Textiles 2017 will boost Make in India: Smriti Irani

Textiles 2017, billed as India’s first mega trade event in the sector with 15,000 participants from all over the world, will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on 30 June. It is aimed at significantly uplifting India’s textile industry, which employs more than 45 million people directly, contributes to 10% of manufacturing production, 2% of India’s GDP and 13% of the country’s export earnings. Union minister of textiles, Smriti Irani, spoke to Shefalee Vasudev about the opportunities for creating jobs in the sector, plans for making India a global textile hub and the challenges

With the PM’s opening address and with state chief ministers and cabinet ministers speaking, won’t Textiles 2017 get drowned under political rhetoric?

Not at all. Last year, the Prime Minister announced a special package of Rs 6,000 crores with the aim of creating one crore 11 lakh jobs in the next three years. This sector has tremendous job generation potential. What better way than the PM of a country opening this event to convey the importance given to the textile industry? Besides, chief ministers of the three partner states -Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra -are keen on textile development and tapping investor and manufacturer connects.To promote India as the top global destination for textiles, linkages with ministries of commerce, skilling and urban development are only logical. Read more…