid fashion retailer Shein has relaunched in India thanks to a partnership with Reliance Retail, almost five years after its ban in the midst of diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.
The new Shein India Fast Fashion application, developed and launched by Retail Reliance of the billionaire Mukesh Ambani, marks the important return of the company to one of the largest retail markets in Asia. The revival of the application is under strict conditions which give dependence Complete control on operations and data.
Within the framework of the structure of the partnership – recently disclosed by the Ministry of Commerce of India – Shein will only work as a technological partner, with reliance keeping the full ownership of the platform through its subsidiary. The arrangement requires that all customer data be stored in India, Shein having no right of access.
Shein initially offers delivery in certain cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai, and plans to extend it through India “soon”, according to the description of the application. Products include dresses for 350 rupees ($ 4), with all items designed and made in India by local manufacturers. “The OG is back,” welcomes Shein on its India application.
The agreement represents a rare exception to the ban on India on Chinese applications, which has assigned more than 300 platforms since 2020. To obtain approval, Shein has accepted unprecedented monitoring measures, including audits regular safety of cybersecurity companies approved by the government.
The Minister of Commerce, Piyush Goyal, recently said that the approval process concerned an in -depth verification of several ministries, including IT and domestic affairs. The arrangement aims to stimulate the manufacturing sector of India textiles while maintaining strict data sovereignty.
For reliance, the partnership marks a gap compared to its traditional brand integration strategy – such as the MUJI of Japan – in its flagship Ajio Fashion application.
