Factory compliant manufacturing in India has surged with new and unprecedented export orders in the current season, Apparel Export Promotion Council informed Tuesday.

"In the current volatility in international buying, brands have preferred expanding their sourcing of the merchandise from India. The flow of expansion of orders in India is expected to fetch additional USD 3 bn business in the country," the council said.

Chain stores and international brands like Walmart, GAP, American Egle, JC Penny, Target, Sears, Tommy, Nike, Abecombic & Fitch, Old Navy, Sara Lee, Hanes, Marks & Spencers, CA, H&M, Debenham, Primark, Top Mom, Top Shop, TESCO, Sainsbery, Addidas, PUMA, Paul Smith, River Island, Mango, ZARA, French Connection and many more maintain highest standards of factory compliance.

AEPC President, Dr A Sakthivel said that India has been chosen as the best place due to the persistent improvement in factory capacity building through ambitious programme AEPC Common Code of Conduct - DISHA, an initiative of Ministry of Textiles.

Over 200 garment manufacturing units have already gone through vigorous capacity building in the area of 11 management principle under DISHA like Hours of Work, Wages and Benefits, Health and Safety, Freedom of Association, prohibit child labour, prohibit bonded and forced labour, prevent harassment and abuse, right to collective bargaining, protect environment and establish and implement management system.

He further said that the garment factories were immensely benefited through DISHA intervention in the area of environmental protection, health and safety, workers' wages, responsibilities, recruitment, written policy and identifying and managing legal records and registers.

International Trade Centre and ISEAL Alliance have mentioned robust DISHA structure and have scored AEPC's DISHA (rank among codes compared) on the top in conditions of work and environment as compared to 110 environmental, 53 social, 19 economic criteria against 6 major global standards and 4 perspectives.

Dr A Sakthivel said that on the other front, over 1 lac workers have been trained under Ministry of Textile's scheme ISDS, thereby raising the productivity levels in the garment factories.

He said that in India, most of the garment factories are functioning from single storey, thereby the garment factories have demonstrated evacuation plans in far better manner, as compared to multi-storey manufacturing units elsewhere.

An international agency has observed that the average wages paid per month in Indian garment export industry is USD 170 per month. The minimum wages in various States is Rs. 7722/- (in Delhi), Rs. 5211.96 (in Haryana), Rs. 5699.20 (in Punjab), Rs. 4975 (in UP), Rs. 3862 (in Tamil Nadu) and Rs. 5031/- (in Karnataka).

Therefore, actually the wages in Indian apparel export industry is well paid average Rs. 9180/- per month, it added.