An eerie silence hangs over N Krishnamurthy's garment manufacturing unit in Tiruppur, one of India's largest textile export hubs. Only a fraction of about 200 industrial sewing machines on the floor are operational, as workers make the final garments for some of the biggest US retailers, with new fabric samples gathering dust due to the impending 50% tariffs on imports. These tariffs, set to kick in shortly, let the producers withhold supplies and pause production plans. The future remains uncertain for the Indian textile industry, with trepidation over potential losses and an urgent need for strategic realignments to maintain competitiveness in the face of changing US purchasing dynamics.