Reliance brings Shein back to India after 2020 app ban by Ambani

Photo: Reuters

Reliance Retail, a part of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s empire, has reintroduced Shein to India with the launch of a new fashion app. This comes almost five years after Shein's app was banned in India due to a political disagreement between India and China. The launch took place on Saturday, but Reliance did not officially announce it. According to sources familiar with the launch plans, the app is designed to sell Shein’s fashion items in India under a special licensing agreement.

While neither Reliance nor Shein gave comments when asked, the move marks a new approach for Reliance Retail. Unlike its previous strategy of adding brands like Superdry and Gap to its flagship fashion app, Ajio, this new Shein app signals a change. It also puts Reliance in direct competition with other popular fashion platforms in India, like Myntra, which is owned by Walmart's Flipkart.

Shein, a Chinese brand founded in 2012 and now based in Singapore, is known for offering stylish, affordable Western clothing. However, its app was banned in India in 2020, along with other Chinese apps like TikTok, over concerns about data security. This happened after tensions between India and China increased due to a border dispute.

A year ago, India’s government revealed that Reliance had struck a deal with Shein. Under this agreement, Indian manufacturers would produce Shein-branded products. The full details of the deal were not made public. The new Shein India Fast Fashion app shows the message, "The fashion OG (original) is back!" when users open it. Initially, the app will only offer deliveries in cities like New Delhi and Mumbai, but it is expected to expand across the country soon. Items on the app start as low as 350 rupees (about $4).

Reliance is paying Shein a licensing fee for using the brand name, but there is no equity investment in the partnership, according to people familiar with the deal. All Shein-branded products sold through the app are designed and manufactured in India. These items will also be available on Reliance's Ajio app, although there is no specific timeline for when this will happen.

In other news, Shein plans to list its company in London within the first half of this year, after ending its attempt to list in the U.S. due to concerns from lawmakers. They raised questions about China's rules that require businesses to get approval before listing abroad.

Feb. 3, 2025 {{ Blogdetails.schedule_date|time }} 487

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