TIRUPPUR: Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh on Sunday, referring to the central government's recent roadmap to achieve $100 billion in textile exports by 2030-2031, said Tiruppur exports should reach $11,5-billion during that financial year, with Tamil Nadu's target at $21 billion.
The minister met the representatives of the knitwear industry in Tiruppur on Sunday and appealed to all the exporters to work together to achieve the goal. In the last fiscal, Tiruppur's exports stood at `42,544 crore (about $4.51 billion).
Addressing the media, the minister said, "Tiruppur is crucial to India's textile industry as it is a natural cluster for garments. The target for textile exports is set at $100 billion by 2030-2031 with the state government aiming for over $21 billion. Both state and central governments are collaborating across sectors, such as handloom, handicrafts, sericulture, textiles, and cotton."
The minister noted that the central government already sanctioned a Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park for Virudhunagar for the development of the textile sector in the state.
Further, the union minister said, "The import duty on cotton has currently been scrapped. This will be better for industrial growth. The textile department's target for 2030-2031 is $350 billion -- $100 billion in exports and $250 billion for the domestic market. Before Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, India had signed a few free trade agreements (FTAs).
However, the number of FTA countries has since risen to 56. With the global market for imported textiles and garments standing at $900 billion, India aims to capture a significant share, potentially reaching $500 billion, through these FTAs."
The union minister said the new opportunities created by the trade agreements would drive the growth of the textile sector in Tiruppur (TN), Maharashtra, and Gujarat, boosting exports. "Cotton prices have already dropped by 20-30%, presenting a major opportunity. The time for the growth of the textile sector is approaching," he added.
Giriraj Singh highlighted Tiruppur's transition from cotton-based manufacturing to blended and man-made fibre (MMF)-based production, and commended the industries for adopting sustainable production practices and environment-friendly technologies.
He assured the industry representatives that the central government would extend its full support in setting up hostels for women workers, new industrial clusters, and the adoption of modern manufacturing technologies. Further, he emphasised that India should emerge as a global leader in nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurs and in the production of "new-age fibres" based on recycled and natural materials.
T N Venkatesh, Secretary for TN Handlooms, Handcrafts, Textiles and Khadi Department, M Beena, Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, AEPC Chairman A Sakthivel, and Tiruppur Exporters' Association president K M Subramanian, among others, were present.
Earlier in the day, the union minister inspected the knitwear units in Tiruppur and listened to the live broadcast of Prime Minister's 'Mann Ki Baat' programme along with industry people and workers.