Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has congratulated Smriti Zubin Irani, for taking over as the textile minister. The apparel sector holds strategic significance due to its unparalleled employment generation capacity, specially for women. The sector has been one of the front runners in the Prime Minister’s skilling initiative and has provided employment to numerous unskilled and marginalized rural youth. 

AEPC chairman, Ashok G Rajani said, “We are optimistic that the industry will benefit from her enthusiastic and dedicated approach. The sector has demonstrated resilience to global slowdown and posted modest growth last year. Under the new leadership we hope to reach double digit growth through better partnership between industry and government.”

The government had recently announced a special package of Rs.6000 Crore for the sector. The industry is looking forward to an early release of the new norms for availing the benefits under the scheme. The Package is expected to facilitate new investment and help create one crore additional jobs – directly and indirectly in the entire textile value chain.