Shein to reportedly launch in India via Reliance Retail deal

Chinese fast fashion giant Shein is believed to be set to embark on a new journey into India, where it has reportedly struck a deal with Reliance Retail Ventures.

According to a report from the Economic Times (ET), Shein products will be sold by Reliance Retail’s app and brick-and-mortar stores, through a deal that is believed to have already been set in motion last year.

The media outlet said that former Meta director Manish Chopra is anticipated to take on Shein’s operations in India, citing individuals close to the company.

It is expected that Shein will be paid a licensing fee to share profits with Reliance Retail, which will run and own the retailer’s entire operations in India.

ET noted that with this, Reliance Retail will retain and store all relevant data, disallowing Shein from having access or rights over it.

The move marks a return to the country for Shein after it was banned four years ago as part of a crackdown on select Chinese applications due to border conflicts.

Shein is still facing challenges when it comes to its planned IPO in the UK, which is being contested by human rights organisations that claim the listing would be a “worrying development”.

The company is further tackling questioning from EU officials, which have demanded for Shein to outline how it plans to protect consumers following the breakthrough of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).