NEW DELHI: According to Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Textiles, India is set to become a world leader in the technical textile market in the coming years. Speaking at the FICCI and Ministry of Textiles’ event: “Viksit Bharat- Technical Textiles for Sustainable Growth & Development,” the Minister expressed confidence in India’s ability to dominate this rapidly growing sector, which encompasses engineered textile products for various applications, including automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. “I am fully confident that in the coming days, India will not only lead in market size but will also be number one in the technical textile sector,” Singh stated, highlighting the government’s commitment to fostering growth in this innovative field. Also Read - Invited steel industry to discuss unfair competition, says Goyal Several key initiatives and developments in India’s technical textile landscape underpin the Minister’s optimistic outlook. A dedicated National Technical Textile Mission with a budget of Rs 1,400 crore has been launched to drive research and development, marketing, export promotion, and education in technical textiles. Minister Singh revealed that 156 R&D projects have already been initiated, signalling a strong push towards innovation in the sector. The government’s vision for the technical textile sector extends beyond economic growth. Singh emphasised the industry’s dual benefits: “It will provide both safety solutions and employment opportunities to our people,” he said, highlighting the sector’s potential to contribute to India’s socio-economic development. Also Read - India overtakes China in Morgan Stanley emerging markets IMI Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, emphasised the government’s commitment to the technical textile industry. “The Ministry of Textiles has set ambitious targets for India’s technical textile sector, aiming for a domestic market size of $40 billion by 2030 while also targeting total exports of $10 billion by 2030,” Margherita stated. The Minister highlighted the National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM) as a cornerstone of the government’s strategy. “NTTM is an important step towards developing this industry,” he said. “Key focus areas include 156 R&D projects, the development of new applications for technical textiles, rationalisation of HSN codes, and release of quality control orders.” Also Read - DigiYatra facility launched at nine more AAI airports Margherita also stressed the sector’s potential to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). “Technical textiles have maximum potential to attract FDI. Favourable state policies are essential to harness this opportunity,” he noted. The Minister urged states that still need to introduce special provisions for technical textiles to consider implementing similar measures. In a move to boost investment, Margherita extended an invitation to both national and international investors. “I want to invite both the national and international investors present at this conference to invest in the Indian technical textile sector and tap the large untapped market opportunity,” he said.
Source: Millennium Post
New Delhi: The Indian technical textile industry exports are projected to cross $10 billion by 2030, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh said on Friday, adding that the niche carbon fibre will likely be produced by India in 2025-26. The global trade of technical textiles is around $300 billion while India’s domestic market size stands at $25 billion with an export of $2.6 billion. The minister expressed confidence that the carbon fibre -- used in aerospace, civil engineering and defence as an alternative to metal -- will be produced by India in 2025-26. Currently, India does not produce any carbon fibre and relies on imports. The minister emphasised the increasing consumption and importance of man-made fibres and technical textiles in all spaces of life, at both a global and domestic level“The government is fully dedicated to the development of the technical textiles industry of India and has taken various steps such as launch of National Technical Textiles Mission, PLI Scheme for MMF Fabric, Apparel and Technical Textiles,” Singh mentioned during an event here organised by the Ministry of Textiles, FICCI and the Indian Technical Textile Association (ITTA). The minister also launched the Compendium of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and also awarded confirmation certificates to 11 approved startups under NTTM. He informed that 156 research projects have been sanctioned including, development of carbon fibres and support to startups under different areas of technical textiles, under the mission. Singh displayed confidence in the ability of the local industry, government and stakeholders in the development of high-performance fibres that have huge applications in different field including aerospace, automobile and construction. The minister reiterated the complete support of the government to become a global leader and the largest manufacturer and market of technical textiles. Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, said the nation is advancing towards becoming ‘Atmanirbhar’ in all sectors, including technical textiles. Margherita also mentioned that multiple state governments have taken initiatives for promoting investments, including FDI, in the technical textiles industry and urged other states to do the same. The government urged the industry and stakeholders to carry out large scale investments in this sector, including the development of complex machinery to not only cater the local demand but also tap the large global market.
Source: Zee News
Textile industry leaders believe that the Indian textile industry is at the cusp of a historical opportunity to grab more and more market share from global textile demand with sustainability playing a crucial role in this. Along with the major trends of industry like digitisation and China+1, it is sustainability that will lead to the demand and survival of businesses. At the ASSOCHAM Global Textile Sustainability Summit, industry stalwarts underline India’s strength and how it can grow more by focusing more on MMF, changes in policies and more thrust on collaboration and innovation. Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State, Ministry of Textiles, advocated for collaboration and innovation to achieve a sustainable textile industry, stressing that growth should align with social responsibility and economic inclusivity. He underlined that the Ministry of Textiles (MoT) has launched several initiatives aimed at embedding sustainability across the entire textile value chain such as the establishment of an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) Task Force, the promotion of eco-friendly practices, promoting garment recycling and development of biodegradable textile materials. Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary, MoT stated that the textile sector is estimated to be worth US $ 175 billion, including exports of US $ 38–40 billion. By 2030, he stated, “We want to attain a US $ 300 billion industry, with US $ 100 billion coming from exports.” M S Dadu, Chairman ASSOCHAM Textiles and Technical Textiles Council and Chairman, Colorjet Group; Milind Hardikar, Co – Chairman ASSOCHAM and Director Group Strategic Initiatives, Welspun World; Ajay Sardana, Co – Chairman ASSOCHAM Textiles and Technical Textiles Council and President & Head– Petchem- Industry Affairs, Reliance Industries Ltd and Anjani Prasad, MD & Regional VP, South Asia, Archroma and many other stalwarts across the textile value chain addressed the conference.
Source: Apparel Resource
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday expressed confidence that the niche carbon fibre -- which is used in aerospace, civil engineering and defence as an alternative to metal -- will be produced by India in 2025-26. Currently, India does not produce any carbon fibre and relies completely on imports from countries such as the US, France, Japan and Germany. The European Union's proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a tax on embedded carbon imports, is expected to kick in from 2026. "The coming days belong to Technical textiles in every sector... I am fully confident that in 2025-26 the niche carbon fibre product will also be with India," Singh told reporters here. The minister asserted that after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power, it has "balanced imports" in the hygiene sector. "Earlier we used to import diapers. Thanks to PM Modi for bringing production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme which has created excitement in the industry," Singh said.
Source: Business Standard
India's textile sector, a cornerstone of the economy, is accelerating its shift towards sustainability as concerns mount over the global textile industry's 10 percent share of carbon emissions. Leaders in the field are calling for a balance between economic growth and environmental responsibility, with a focus on making India a global hub for sustainable textiles. At a recent summit hosted by Assocham in New Delhi, key figures emphasised the importance of sustainable practices. Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for Textiles, outlined the government's vision to integrate growth with social responsibility, positioning India as a global leader in sustainable textile production. Government initiatives like the ESG task force, the PLI scheme, and the National Technical Textile Mission were highlighted as vital to transforming the industry. Margherita stressed the need for biodegradable materials and garment recycling as crucial steps in this direction. Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, revealed that the sector is projected to reach a $300 billion valuation by 2030, with $100 billion in exports. He identified key growth drivers, including automation, digitisation, and the circular economy, which aims to reduce textile waste, currently the third-largest contributor to municipal waste. Leaders from across the textile industry showcased technological advancements aimed at reducing environmental impact. M S Dadu, Chairman of Assocham Textiles, pointed to innovations like waterless dyeing and energy-efficient garment production as pivotal steps towards global leadership in sustainable textiles. Milind Hardikar, Co-chairman of Assocham Textiles, noted that adherence to ESG principles is becoming a key focus for the sector. Meanwhile, Ajay Sardana of Reliance Industries highlighted the industry’s significant progress, including the recycling of 93 percent of PET bottles into premium polyester garments, demonstrating India's commitment to circular economic practices. As the textile industry continues to grow, its leaders remain determined to steer it towards a future where economic expansion goes hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship.
Source: Outlook
Indian policymakers have traditionally scorned advice from overseas, especially from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank. Suggestions from the latter’s most recent India Development Update are therefore likely to be ignored. That would be a mistake. The report’s primary recommendation, that India reconsider its pessimism about plurilateral trade deals, deserves a sympathetic hearing. The Bank’s concerns are easy to understand. While India’s growth over the past decades has appeared impressive, the contribution of trade to that acceleration has been small and is decreasing. The degree of India’s participation in global value chains has been similarly disappointing. Meanwhile, other developing countries with less restrictive attitudes toward trade — particularly in Southeast Asia — have seen jobs and prosperity expand thanks to the membership in large trade blocs. What will raise hackles in New Delhi in particular is the Bank’s suggestion that India could do better by joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the giant trade agreement that spans the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations alongside their partners in East Asia and Oceania. India took part in RCEP negotiations for years before dramatically pulling out at the last minute. The Japanese, in particular, continue to be disappointed: They were hoping India’s presence in RCEP would help balance out China. At the time, policymakers thought that signing up to a trade deal that centered the People’s Republic was a mistake. It wasn’t just that India was — and is — paranoid about its manufacturing being relatively uncompetitive compared to the mainland’s. Back in late 2019, there was simultaneously a certain hubris about India’s ability to replace China in global value chains. And leaders didn’t want to give Washington the impression they preferred to cooperate more closely with Beijing.
Source: Business Standard
The Swiss government has submitted a ‘dispatch’ on the free trade pact between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to the Parliament, as a first step towards ratifying the ambitious deal that could open up the Indian market to Swiss exports. Besides Switzerland, the EFTA nations also include Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. “On September 4, the Federal Council adopted a dispatch on the free trade agreement between the EFTA states and India… In its dispatch, the Federal Council commends and sets out the content of the agreement and places it in the overall context of Switzerland's relations with India. Parliament is expected to debate the dispatch in the upcoming winter or spring sessions,” a press statement from the Swiss government said. After 16 years of negotiations, Switzerland and the other EFTA states succeeded in becoming the first European partners to conclude an FTA with India in March this year. “When the agreement comes into force, 94.7 per cent of Switzerland's current exports to India will enjoy tariff relief, in some cases with transitional periods. This will strengthen the competitiveness of Swiss exports in India,” the Swiss release said. According to the trade deal, the EFTA bloc “shall aim to increase” FDI from investors of the EFTA states in India by $50 billion within 10 years of this agreement taking effect and an additional $50 billion in the next five years, failing which India can partially withdraw tariff concessions. “EFTA is also the first partner with which India has agreed a comprehensive and legally binding chapter on trade and sustainable development. This chapter includes, among other things, a commitment not to deviate from applicable environmental and labour standards. It also establishes a specific sub-committee on trade and sustainable development,” the press statement said. India has promised to reduce tariffs to zero on 80-85 per cent of goods from EFTA countries while receiving duty-free market access for almost 99 per cent goods, including rice. Both sides have excluded most of the agri and dairy products from duty concession to protect their farmers. India has a lo refused to reduce effective tariffs on gold, jewellery, dairy, cheese and automobiles. About 82 per cent of India’s import from EFTA countries, especially from Switzerland, is gold. India has only agreed to reduce the bound rate for gold to 39 per cent from 40 per cent, while the applied rate is already at 6 per cent at present.
Source: Business Standard
With the leather, footwear, and textile industries mainly processing with low added value, the establishment of an international trade centre for the development of raw materials will help the industry develop sustainably.
The information was discussed at a conference with the Vietnamese trade office system abroad held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) last week, after businesses and associations submitted a proposal to the ministry.
It is expected that in October, the associations will deploy a survey team to learn from the experiences of countries that have successfully built the global trade centre model to ensure it is suitable for reality and operates effectively.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang said, “We cannot carry out outsourcing forever. The textile and footwear industry needs to master the source of raw materials and design stages. Building a trading centre to develop raw materials and accessories for the Vietnamese fashion industry is necessary.”
She suggested that the construction of such a centre for the fashion industry should have been carried out a long time ago. “Therefore, we need to speed up the implementation of the project in a specific manner, including the stages of operation, proposed policies, and mechanisms,” Thang said.
It is expected that the centre could be built from private investment capital, gathering domestic and foreign suppliers of raw materials for textile and footwear production to display and introduce products to shorten the time to find sources of supply, competitive prices.
At the same time, the centre would be able to support businesses in tracing the origin of textile and footwear raw materials to standardise and make the trading market transparent, as well as deploy activities to connect, trade, and exhibit products and technologies for the production of raw materials. It could also update trends and tech for related production to support and promote domestic raw material production activities. Nguyen Duc Thuan, chairman of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear, and Handbag Association, said one of the difficulties is that the supporting industry for raw material supply is underdeveloped. Therefore, meeting the domestic origin ratio for raw materials as required by trade agreements is an obstacle.
“It is necessary to promote the development of the raw material supply market towards scale, standardisation and transparency by building a trading centre for developing raw materials and innovating the Vietnamese fashion industry in the southern province of Binh Duong. Only then can businesses in the leather and footwear industry, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, have the opportunity to rise up and participate in the industry supply chain,” he said. Pham Tuan Anh, deputy director of the Vietnam Industry Agency under the MoIT, added that the heavy dependence on imported raw materials could have a major impact on the overall development of the industry, when countries are aiming for net-zero and are setting strict regulations on supply control, requiring products to meet a high percentage of domestic origin. “Furthermore, the import of raw materials will affect the advantage of import tax exemption for textiles and footwear products in markets where Vietnam has signed a free trade deal, and regulations on rules of origin have been implemented,” Anh said.
According to the World Trade Organization, Vietnam is the second-largest footwear exporter and the third-largest textile and garment exporter in the world. In the first six months of 2024, the total export turnover of these two industries still reached nearly $30 billion, accounting for nearly 16 per cent of Vietnam’s total export turnover and creating nearly five million jobs, accounting for 22 per cent of Vietnam’s industrial labour force, according to the MoIT.
Source: Vir.com
Chinese textile giant Sunrise announced plans to invest MAD 4.1 billion ($ 422.2 million) in Morocco. The announcement came during a meeting between Lei Xu, president of Sunrise Group, and Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, on Saturday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Akhannouch’s visit to Beijing, where he represented King Mohammed VI at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit (FOCAC). During the meeting, Akhannouch expressed support for the Chinese company's investment projects amounting to $422.2 million. The project is set to create 11,000 direct jobs within three years across several provinces and regions in Morocco. This job creation will be under the establishment of industrial complexes covering the entire value chain. Moroccan news agency MAP reported that the investment will “revitalize the national textile sector, which is fully integrated into global value chains and will contribute to the government’s strategy of prioritizing job creation.” The Moroccan government has long emphasized the importance of the textile sector as one of the major contributors to the country’s economy. In 2022, Abdellatif Jouahri, governor of Morocco’s central bank, Bank Al Maghrib, said that the textile industry is a priority within the country’s investment strategy. Jouahri added that Morocco’s textile industry makes up 32.3% of Morocco’s national production enterprise, against a 25.6% global average between 2000 to 2019.
Source: Morocco World News
The rising raw material costs have crippled loom owners, leaving workers unemployed. The once-thriving area of Ghulam Muhammad Abad, often referred to as “the Manchester of Faisalabad,” is now marked by silent factories and idle looms, with many small and large workshops shut down. Most factories in the area are closed, covered in dust, and locked, symbolizing the growing unemployment and despair among laborers. Local factory owners and workers shared their grievances in ARY News’ program “Sar-e-Aam”. Baba Latif, Chairman of the Labor National Movement, representing power loom workers, revealed that around 500,000 workers are associated with this industry, but factory owners are forced to close their businesses to avoid further financial losses. Out of 2,100 small units in the area, 1,200 have completely shut down, leaving families to face extreme poverty and hunger, he added. Latif highlighted that the main issue is the skyrocketing electricity bills, which have impacted not just loom owners but also ordinary households. He explained that a factory that once paid an electricity bill of Rs. 300,000 is now charged Rs. 1.2 million. “How can a small business owner afford such costs?” he questioned. A worker shared his plight, explaining that after 12 years of working in a loom factory, he was abruptly told there was no more work, leaving him unemployed. Another individual expressed the hopelessness of the situation, stating that it has driven some to contemplate ending their lives, as they can no longer bear to see their children starve. This dire situation underscores the broader economic challenges facing Faisalabad’s once-booming power looms sector, with no immediate relief in sight for both factory owners and laborers.
Source: Pakistan News
