Readymade garments sold in loose form have been exempted from Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Act 2011. Rahul Mehta, President, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) says this move is a game changer for the apparel industry. It not only gives one ease of doing business but also provides freedom from undue demands of the inspectors and their inspector raj.

As per the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Act 2011, there were no clear labelling guidelines for loose garments which made it difficult for apparel retailers to demarcate the labelling procedure between the pre-packaged and loose garments. This caused unnecessary inconvenience during inspections at apparel retail showrooms. The provisions of the Act were very severe for any offense and Directors of the Company were directly responsible for the same.

By their definition and usage, loose garments should not have been under the ambit of the Packaged Commodities Act. These were archaic laws that were irritants for apparel retailers. Now, with the new notification, loose garments are out of the purview of this act and the labeling norms simplified.

In case of garments sold to consumers in pre-packaged form, mandatory labeling along with size of the garments needs to be mentioned in metres or centimeters. Further, details such as S, M, L, XL, XXL etc will be treated as additional declaration.