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The government has prepared a road map for creating 4.5-6 crore jobs in the textile sector by 2030, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said on Friday, asserting that efforts are being made to take the sector's market size to USD 350 billion from around USD 165 billion at present. Addressing a press conference on the 100-day programme of Ministry of Textiles, Singh said: "The 100-day road map we have prepared includes (attracting) investment to the tune of lakhs of crores (in the textile sector) going forward. We have prepared a road map for creation of 4.5 crore to 6 crore jobs by 2030." He shared that the seven PM-MITRA integrated mega textile parks approved earlier will have investment to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore when fully functional, thereby creating 21 lakh jobs. Taking a dig at previous Congress-led governments, he said, they would not do anything in the first three months whereas the Modi government has started with a 100-day road map. "Earlier, when a new government was formed, for three months, they would speak in irreverant terms. Which, they (in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi) are currently doing abroad. On the other hand, the Modi government has drawn a road map for development in the first three months," Singh said. He said that there are plans to take the size of India's textile sector to USD 350 billion. "To reach a size of USD 350 billion in the coming days, we need man-made fabric, whether it be synthetic, viscose or natural fibre, we are preparing for everything," said the minister, adding that over 350 brands globally procure clothes from India and one should look not just the export figures but domestic numbers also. Notably, India's textiles exports declined for the second year in a row in 2023- 24. The government has set an ambitious target to achieve USD 100 billion export for textile products by 2030. Exports of textiles and apparel from India during FY24 fell 3.24 per cent at USD 34.4 billion, as compared to USD 35.5 billion a year ago. Singh stated that efforts are underway to promote Make in India for the textiles sector, adding that neither Bangladesh nor Vietnam poses a challenge to the domestic industry. "We are promoting Make in India for the country's textiles sector(to meet the demand of growing population). It is a different matter that our population increases by more than the size of Australia's population every year. In the last ten years, more than 21 crore people were born (in India)," he said. "I would like to state clearly that neither Bangladesh nor Vietnam was ever a challenge for me.... there is this havoc being created about Bangladesh (posing a challenge to India's textile industry," the minister added. Singh, who represents the Begusarai electoral constituency in Bihar, said a scheme has been approved for the revival of Bhagalpur's silk industry.
Source: Economic times
With 13 categories of knitted fabrics brought under Minimum Import Price (MIP) till December 31, the textile sector is hopeful of the domestic industry improving its capacity utilisation. Prabhu Dhamodharan, convenor of the Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF), said China is facing a downturn in domestic demand for the last two years and hence there is a surge in dumping of Chinese goods in the international markets. By bringing majority of knitted fabric categories under MIP, cheap imports from China is expected to reduce. According to a notification issued on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), synthetic, manmade fibre, and cotton knitted fabrics under 13 HS codes are now in the prohibited list ofimports. “The imports will, however, be free if the value of the fabric is $3.5 per kg or more,” it said. Industry sources said the Government introduced MIP on five categories of knitted fabrics earlier this year. It is extended till December 31 for these categories and eight more categories are added based on representations from trade and industry. This will bring down cheap import of fabrics, especially from China, they said. The textile and garment industry bodies such as the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association have welcomed the move. The ITF said imposition of MIP during the end of FY 2024 on certain HS codes reduced imports in the knitted fabrics sector from almost $ 30 million in February this year to $ 17 million in July. However, the imports in some other HS codes jumped from $30 million to $57 million. Extension of the MIP to totally 13 categories of knitted fabrics will benefit stakeholders across the value chain and improve domestic capacity utilisation as there is a levelplaying field now, it said.
Source: The Hindu
Technology upgrade and scaling up of capacity will have to be the way forward for addressing India’s stagnancy in exports of textiles and apparel, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in Coimbatore on Wednesday. When India could demonstrate its technological progress in space and nuclear technologies, there was no reason why the country should not invest in developing the labour-intensive garments industry which was next only to agriculture in employmentgeneration, the former Finance Minister said, taking part in a discussion hosted by All India Professionals’ Congress. As the second largest cotton growing country in the world, and with the largest population, India should technically have the largest labour force and high labour participation. India’s economic future depends on employing labour force, Mr. Chidambaram said, while highlighting his concern over 26 percent of the young people in the country possessing neither the education nor training for employment. From being the leader of garments and apparel exports, India has fallen behind Bangladesh, a smaller country, and Vietnam, an even smaller country. If the two smaller countries have benefitted more from China’s decline in the textiles sector (due to its focus on production of higher value products), it was because of India’s prioritisation of electronics and other capital-intensive industries at the cost of neglect of labour-intensive industries, the former Finance Minister said, adding that the 13 % rise in tariff has only added to the disadvantage. Also, the average size of textile mills was much smaller when compared to Bangladesh and Vietnam. While there was a 15 % decline in apparel exports, under the Modi regime, from 2016 to 2023, Bangladesh registered 65% rise. Citing the data of Apparel Export Promotion Council, Mr. Chidambaram said India had, in 2022-23, exported 16.2 billion US dollars worth of garments. It declined to 14.5 billion dollars in 2023-24, and for the current year, some growth is expected, but below the level of 2022-23. The onus was on the Centre to find the solution, Mr. Chidambaram said. Rathin Roy, Director at National Institute of Public Finance and Policy and former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, observed that competitiveness can be possible when an industry grows organically, citing the example of pharmacy sector. The textile sector, he opined, has to produce enough for its own people at competitive rates, in order to be strong in exports. The internal demand was humongous, he said. Chairman of All India Professionals’ Congress and Political Economist Praveen Chakravarthy exuded hope that the Centre will listen to the voice of the opposition for betterment of textile sector, citing the points ideated in the manifesto of Congress party getting incorporated in the Budget by the Finance Ministry. Textile exporters and other stakeholders urged Mr. Chidambaram to voice their demand for Free Trade Agreement with Europe in order to be on an even keel with Bangladesh in textile exports. They called for addressing the infrastructure and technology shortcomings, and the setback caused due to escalation in power tariff. The policy must be tweaked to enable small and medium-level manufacturers leverage the utility of Technology Upgradation Fund, and Performance Linked Incentive, the participants emphasised.
Source: The Hindu
Headquarters Maintenance (HQ) Command, Indian Air Force Nagpur, and IIT Delhi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing innovative technologies for aviation textiles. The MoU was signed by Prof. Naresh Bhatnagar, Dean (R&D), IIT Delhi, and Group Captain Prashant Pathak (Commanding Officer 16 BRD, AF) in the presence of Prof. R. Alagirusamy, HoD, Textile and Fibre Engg. Dept., IIT Delhi, and Prof. Bipin Kumar, Project Coordinator, IIT Delhi, Group Captain Asit Kumar (Chief of Planning & Production 16 BRD, AF) and Wing Commander Arun Manohar (Chief of Quality Assurance 16 BRD, AF). Under the MoU, IIT Delhi and HQ Maintenance, IAF Nagpur, will co-operate, collaborate and promote research and development in areas of obsolescence management, self-reliance, upgradations and digitization through Indigenisation in the field of aviation grade textiles.
According to Group Captain Prashant Pathak, Commanding Officer 16 BRD, AF, some of the areas of interest for collaboration include: Raw material selection (textile/fabric) for various parachute and safety equipment. Development of modern technologies/ equipment for technical textile/ fabric testing and latest standards available for incorporation into product designs related to parachute and safety equipment. Implementing AI/ Robotics or imaging technologies for quality acceptance checks of textile/ fabric raw material/ finished products. Innovate Machine Learning based Imaging Technology of finished products such as pilot parachute/ brake parachute or cargo parachute canopies, associated harness and crew restraint systems etc. received from the field units for repair. Design and development, reliability studies, simulation studies, life extension studies of parachutes and associated accessories. Prof. Rajendra Singh, Associate Dean, R&D, IIT Delhi, emphasized the importance of this partnership in addressing the Indian defence sector’s growing demand for indigenization. He highlighted the potential to leverage IIT Delhi’s advanced research and IAF’s practical expertise to develop innovative solutions for a wide range of aviation-grade textile products. Prof. Bipin Kumar, Project Coordinator from the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi said the partnership between IIT Delhi and HQ Maintenance, IAF Nagpur, is expected to contribute to India’s self-reliance in defence technology.
Source: India Education Diary
Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal held important meetings with business leaders and Indian diaspora in New York. On day two of the visit to the United States of America (USA), Minister Goyal met leading investors including Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock, Mr. Robert Goldstein; Chairman and CEO, Systems Technology Group, Mr Anup Popat; CEO, Tillman Holdings, Mr Sanjiv Ahuja; CEO, C4V, Mr Shailesh Upreti; and CEO Janus Henderson Investors, Mr Ali Dibadj. During the meetings Minister Goyal discussed opportunities for collaboration to position India as a global manufacturing hub and invited the investors to increase their commercial and trade footprints in India, while also garnering suggestions and ideas from the leading business experts towards furthering ease of doing business. Minister also interacted with a young entrepreneur of Indian origin Mr Dev Pragad, CEO Newsweek, who is making huge impact & positive contributions in the world of media. A luncheon meeting was held with the members of US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) during which the Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to improving ease of doing business, infrastructure development, IPR reforms, and prioritising manufacturing sectors through appropriate incentive schemes. Investors expressed optimism about the new policies aimed at innovation, job creation and sustainable industrial growth. During the course of the day, members of Indiaspora, a nonprofit organization, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)chapters from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. also had an engaging discussion with the Minister. The discussion focused on the global strength of the Indian diaspora and the vast opportunities it can unlock for India’s growth and development. An insightful engagement with key business leaders from the Gems and Jewellery industry in New York, a global epicentre for the sector was organised by the Consulate General of India (CGI), New York. The Minister highlighted India’s strengths as a major player in the global market, emphasising the potential for enhanced collaboration, investment, and innovation that could further drive growth in this sector. This interaction marks a significant step in fostering stronger ties between the two markets, unlocking new avenues for mutual benefit and development.
Source: PIB
The government is discussing a proposal to formulate a scheme for the 'made in India' label with a view to promote brand India in the global markets, an official said. The official said that a high-level committee is examining the details of the scheme. The objective is to create a strong brand identity for India, similar to how 'made in Japan' or 'made in Switzerland' evokes about specific images and qualities. "That we want for India also," the official said, adding for instance, "when we think of Switzerland, we often think of their watches, chocolates, and banking systems." "We are having discussions on how we can do that. Do we make this scheme for specific sectors like textiles, where we have strength in that. So we are looking into such things," the official added. According to experts, quality consciousness is key to promote Brand India. The government at present has India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) to promote and create international awareness about the 'made in India' label in Commerce. Think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) suggested that India's branding strategy should focus on three pillars -- brand high quality products; improve product quality for less than best products, do not focus on branding; and actions to improve product quality. "India can take several actions to naturally improve its branding. Consistent product quality and reliability should be a priority. For instance, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has gained global trust through its production of high-quality generic drugs. "To protect this reputation, India must enforce strict actions against substandard suppliers," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. He said, until India achieves top-tier production standards in a sector, branding should take a backseat. "For example, between 1990 and 2010, China quietly became the largest contract manufacturer of electronics like TVs and refrigerators without pushing its firms to focus on branding. Once confident in its product quality, China then aggressively promoted its brands," Srivastava said. He also said that India could establish a unified brand called 'India Quality Product' that signals excellence and reliability. To use this label manufacturers and exporters would need to meet specific product and packaging standards, he said. "The initiative could begin with categories like garments, shoes, and handicrafts, where India has a strong tradition, and then gradually expand to include electronics and engineering products," he added.
Source: Economic Times
INTERNATIONAL
Reju, the progressive textile to textile regeneration company has opened its first operating unit – Regeneration Hub Zero – in Frankfurt Germany. This is Reju’s first major milestone after being incorporated just 12 months ago in Paris, France. The Hub was built in record time and is expected to begin deliveries in 2025. Owned by Technip Energies, a world-leading engineering and technology company, Reju is using technology invented by IBM research. Reju is creating a new circular system and infrastructure for recovering, regenerating and recirculating textile waste – at scale – starting with polyester. The combination of expertise from the team Reju has recruited, and proficiency of Technip Energies will enable Reju to expand at an unprecedented speed and scale. Reju will guarantee textile-to-textile traceability from textile waste that would otherwise be buried, burnt or dumped. The end product – Reju Polyester – has a 50% lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester. Reju is committed to bringing a product to market that is demonstrably cleaner and can be regenerated infinitely. To enable this new structure, Reju is joining with upstream partners to recover, collect and sort textiles, creating a circular textile system that does not yet exist. “We’re starting with the most urgent problem in textile waste – polyester,” said Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju. “The world produces 92 million tons of textile waste each year, yet less than 1% is recycled. It is a system that extracts finite resources creating textile waste with no responsibility for end-of-life. Reju is going to change that by unlocking a new system through critical partnerships around the world. We will build infrastructure, scale technology, comply with regulation and, in the end, help the textile industry evolve and enable a change in behavior. Our Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt is a significant milestone, showcasing how this advanced technology addresses the global textile waste problem.”
Source: Textile world
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 represents an excellent opportunity for Picanol to once again demonstrate its technological leadership in both airjet and rapier weaving machines. Visitors to the event will experience Picanol’s world premiere of its brand-new Supermax rapier weaving machine. In total, Picanol will have four different high-tech weaving machines as well as its PicConnect digital platform on display. The exhibition will take place from October 14-18, 2024, in the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai and Picanol will be in Hall 3, Booth E01. Furthermore, three additional Picanol weaving machines will be demonstrated at other booths. “At Picanol, we are convinced that it is of utmost importance to keep on innovating, even when market conditions are not favorable. Therefore, we are really excited to emphasize this approach by launching our brand new Supermax rapier machine. This machine is specifically aimed at the Asian markets and once more, we are raising the industry standard to a higher level. Our latest innovation means Picanol is further strengthening its position as the world’s leading weaving machine manufacturer and we continue to offer the best products, technological solutions, and services. And we will demonstrate this with the four machines and digital platform PicConnect we will have on display at our booth,” comments Johan Verstraete, Vice President Weaving Machines. The four Picanol weaving machines on display will be the latest Supermax and Ultimax rapier weaving machines and an OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machine. Our sales and service team will also demonstrate the unique functionalities of our PicConnect. With PicConnect, Picanol is centralizing its digital tools and services in one new fully digital platform. At ITMA ASIA + CITME, visitors will get the opportunity to discover all the benefits and latest features of PicConnect. This will enable weavers to leverage the full extent of the possibilities offered by the Picanol weaving machines.
Source: Textile world
In CIF the seller is responsible for the goods until they reach the named port. (Image/Reuters) The escalation of the conflict in West Asia, coupled with the strike by port workers on the US’s east coast has added to the logistics challenges faced by Indian exporters and may end up hurting shipments to the country’s biggest markets, trade sources and analysts say. Movement of ships is as of now normal and has so far not been disrupted by the exacerbation of the Israel-Iran conflict and the strikes on Lebanon. The bigger challenge, however, has emerged from the US where the strike by workers on US East and Gulf coasts, chairman of Engineering Export Promotion Council Arun Kumar Garodia said.
Source: Financial Express
