SURAT, Jan 17: Union Textile Minister Kashiram Rana hinted that the Central Government was considering lowering duties on sophisticated textile machines manufactured in the country. The government was also lending a sympathetic ear to the demand by industrialists for reduction in import duty on foreign machinery.He said this while inaugurating a seminar on `Modernisation of Weaving Industry and Yarn', organised by Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) at Gandhi Smruti hall on Sunday.The Indian industry will have to modernise fast by going in for sophisticated machinery if it wants to survive in the fierce competition posed by Asian countries like Japan, Korea, Singapore and Thailand in the field of manufacture of fabrics and their exports. There was simply no other option, he said, citing examples of Ahmedabad and Mumbai, where use of old machines and lack of sophistication had spelt a doom for textile industry. On the eve of presentation of Union budget, industrialists have always been apprehensive about a heavy dose of taxes, he said, praising his government's role in reduction in duties since it came to power. The last budget presented by his government had also reduced taxes, he reminded the gathering, without spelling out what was in store.He assured the industry that the government would remove all obstacles coming in way of development of the industry, and reminded them of the Rs 25,000 crore upgradation fund being set up to achieve that goal.Cotton Textile Mission, set up at a cost of Rs 600 crore, for improving quality of fabrics and reduce their prices, has already been inaugurated, he said while suggesting that the new textile policy would have positive impact on the industry.Chairman of Federation of Indian Art Silk Weaving Industry (FIASWI) Arun Jariwala, SGCCI president Rajendra Chokhawala and vice-president Amarnath Dora also spoke.
