Bengaluru, Enhanced cooperation between India and Bangladesh can go a long way in strengthening their position in the apparel industry and making South Asia the hub for apparel and textile innovations, Bangladesh's High Commissioner H.E Muhammad Imran said here on Saturday.

"Efforts are being made to boost cooperation between the two countries, and am confident that the Apparel Sourcing Week (ASW) 2022 will play a key role in this," he said.

The ASW 2022, Asia's premier sourcing show for the apparel industry, has been held successfully in Bengaluru with new opportunities and avenues to strengthen India-Bangladesh collaboration and bilateral trade and make Asia the global Apparel Sourcing Hub.

Organised by Apparel Resources, ASW is taking place in Bengaluru with an overwhelming response from all partners.

Some of the topics to be covered on Saturday of ASW 2022 include Mitigating Risks in Sourcing, D2C Opportunities for Fashion, among other panel discussions and industry sessions.

Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, Shelley Salehin, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Chennai, and Faruque Hassan, President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), were the guests of honour at the inauguration held on Friday.

ASW 2022 features an expanded line-up of manufacturers from leading apparel hubs from across the globe including India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh who are showcasing their manufacturing prowess to established and emerging brands.

Major Asian economies including India, Japan and China are making Bangladesh their sourcing destination for garment items. In fiscal 2020-21, Bangladesh exported garment items worth 421.86 million to India, which was $420.73 million in fiscal 2019-20, according to an official statement.

ASW 2022 also endeavours to take India-Bangladesh collaboration in the industry to the next level by building on the existing and potential synergies between the two countries.

The event is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors from India and overseas, representing the biggest Indian and international apparel retailers/brands and buyers from traditional markets like the US and Europe as also non-traditional markets like China, Japan, and Australia.