Giving a major boost to the SME-dominated textile industry, the Centre has sanctioned additional projects under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP). With this move, the government will seek to increase investments and employment in the textile sector.

Vishwamberlal Kedia, president of the Andhra Pradesh Textile Processors Association told a Bizxchange correspondent, “Government support is the need of the hour for SMEs in the industry at present. More projects in the textile sector would mean increased production, which spells good for textile yarn manufacturers and apparel traders.”

Significantly, strategies of SITP have also been tweaked to accommodate a special appraisal mechanism to critically analyse the feasibility of various projects.

“SITP has been a boon for textile-based SMEs in the country because of the huge infrastructural benefits the government has offered to small players under the scheme. However, despite being a major sector in the country, there are not enough investments in this sector and the government should seek to increase that,” said CR Jairam, owner of Akshaya Textiles, a small-sized unit in Salem, Tamil Nadu which manufactures yarn dyed fabrics.

Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh has expressed optimism that the Indian textile sector would be able to overtake the Chinese textile industry with adequate support from the Indian bureaucracy. He added that competetively pricing Indian textile products and simplifying regulations could boost the industry. These comments are expected to raise hopes among textile-based SMEs to make their products more competitive in the global arena.