Maharashtra is set to establish six new technical textile parks, one in each revenue division, as a part of a strategic push to become a major hub for advanced textiles. This announcement was made by Sanjay Savkare, State Textile Minister at the TAG 2025 Annual Textile Conference.
Savkare emphasized, the state government is focused on attracting both domestic and foreign investment while boosting its capacity for R&D, infrastructure, and skilled labor. It has also created a task force to gather feedback from stakeholders and enhance Maharashtra's export competitiveness, he informed. Anshu Sinha, Principal Secretary, Textiles, emphasized on the importance of collaboration between industry, academia, and government to maintain the state's leading position.
The conference also released the the FICCI–Wazir Advisors Annual Textile Industry Report that provided key insights into the global textile and apparel (T&A) market. According to this report, the worldwide T&A trade increased by 5 per cent to $893 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, currently valued at $1.8 trillion, the global apparel market is projected to grow to $2.3 trillion by 2030.
Despite India’s strong domestic T&A market, which stood at $184 billion in FY25 with $37 billion in exports, the industry faces significant challenges due to the recently imposed 50 per cent US tariffs on Indian goods.
To overcome this, the report recommends garment-led investments as the anchor for India's growth. It suggests, moving into apparel manufacturing through foreign direct investment (FDI), global partnerships, and government schemes like PLI and PM MITRA Parks can improve value addition, create jobs, and make India a more competitive sourcing hub.
The report also emphasizes on the importance of innovation and sustainability, flagging weak R&D and the lack of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with key markets as major bottlenecks. Industry leaders at the conference expressed a shared belief that a combination of strategic investments, a focus on sustainability, and global alliances will help India withstand tariff challenges and emerge as a leading sourcing destination by 2030.
