What you can source as “capsules”

Small, curated drops (typically 5–20 SKUs) that factories here already run for emerging brands and specialty retailers:

• Knit Essentials & Athleisure: tees, polos, tanks, hoodies, joggers, bike shorts, leggings (cotton, cotton-modal, MMF blends). Best in Tiruppur (TN) and Bengaluru. Tiruppur alone contributes the bulk of India’s knitwear exports and has integrated knitting→dyeing→printing capacity. ISOResearchGate
  
• Women’s Wovens / Fashion Basics: dresses, tops, skirts, co-ords (rayon, viscose, cotton, linen). Strong in Noida/Delhi-NCR (large exporter base, deep sampling ability). The Times of Indiamsmedinewdelhi.gov.in
  
• Loungewear & Sleep: sets, robes, PJ pants (knits/wovens). Tiruppur, Kolkata hosiery, Jaipur (prints). Press Information BureauInvest Karnataka
  
• Kidswear: knit tees/sets, woven dresses, nightwear—Bengaluru, Tiruppur, Noida clusters with compliance know-how for children’s regs. Invest KarnatakaU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  
• Resort & Holiday Capsules: block-printed wovens, kaftans, resort dresses—Jaipur & Noida exporters source hand-block and screen prints quickly. The Times of India
  
• Cold-weather Knitwear: sweaters/fleece in cotton/MVF blends—Ludhiana. USDA Apps
  

Why India is strong for low-MOQ private label

• Dense MSME-led clusters = flexible runs. India’s apparel value chain is highly decentralized and dominated by small/medium units—ideal for sampling and shorter runs compared with mega-factories. (Ministry of Textiles/NITI note the decentralized, unorganized dominance in weaving/knitting and processing.) NITI AAYOGtexmin.nic.in
  
• Exporter body backs small custom orders. AEPC (apparel export council) explicitly pitches India’s ability to handle “small-size customised orders,” not just volume. aepcindia.com
  
• Integrated parks coming online. The PM MITRA scheme is building seven plug-and-play, fibre→fabric→garment parks to lower logistics and lead times (Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, MP, UP, Maharashtra). texmin.nic.ininvest.up.gov.in
  
• Raw material & traceability edge in cotton. Government-backed Kasturi Cotton India provides QR-based bale traceability and branding—useful for PL storytelling. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  

Export snapshot & markets

• India textiles & apparel exports (incl. garments) remain a top merchandise category; T&A (incl. handicrafts) formed ~8.2% of exports in 2023–24 (Ministry of Textiles Annual Report 2023–24). texmin.nic.in
  
• Garment export updates: AEPC tracks monthly apparel (RMG) exports; use their dashboard/press updates when planning seasons and markets. CAbi Digital Library
  
• Trade routes with tariff advantages for apparel:
  
  • UAE CEPA (2022)—UAE eliminates duties on >97% tariff lines, covering labour-intensive sectors incl. textiles/clothing (great for GCC rollouts). CommerceIndian Trade Portal
    
  • Japan CEPA (2011)—progressive duty elimination; textiles/apparel benefit, and the Govt. actively courts Japanese buyers/investment. CommercePress Information Bureau
    

Cluster-to-capsule mapping

• Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu (knits, athleisure, basics): largest knit hub; association states ~90% of India’s cotton knitwear exports originate here; 24×7 export ecosystem and processing backbone. ISO
  
• Bengaluru, Karnataka (wovens & knits, women’s fashion): deep vendor base serving global brands; state data indicates hundreds of units in/around Bengaluru. karnatakadht.org
  
• Noida/Delhi-NCR (fast fashion, sampling-heavy wovens/kidswear): ~4,000 garment factories cited locally; active Noida Apparel Export Cluster. The Times of Indiamsmedinewdelhi.gov.in
  
• Ludhiana, Punjab (sweaters/fleece): established winterwear/knitwear hub. USDA Apps
  

Quality & compliance: what to build into your tech packs/POs

Sampling & AQL

• Use ISO 2859-1 (AQL) / ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 for lot inspection (normal/tightened/reduced schemes). Set AQLs by defect class (often 0 for critical). ISOasq.org
  

Common textile tests (spec these per style/fabric):

• Colorfastness to laundering: AATCC 61 / ISO 105-C06. ISOaatcc.org
  
• Crocking (dry/wet): AATCC 8 (typical) for dark/colored knits and denim. aatcctestmethods.com
  
• Dimensional change (shrinkage): AATCC 135/150 (or ISO equivalents) for knits/wovens. (AATCC overview site lists laundering test families.) aatcctestmethods.com
  

Chemical/Restricted Substances (build a chemistry clause):

• ZDHC MRSL v3.1 for manufacturing inputs (dyes/auxiliaries/finishes) across textiles, leather, rubber, foam, adhesives. mrsl.roadmaptozero.com
  
• OEKO-TEX® 2024+ PFAS policy: total fluorine screen at 100 mg/kg (STANDARD 100, etc.)—useful baseline if you’re marketing “PFAS-free”. OEKO-TEX
  
• EU REACH hot buttons: azo dyes (azocolourants) restrictions; nickel release in accessories—consult ECHA restriction pages when trims are metal. Customs Mobile
  

Children’s products (if your capsule includes kidswear):

• US: flammability for children’s sleepwear (16 CFR 1615/1616); drawstring rules (children’s upper outerwear drawstrings are a substantial product hazard under 16 CFR 1120). U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissioneCFR
  
• EU: follow EN safety norms plus REACH; your Indian factory base is familiar if you spec these up front (most exporters to US/EU already do).
  

Labels & fiber declarations

• US: Textile Fiber Rule (16 CFR 303) + care labeling—fiber % by weight, country of origin, responsible company/RN, and clear care instructions. Federal Trade Commission+1
  
• EU: Reg. (EU) No 1007/2011 on fibre names & composition labeling; mandate for non-textile parts of animal origin, etc. EUR-Lex
  

Typical HS codes you’ll use

(final classification depends on exact construction/fabric)

• 6109 T-shirts, singlets, vests (knit)
  
• 6110 sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies (knit)
  
• 6104/6204 dresses, skirts, trousers (knit/woven)
  
• 6108 women’s briefs/nightwear (knit)
  
• 6205 men’s shirts (woven) Apparel Resources
  

How to brief Indian vendors for low-MOQ capsules

1. Capsule plan: sketches/refs + target FOB, size curve, color/print count.
   
2. Tech packs & BOM with testing matrix (tie each fabric/trim to AATCC/ISO methods) and MRSL commitment. mrsl.roadmaptozero.com
   
3. Sampling gates: proto → size set → PP (pre-production) with AQL plan attached to PO. ISO
   
4. Trim/print compliance: REACH-safe dyes/aux, nickel-safe trims, PFAS-free finishes per OEKO-TEX® stance. OEKO-TEXCustoms Mobile
   
5. Destination labeling: line up US FTC or EU 1007/2011 rules early to avoid relabel. Federal Trade CommissionEUR-Lex
   

Fast facts you can use in decks

• India’s knitwear powerhouse—Tiruppur—claims ~90% of India’s cotton knitwear exports; ideal for tees/hoodies/athleisure capsules. ISO
  
• Noida/Delhi-NCR hosts ~4,000 garment factories (strong sampling + fashion basics)—a fertile ground for quick private-label wovens/kidswear. The Times of India
  
• PM MITRA parks (7 states) aim to bring fibre→garment under one roof to reduce logistics and improve competitiveness—useful for scaling capsules that work. invest.up.gov.in
  
• Kasturi Cotton India QR-traceability enables authentic “farm-to-fashion” claims on cotton capsules. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  
• Tariff routes: UAE CEPA duty-free coverage across most apparel lines; long-standing Japan CEPA supports access to Japan for quality-led capsules. Commerce+1
  

What you’ll get if we take this forward

• A short-list of cluster-fit vendors per capsule (knit athleisure, women’s wovens, sleep/kids), with certifications (GOTS/GRS/WRAP/SEDEX) and recent export track (via AEPC/IBEF/MoT sources). Global Organic Textile StandardCAbi Digital LibraryScribd
  
• Draft spec & test checklist pre-filled with AATCC/ISO methods, AQL table references, and ZDHC MRSL/OEKO-TEX® clauses. ISOmrsl.roadmaptozero.comOEKO-TEX