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As access for Indian textile exports remains a key demand from Indian negotiators in free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, a new task force comprising officials from most departments has been formed to address issues across the value chain — from skilling and labour to logistics and sustainability.
The first meeting of the task force was held on June 10 under the chairmanship of Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal to discuss issues and strategies for enhancing textile exports from India, as well as increasing its share in global markets, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.
Barthwal stated that the primary objective of the task force is to create a unified platform for addressing critical issues concerning the textile sector by involving all relevant stakeholders. Special Secretary, Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agrawal, said there is a need to focus on innovation in line with the latest trends in order to secure a higher share of the export market.
“A task force on core textile exports has now been set up with all the relevant departments involved, which is a good sign. It acknowledges that multiple ministries have a role to play, and often, it’s these inter-ministerial issues that cause procedural delays. So in terms of identifying problems, it’s a welcome move,” said Chandrima Chatterjee, Secretary General, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).
The discussions during the meeting covered matters related to the entire textile value chain, the ministry said. These included skilling, labour, cost competitiveness, use of renewable energy, existing schemes supporting the textile sector, Quality Control Orders, logistics, and productivity enhancement of natural fibres such as jute.
