The Indian government has eased metrology (packaged commodities) rules for inner garments and hosiery products. It has issued a notification to exclude loose garments from the rule. It said that consumers will have liberty to have touch & feel the product before purchasing. However, trial of the garments will not practical due to hygienic considerations.

The notification gives a clear definition of a ‘loose’ garment as one sold loose or open at the point of sale in such manner that the consumer can inspect the product before buying.

The Federation of Hosiery Manufacturers Association (FOHMA) has been representing to the concerned ministries for years on this issue. It argued that garments by their very nature can be seen, touched, felt, and even tried in some products, and hence they should not be included in the ambit of a “packaged” commodity, where the consumer buys the product in a sealed condition without having the opportunity to see, examine, or test the communicated parameters.

Welcoming the latest decision by the government, Sanjay K Jain, vice president of FOHMA told Fibre2Fashion, “By giving a precise description of what constitutes a loose garment, the government has addressed a longstanding grievance of the industry and will hopefully minimise and even eliminate inspector harassment.”

“The other crucial clarification included in the current notification is that the garment should be in a loose form as defined in the notification, at the point of purchase by the consumer – again issuing a clear rule that goods being in a packed form for safety or hygiene consideration during storage and transit before it reaches the point of purchase will not be considered as ‘packed’,” added Jain.

He clarified that trial by the consumers will not be possible for innerwear due to hygienic considerations. However, they will be free to have touch and feel experience before purchasing.
“FOHMA wholeheartedly thanks the minister of consumer affairs, who is also the minister of textiles, Piyush Goyal, for taking this step which will go a long way in improving the Ease of Doing Business in the garment and retail industry,” said Jain.