India’s hoodie and knitwear export market has matured into one of the most competitive and capable in the world. With India’s textile and apparel exports surpassing $14.5 billion in FY2023–24 and a market growing at a CAGR of 14.59%, the country is increasingly the first call for global brands seeking high-quality fleece, French terry, and performance hoodies at scale.
But scale isn’t the only story. Whether you’re a D2C brand seeking your first 100-unit trial run or a global retailer sourcing half a million pieces a season, India now has a manufacturer built for your brief. We’ve researched five of the most significant players — their infrastructure, MOQs, certifications, strengths and limitations — so you can make a better sourcing decision.
1. Gokaldas Exports
★ Supplying 50+ global brands across 50 countries · Revenue ₹3,930 Cr (FY2025) · 30+ production units
Founded in 1979, Gokaldas Exports is one of India’s oldest and most respected apparel manufacturers. What began as a Sindh-based silk trading operation transformed over four decades into a publicly listed manufacturing powerhouse. Today the company operates over 30 production units across India and Africa (through its acquired Atraco facilities in Kenya and Ethiopia), with an annual capacity of approximately 87 million garments.
For hoodie and outerwear buyers, Gokaldas is a compelling proposition. The company has deep capabilities in outerwear, activewear, and sportswear — categories that map directly onto fleece hoodies, zip-up sweatshirts, and performance outer layers. Their newly commissioned Phase I factory in Bhopal (3 million pieces per year capacity) and a new knits processing facility in Perundurai signal continued investment in knitwear at scale. The 2024 acquisition of Matrix Clothing — a specialist knitwear manufacturer producing for major UK and European brands — further deepens their hoodie-relevant credentials
2. Eastman Exports
★ India’s 4th largest knitwear manufacturer · 8M+ pieces/month · Fully vertical from spinning to shipping
When global brands look for knitwear at volume from India, they tend to look first at Tiruppur — and within Tiruppur, Eastman Exports is one of the dominant forces. Founded in 1983 by N. Chandran (who began with a modernised dyeing unit in 1976), Eastman has spent four decades building what is arguably one of the most complete vertical supply chains in Indian knitwear. From 50,000-spindle spinning capacity in Dindigul to a 70-ton-per-day dyehouse in Erode, every stage of hoodie production — cotton yarn, knitted fabric, dyeing, printing, embroidery, garment construction, and packaging — happens within the Eastman ecosystem.
This matters enormously for hoodie production. Fleece hoodies require specific fabric constructions (French terry, loop-back fleece, polar fleece), consistent GSM, and precise dyeing for solid colour consistency across a bulk run. Eastman’s in-house capabilities reduce hand-off risks that typically plague multi-supplier chains. Their Automatic Re-ordering System (AROS) and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) capabilities are also notable for brands wanting replenishment-style supply relationships.
In July 2024, Eastman appointed Ritesh Kumar — a 25-year garment industry veteran previously at Shahi Exports — as CEO, signalling a push toward further global expansion. Their products already reach Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Hong Kong through relationships with major high-street retailers and fashion brands.
3. Shahi Exports
★ India’s largest apparel manufacturer · 115,000+ employees · 65 factories across 9 states · Revenue ₹9,930 Cr (FY2025)
By any measure, Shahi Exports is the giant of Indian apparel manufacturing. Founded in 1974 by Sarla Ahuja — who began with a sewing machine and a determination to build something lasting — Shahi has grown into a company that directly employs over 115,000 people (70% women) across 65 factories and 3 textile mills spread across 9 Indian states. It is formally recognised by India’s Ministry of Rural Development as a ‘Champion Employer.’
For hoodie production, Shahi’s infrastructure is extraordinary. The company is formally listed on IndiaMART as a manufacturer of men’s hoodies and knitwear, and its vertically integrated operations span spinning, knitting, weaving, garmenting, and design. That means Shahi can handle the full complexity of a modern hoodie lineup — oversized silhouettes, specialised fleece weights, French terry, raw-edge finishes, and embroidered or screen-printed details — all under one commercial umbrella. Their FY25 revenue of ₹9,930 crore (~$1.2B USD) makes them by far the largest revenue generator in this list.
Shahi has been particularly aggressive on sustainability — their FY2024-25 sustainability report highlights a jump to 51% carbon-neutral energy and over 1.3 million hours of employee training. They’ve also committed to reproductive justice in the workplace through a partnership with UNFPA India. For brands that need to validate supplier ESG credentials for EU or UK market requirements, Shahi’s documentation is as strong as any manufacturer in India.
4. Welspun India
★ Asia’s largest home textile manufacturer · Supplies 9 of the top 10 US retailers · Revenue ₹9,800+ Cr · 32-country distribution
Welspun India (now Welspun Living Limited) occupies a unique position on this list. Founded in 1985 by Balkrishan Goenka, the company is globally renowned as Asia’s largest home textile manufacturer — a dominant force in bath towels, bed linen, and rugs for retailers like Walmart, Costco, Target, JCPenney, and Tommy Hilfiger. At first glance, this may seem like an outlier in a hoodie-focused article. But Welspun’s relevance to knitwear buyers is rooted in its integrated textile operations.
Welspun’s core manufacturing infrastructure — vertically integrated from spinning through fabric processing — is directly applicable to the looped and terry constructions used in hoodies and sweatshirts. The company’s HygroCotton technology (hollow core yarn that becomes softer with each wash), its 28+ active patents, and its world-class spinning and weaving capacity in Anjar, Gujarat, signal a textile engineering depth that few manufacturers in any country can match. For brands needing premium-weight cotton fleece hoodies, Welspun’s fabric expertise is a meaningful differentiator.
They currently supply 14 of the top 30 global retailers and distribute across 32 countries. Their scale also means Welspun can provide long-run fabric supply with extraordinary consistency — ideal for brands running seasonal replenishment programs or requiring large per-colourway minimums. Welspun’s recent advances in sustainable textiles (EcoVadis Silver Medal) further support EU and UK market compliance requirements.
5. Zeddwork Studio
★ MOQ from just 300 units · Test orders from 100 units · Premium product expertise without industrial-scale minimums
Every name on this list so far shares one thing in common: a minimum order quantity that begins at 1,000 units and can reach 10,000 per style. But if you’re mid-sized brand label that moves 300–800 units and need premium quality products.
Zeddwork Studio was built for exactly this gap. In a market dominated by industrial giants who require you to be ready before they’ll work with you, Zeddwork extends genuine manufacturing partnership to brands at the growth stage. Their standard MOQ starts at just 300 units — and for brands that want to validate quality before committing, they’ll accept a first-order trial run of just 100 units. That’s a fundamentally different commercial proposition.
What sets Zeddwork apart is that they haven’t traded premium quality for accessible minimums. The studio delivers the same product expertise — fabric selection, construction quality, finishing standards, trim detailing — that global brands expect from the Tier-1 factories above. This includes oversized fleece hoodies, heavyweight French terry, brushed-back constructions, contrast panelling, custom embroidery, and woven labels. For brands sourcing from the US, EU, Australia, or the Middle East, Zeddwork’s export-ready documentation and compliance processes are built to international standards.
| Manufacturer | Established | MOQ (Est.) | Scale | Best For |
| Gokaldas Exports | 1979 | 5000-10000 | Industrial | Global retail, 50+ brand supply |
| Eastman Exports | 1983 | 3000-5000 | Industrial | Knitwear bulk, EU/US replenishment |
| Shahi Exports | 1974 | 5000-10000 | Industrial | Large-scale fleece & complex designs |
| Welspun India | 1985 | 5000-10000 | Industrial | Premium fabric supply & retail integration |
| Zeddwork Studio | 2019 | 300 (Trail Run: 100) | Premium Brands | Growing brands, new launches, premium quality |
