Key Points:
A textile exporter, Shishir Kapoor, expressed his frustration over government's decision to scrap IIGF, merging it with the new expo Bharat Tex 2026.
The 2026 edition of Bharat Tex, held from July 14 to July 17 at Bharat Mandapam, has been projected as the biggest edition so far.
The businessman claims the event was waste of taxpayers money as there was no significant business for local traders.
A VIRAL VIDEO of a textile businessman in Bharat Tex 2026, has raised questions over the government’s vision for the exhibition. The textile exhibition is being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. In the video, the man has been identified as Shishir Kapoor, a garment exporter. He alleges that crores of taxpayers' money were being spent on the event despite a lack of serious international buyers, triggering a debate over whether the exhibition is actually for real business or just for putting up a grand show.
Kapoor questioned the usefulness of the four-day event and urged fellow businessmen to rethink participating in future editions if the format does not change.
In the video, businessman Shishir Kapoor is seen inside Bharat Mandapam while expressing disappointment over merging India International Garment Fair (IIGF) into Bharat Tex 2026. According to him, despite the government's large investment and boastful claims, the event has failed to attract genuine overseas buyers.
"The government is burning the money of the taxpayers in the name of this event," Kapoor said in the viral clip. He claimed the exhibition looked more like a “mela” (public fair) than a focused B2B trade event. He claims the halls were crowded but many visitors did not purchase any products.
Kapoor also questioned the government spending on accommodation for foreign officials. He alleged that luxury hotels such as The Imperial and Le Meridien were being used to host visitors, with rooms costing nearly ₹80,000 a night. According to him, such spending makes little sense if exhibitors are not receiving export orders. “They don’t have any appetite to buy even a single garment,” Kapoor said.
The garment exporter had a strong appeal for others in the textile industry as it calls for a boycott of Bharat Tex in future unless the organisers improve the quality of buyers or bring back IIGF.
The video was shared on X by journalist Govind Pratap Singh and quickly went viral, with many users echoing Kapoor's concerns. Some claimed similar issues were seen at other government-backed trade exhibitions, alleging that they attracted crowds but not enough serious buyers.
Others, however, defended Bharat Tex, arguing that such exhibitions are meant for long-term branding, networking and market access, and that immediate business deals cannot always be used as the only measure of success.
Bharat Tex is one of India's biggest textile and apparel trade exhibitions. It is organised by the Bharat Tex Trade Federation with support from the Ministry of Textiles. The event aims to bring together the entire textile industry under one roof, including manufacturers, exporters, buyers, designers, machinery companies, startups and policymakers.
The Centre has projected Bharat Tex as a flagship platform to help increase India's textile exports and strengthen its position in the global market. Earlier, India International Garments Fair (IIGF) used be a bi-annual event, serving as a flagship event to conduct business-to-business (B2B) trade. It ran over three decades with over 70 edition. This year, IIGF’s summer edition is merged with Bharat Tex.
The 2026 edition of Bharat Tex, held from July 14 to July 17 at Bharat Mandapam, has been projected as the biggest edition so far.
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh has described Bharat Tex as an important platform for achieving India's target of $100 billion in textile exports. Previous editions in 2024 and 2025 were also promoted as a successful platform for connecting Indian businesses with global buyers.
However, Kapoor's viral criticism and frustration with the event has sparked doubts whether the event's scale is translating into real business on the ground. While organisers continue to highlight record participation and international delegations, exporters argue that the real test should be purchase orders and the quality of buyers rather than footfall alone.
“If you want footfall, then set up our shops in Connaught Place,” Kapoor said in the viral video. Whether Kapoor's viral video leads to changes in future editions of Bharat Tex remains to be seen, but it has certainly sparked a wider debate for now.
Suggested Reading:
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube and WhatsApp
Download our app on Play Store