Chinese fashion brand Shein has relaunched in India almost five years after its app was banned. The brand is returning through a partnership with Reliance Retail, which will now manage its operations and make sure that customer data stays in India.
The Shein India Fast Fashion app was relaunched on Friday night and has already been seeing a massive download rate. Although Reliance Retail hasn’t made an official announcement yet, the app is selling clothes starting at Rs 199 and is currently delivering in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The service is expected to be available across India soon.
Also read: Mumbai-Goa Expressway Likely To Open By Mid-2025, Cutting Travel Time, Boosting Tourism And Others
Under the agreement, Shein will be handling the technology side, while Reliance will be in charge of all the operations. In December, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the partnership has strict rules to protect data security and follow local laws.
Shein was founded in China in 2012 and is now based in Singapore. It became highly popular worldwide for its stylish and affordable clothes. This brand had a huge number of customers in India before it was banned in 2020.
Shein app, along with other Chinese apps were banned by the Indian Government because of concerns about national security and data privacy during increased border tensions between India and China. Officials said that these apps were secretly stealing and sending users’ data without permission.
After Shein left, many local brands tried to take its place in India’s fast fashion market but its return under Reliance’s control shows a change in India’s approach to foreign partnerships in online shopping.
Reliance Retail, led by Mukesh Ambani and Isha Ambani, is using Shein’s popularity to increase its online shopping presence. The company, which has mostly aimed on international brands through its Ajio platform, is now expanding its strategy to include more local fast fashion products.
