The Global Garment Supply Chain in the Time of Covid Pandemic

Author: Mohan Mani

Abstract

Garment manufacturing is a large employer of workers in Karnataka, with a large proportion of the sector catering to garment exports. Much of the sector continues to manufacture from factories in Bengaluru. During the Covid pandemic, the sector was severely impacted with many workers losing employment; workers migrating to work in the sector from surrounding rural hinterland leaving cities. Many large garment manufacturers closed production in the city during the period, either consolidating facilities or moving production outside to smaller towns. The vulnerability of workers during the pandemic allowed the employers to evade regulatory requirements in their downsizing production in the city. This restructuring allowed manufacturers to reduce costs. The restructuring exercise was not limited to garment manufacture, but extended to the operations of the major brands in reaching their products to consumers. Both the garment manufacturers and brands were able to retain profitability through much of the pandemic affected period, and put in place measures to reduce costs; In all this exercise the most affected were the workers, both in manufacturing sector in the global South, and in the retail end in the North.