Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita highlighted that electronic commerce (e-commerce) has become a significant driver of the textile industry's contribution to the national economy. He noted that platforms like Tokopedia and the growing consumer preference for local brands have boosted textile industry performance. This increase in local consumption should be seen as an opportunity for the textile industry to meet domestic demand. With e-commerce, consumers can easily find desired local textile products, such as fashion items, contributing to the rise in the number of industry players and sales within the local fashion sector. Currently, there are 962,000 fashion industries in Indonesia, covering textiles, apparel, leather goods, and footwear sectors, which saw a 12% increase from the previous year. These sectors are labor-intensive, employing over 1.6 million people.
Moreover, Agus Gumiwang emphasized that e-commerce allows industry players to capitalize on market opportunities, such as the projected domestic fashion industry market value of USD 7.72 billion in 2024. This potential market value comes from three main sectors: apparel at USD 4.04 billion, accessories at USD 2.18 billion, and footwear at USD 1.64 billion. The fashion industry's growth potential is estimated at 4.26% per year until 2029, with a market value of USD 9.6 billion. This figure can increase in line with the growth of the national manufacturing sector. Contrary to claims that the textile and textile products (TPT) industry is declining, Agus Gumiwang dismissed such narratives as attempts to discourage support for the national textile industry, thereby making way for imported goods. He expressed concern that these narratives might be intentionally propagated to undermine the domestic textile sector.
