Textiles Ministry to get in touch with small scale manufacturers: Smriti Irani

Smriti Zubin Irani said there is a need to diversify our established opportunities instead of leaving the space for one Export Promotion Council (EPC) or one segment.

Union Minister of Textiles and WCD, Smriti Zubin Irani has said that time has come to focus on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Speaking at a symposium on Emerging Opportunities for Indian Textiles and Crafts held in New Delhi, she said that the Textiles Ministry will get in touch with small scale manufacturers, who are meeting exports compliances, meeting delivery schedules and support them with finance, legislation, certification, quality control programs, and R&D to make them leaders in their respective sphere.

Smriti Zubin Irani said there is a need to diversify our established opportunities instead of leaving the space for one Export Promotion Council (EPC) or one segment. She stressed on augmenting domestic capabilities. She further said that the industry should resolve to ensure that India is not a nation of job workers but a leader in the textile sector.  The Textiles Minister also said that her Ministry always worked extra mile for every issue highlighted by the industry. Observing that India has been satisfied with just 10 big textiles companies for long, the Minister said that the time has come now for 100 new companies to spring up.

The Minister appealed to the textiles industry to fulfill the intention behind the Prime Minister’s announcement on anti-dumping duty on PTA and National Mission on Technical Textiles. Smriti Zubin Irani also asked the industry to meet the requirements of Jal Jivan Mission and farmers, apart from focusing on exports.

In his keynote address, Secretary Textiles, Ravi Capoor said that the global economy is passing through a critical juncture and India should step into and seize the big opportunity. Referring to the Government’s decision on the MMF (man-made fiber) sector, he said it is a bold decision that opens up huge opportunities. He said that the industry should add up to its capacity and occupy the space vacated by China. China vacated USD 20 billion dollar apparel space in the last 3 years and most of this was in the MMF sector.   

The Textiles Secretary said that the Technical Textile is one of the high growth potential areas where expertise needs to be developed. National Mission on Technical Textile will help provide the requisite support to the manufacturing sector to make globally competitive.

The symposium was attended by senior officers of the Ministries of Commerce & Industry and Textiles, representatives of EPCs, buying offices and buying agents.

(With Inputs from PIB)