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On the backdrop of a global slowdown, India’s cumulative textile exports in the financial year 2009-10 has increased a mere 1.9 percent, compared to the exports growth registered by the sector in the previous fiscal, said Minister of Textiles, Dayanidhi Maran. This increase was largely due to the 11.9 percent growth in man made fiber.

The share of nation’s textile exports in total exports increased to 12.05 percent from 10.8 percent in 2008-09.

“The export sector is not yet looking positive and this will be a very crucial year for our industry since global economy is showing signs of a second recession emanating from Europe. Our export basket is heavily skewed towards the US and Europe and although the slide has stopped, I would like our exporters to explore new emerging markets like Japan, South Asia, Australia, Latin America and South Africa,” Maran said.

Maran said that, as a part of agenda for the future, his Ministry will devise and implement a multi-disciplinary strategy to meet the various objectives which include fostering a regime for modernization and consolidation of powerloom sector, ensuring fibre security for the textiles industry through modern agricultural tools,  market expansion and product diversification of products through new centers in domestic markets as well as major global markets by way of expanding the reach of Indian products to new markets, and promotion of green technology.

The Minister stated that government would initiate steps to promote Research and Development in textiles sector through integration of laboratory to industry in association with private sector, continue with and stabilize the process of fiscal reform, provide marketing platform to weavers and artisans and initiate the process to turn National Textile Corporation (NTC) from a spinning company to an integrated textiles company.

Touching on the Textile Ministry’s major achievements last year, Maran said the draft National Fibre Policy has been finalized by the Working Group constituted by the Ministry and has been put up in public domain for wider consultation.

He added that under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP), about 90 percent Government grants have been released for 17 parks; Infrastructure Development has completed in five parks and production has commenced in 17 Parks out of the 40 parks under implementation in Public Private Partnership mode.

“Under the Mega Cluster Scheme, which aims to make decentralized activities in powerloom, handloom and handicraft sectors a viable business proposition; five new mega clusters have been taken up in Bhilwara, Mirzapur Bhadohi, Srinagar, Virudhunagar and Murshidabad. Work has commenced at mega clusters in Varanasi, Sibsagar, Bhiwandi, Erode, Nasapur and Moradabad,” Maran said.

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Dayanidhi Maran, export, Minister of Textiles, textile