Technical textiles will be given top priority under the impending national textiles policy as this sector has a huge potential for growth in India. There’s an opportunity for the Indian khadi to be processed with ayurvedic drugs to offer wellness garments, which are popular in western countries, Smriti Irani, textiles minister said.

“There’s a need to collaborate with companies from various countries like Japan and Germany to boost technical textile in India. There is potential for huge growth in geotextiles and agrotextiles, which would also benefit farmers in the country,” she added.

Responding to the demands from Gujarat state textile players that textile and apparel goods be included in the lowest slab under the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, Irani said that basic necessities of food, clothing and housing were priorities for the government.

Regarding the seasonal nature of employment in the garment industry, she said the Rs.6,000 crore garment package has already become effective and under it. The minister also added that it was the job of various textile and garment associations, including the GCCI, to inform the various SMEs in the sector about the benefits offered by the package.

Irani also suggested collaborations between stakeholders in various segments of the Gujarat textile value chain like ginners, spinners, weavers, fabric processors and also garment producers to set up integrated facilities, to ensure that raw cotton produced in the state is processed in the state itself, while also adding value through processing cotton.

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