Annual Conference of State Textiles Ministers Takes Deliberates New Textiles Policy

New Delhi, September 25, 2014: After the new Government took over in May, 2014, Conference of State Textiles Ministers was held for the first time on 24.9.2014. The Conference was chaired by Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Honble Minister of State for Textiles (I/C). In response to the invitation, Ministers looking after Textiles matters of 16 States, namely Yashodha Raje Schindia (Madhya Pradesh), K.T. Rama Rao (Telengana), Shiv Kumar Bedia (Uttar Pradesh), Bhim Singh (Bihar), Snehangini Churia (Odisha), Pranati Phukal (Assam), Babu Rao Chinchasur (Karnataka), Madan Mohan Mittal (Punjab), K. Ravindra (Andhra Pradesh), Gokula Indra (Tamil Nadu), G. Kaito Aye (Nagaland), Mahadev Naik (Goa), Punnu Lall (Chhattisgarh), Harish Chandra Durgapal (Uttrakhand), Govindas Konthoujam (Manipur) and Joseph Lalhinpuia (Mizoram) attended the Conference and participated in the proceedings.

Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Textiles (I/C) welcomed the State Ministers and mentioned that the Conference provides an important forum for interaction, getting considered views and suggestions for deciding the future course of action for the Indian textile sector in the coming days. He gave a brief account of the initiatives taken by the new Government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with stress on “Skill, Scale and Speed”, ‘Make in India” and Zero defect - Zero Effect (on environment) which will make the development participative and inclusive “Sabke-Saath, Sab Ka Vikas” for increasing production, export and generating employment. He appealed to the Ministers of Textiles in States and Union Territories for working together and developing the Indian Textile industry on a sustainable basis

S.K.Panda, Secretary(Textiles) made a brief presentation on various Schemes/programmes undertaken by the Ministry for promotion of Indian Textile Industry.

The State Ministers gave their considered views/suggestions on various issues relating to promotion of handlooms and handicrafts, sericulture as well as development of powerloom, setting up Textiles Parks, Incubation Centres, Research Institutions, Mega Clusters as well as on State specific issues. Ministers of the North Eastern States requested for provision of adequate assistance and relaxed norms for meeting the needs of the region. Ministers also gave their views on the draft vision, strategy and action plan prepared by the Ministry.

After detailed discussions, the following points of action were decided:

(i) Promotion of Handloom and Handicrafts

Handloom may be promoted with focus on developing high-end niche products by linking it with contemporary fashion. Further, e-marketing initiatives will be pursued which will cut down intermediaries and increase wage earning of the weavers. This would make the handloom attractive to younger generations as well.

Promotion of handicrafts and handloom villages will be linked up with tourism and traditional handloom weaver/handicraft artisan villages will be promoted as tourist destinations.

(ii) Setting up on Integrated Textile Parks & Incubation Centers

Guidelines of the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks and Scheme for Incubation Centres will be examined and amended suitably for meeting the field level needs as indicated by the State Governments.

(iii) New Textile Policy

National Textile Policy (NTP) was last framed in year 2000. Given the need for re-drafting the policy in tune with latest trends, the Expert Committee (EC) under Ajay Shankar studied all aspects and submitted a draft Vision, Strategy and an Action Plan to scale up investments, production and employment in this Sector. Suggestions of the State Governments will be taken into account for preparing the new textile policy.

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