An ambitious initiative to establish seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) parks is poised not only to create a substantial number of jobs but also to attract significant capital, including foreign direct investment (FDI), into the textile industry, according to industry analysts.

The construction of these parks is currently underway in states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, with an anticipated investment of Rs 70,000 crore and the creation of 20 lakh employment opportunities.

Under the auspices of the Union Ministry of Textiles, each park is being overseen by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) jointly controlled by the Central and State Governments to ensure efficient project execution.

According to Mithileshwar Thakur, Secretary General, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the PM MITRA parks aim to address both traditional and emerging challenges faced by the textiles industry.

Rakesh Mehra, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), sees the PM MITRA scheme as a pioneering effort in capacity building and attracting new investments.

ICRA, in its report on apparel and fabrics, emphasises that PM MITRA parks will foster the creation of an integrated textiles value chain and encourage capacity expansion. Additionally, Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) of up to Rs 300 crore per park will be extended to units within PM MITRA parks to expedite implementation. The scheme will also facilitate convergence with other Government of India (GOI) initiatives to provide additional incentives to Master Developers and investor units.

State Governments in the designated park areas are required to provide contiguous, encumbrance-free land parcels spanning at least 1,000 acres, as well as support the provision of utilities, streamline single-window clearance procedures, ensure reliable power supply, water availability, and implement effective wastewater disposal systems to facilitate the project's success.