For decades, the growth of the RMG sector has been driven mainly by capacity expansion and fixed CM calculations. While this approach helped the industry survive and scale, it is no longer enough for a competitive global market. Today, it is time to pause and rethink how new textile and garment projects are approved and developed.
For any new project—whether a green or non-green factory—product selection should be the starting point. A factory without a clearly defined product strategy enters the market without direction. Fixed CM may keep operations running, but it does not create sustainability, value addition, or long-term pricing power.
Product-based planning brings multiple advantages. When a factory focuses on specific product categories, it can design its layout, machinery, manpower training, and sourcing accordingly. This improves efficiency, controls cost, reduces wastage, and enhances quality consistency. Over time, workers develop specialized skills, and management gains better control over productivity and delivery timelines.
Infrastructure alone is not a solution. Even the most modern green-certified factory can struggle if it produces everything and specializes in nothing. Without a product focus, factories are forced into price wars, accept low-margin orders, and remain vulnerable to buyer pressure.
Therefore, policymakers and industry bodies should consider making product policy a mandatory part of new project licensing. Before approving capacity, there should be clarity on what products the factory intends to produce, what value addition it aims to achieve, and how it plans to position itself in the global supply chain.
The future strength of the textile and garment sector will not come from more factories alone, but from better-planned factories. New projects must begin with product vision, not production desperation. Now is the right time to move from survival-driven expansion to policy-driven growth.
