Made-ups and home textile segment in the country would be covered under the Rs 6,000-crores special package that was recently approved for the garment sector. Hinting this, Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani has said that her Ministry was actively considering extending the benefits of special package to made-ups and home textile segment which had been excluded from its ambit. The minister further said that an announcement for the same is likely to be made around Diwali. She said this in her address after presenting Texprocil Awards at Mumbai.
The made-ups and home textile segment is equally, if not more, labour intensive than the apparel sector and has the capability of generating sizeable new employment. At the same time, it will act as a pull factor for increased consumption of fibre, yarns and fabric produced domestically, she added. The minster appreciated the industry's efforts to remain leading exporter and assured all help to it.
Earlier, R K Dalmia, Chairman of The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil), said the special package of Rs 6,000 crore for the apparel sector was a step in the right direction given the current scenario of world trade and international competitiveness. The reimbursements of State and Central levies along with labour reforms will strengthen the textile sector by improving its cost competitiveness in the global market, he stated. Considering that textile is a low margin industry, introduction of such packages can lead to an exponential leap in export performance. This can be seen from the fact that in September this year, export of garments showed a 12 per cent increase amid a downward trend in most other sectors, he added.
