The Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) has requested the government to upscale the textile skill industry of Tirupur with the upcoming Union Budget 2017-18. Budget should carry a provision for one-time intervention targeted at the skill inventory of the textile hub comprising 6 lakh workers, where upscaling could be facilitated.

“We have a self-groomed labour force rather than a well-groomed force. We are in the globalized market era and we have to compete with countries like Korea, Vietnam, Japan and China. All these countries have 95 per cent and above technically skilled labour force and we are competing with them in the global market. So, we request the government to come forward to upscale the existing skilled inventory to the required international standard,” Raja M Shanmugham, president, TEA said.

“Right now, we are at the lowest level. The international markets perceive Indian products as cheap and inconsistent in quality. It is a fact because we do not have much skilled force deployed in our manufacturing activities,” he added.

TEA also requests the government to build 1 lakh houses for the textile workers in Tirupur clusters and develop labourer supportive infrastructure.

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