New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): Though Indias readymade garment exports showed a marginal increase in April 2019-January 2020 period, apparel exporters are confident of capturing a larger market share due to the renewed enthusiastic support of the government, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement cited AEPC Chairman A. Sakthivel saying this while addressing the body's 42nd Foundation Day here on Saturday.

The statement said that the Chairman has brought up issues being faced by apparel exporters and discussed ways to promote apparel exports iin his recent interactions with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani.

"While the government has prepared the ground for growth of man-made fibre production in the country with its removal of anti-dumping duty on PTA, the Council has planned to participate in mega exhibitions across the world to showcase Indian apparel," he said.

"Having started out of a small office space in Nehru Place in Delhi as a quota monitoring entity, our Council today has a countrywide presence with 12 offices and a 8,000 strong membership constitution of almost all large production houses, trading houses and small & medium scale units," Sakthivel said.

AEPC members will participate in various international fairs this year including 'India Tex Trend Fair' in Tokyo and 'Pure London' in July, 'Magic Fair' in Las Vegas and 'Apparel Textile Sourcing' in Canada in August, 'Who's Next' in Paris in September, and 'Australia International Sourcing Fair' in Melbourne in November.

"The apparel sector is the largest employment provider after agriculture and employs 12.90 million workers, of which 65-70 per cent are women," he added.