Mumbai : Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry, has urged the textiles industry to highlight the challenges facing them, which he would “seriously” address in helping the industry to grow and become a top global performer.
The Minister was speaking at the annual export award function of the Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotions Council (SRTEPC) – now called MATEXIL – held in Mumbai recently.
Going down memory lane in history where he described Mumbai – the economic hub of India — as “The City That Never Sleeps” and the “City of Dreams,” Goyal said the city’s rise to fame came off its aspirations for transformation and achieving audacious goals in which the textile industry played a great part in rising from a “fledgeling” sector to “nationally exporting to 150 countries today.”
“The +Never Say Die+ spirit of the textile sector is constantly witnessed right from the times of COVID-19 to ongoing international conflicts including the present attacks by “Houthis” on the high seas,” he said while noting that nevertheless, India continues to grow +enroute to becoming the largest global economy by 2047.+
While Matexil’s enthusiastic growth witnessed successful forays into the international sector, there is a need to give value to the domestic manufacturing chain without which this industry would +suffer+ massively, he said while pointing out that a “Northern neighbor had been +dumping+ their goods at +abysmally” low prices into India.”
“Unless we support our local manufacturing, the long run will witness India suffering. India’s future lies in attracting a greater degree of investments, innovations and other related factors,” Goyal said while calling for increased +certified+ training of the workforce, and also a dedicated “Task Force” for the commerce and textiles industry.
Highlighting the Government’s assistance to them, he urged the textile sector to “tell us what you require. There is no limit and the Government of India will invest, but don’t look for +crutches+,” he said while urging them to come up with ideas that he could support as the concerned Minister.
“No target is impossible as there is a path to success. There is no impediment that cannot be overcome,” he emphasized, adding “We need to think about Innovation – Individually and Collectively.”
Earlier, Bhadresh Dodhia, chairman, SRTEPC, outlined the “BharatTex” event that would be held in Delhi and draw global participants.
Describing 2023 as a +good+ year for the textiles sector, he said the sector was expecting the same this year — despite cargo shipping being attacked in transit through the Red Sea.
“The present transit time for our cargo shipping has risen to between two to three weeks, while freight rates have shot by 200 percent to 500 percent – and exporters a taking a hit in business,” he said, adding “We are adopting a +wait and watch+ attitude as this is causing a great disruption for the textile community.”
BOX: The Minister often had his audience in splits of laughter with his witty comments, including one directed at himself. “I don’t shop for clothes as my wife does this for me. However, since there’s no model to check my size then at shopping, so please don’t mind if my clothes don’t fit exactly,” he replied tongue-in-cheek even as the crowd roared approvingly.
