The textiles industry will need six crore skilled workforce by 2022, textile minister, Santosh Kumar Gangwar said while addressing a national workshop on Integrated Skill Development Scheme yesterday.

Expressing happiness at the employment of large number of women in textiles and allied sectors, Gangwar hoped that the workshop would give a new direction to the scheme.

Speaking on the occasion, textiles secretary Sanjay Kumar Panda noted that the youth can get a meaningful employment if the right type of skill is provided. For this, he said, the skill imparted has to be of good quality and as per industry needs. There is a need to scale up production and employment, ensuring zero defect (in products) and zero effect (on environment), he said.

For unorganised sector efforts are being made to organize the trainees into Self Help Groups (SHGs) on completion of training. Common Facility Centres are also being set up to provide the requisite infrastructure, training and design support, Panda added.