Textile industry is committed to achieving the $100 billion export target by year 2030: Piyush Goyal

Varanasi, (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 15 (ANI): The textile industry is committed to achieving the $100 billion export target by 2030. Kashi and Tamil Nadu will play a major role in this, said Union Commerce and Textiles minister Piyush Goyal after his meeting with textile industry leaders in Varanasi.
"The textile industry is full of confidence. They are going to achieve the USD 100 bn targets and they are going to become the largest creator of jobs and employment and work opportunities in this country after agriculture," said Piyush Goyal.
Union Commerce and Textiles minister Piyush Goyal said that Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has steered this wonderful one-month program through which we are bringing Tamil Nadu and Kashi culture closer together.
"My colleague Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has steered this wonderful one-month program through which we are bringing Tamil Nadu and Kashi culture closer together. Examples of our tradition, rich culture, history and old tie between Kashi and Tamil Nadu will open up new opportunities and new possibilities," said Goyal.
Piyush Goyal said that textile is a sector where margins of 5 per cent are very important to become competitive, adding, "With the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with countries we are insisting that we get duty-free access for Indian textiles. Both in UAE and Australia textile sector assures me that the possibilities for growth are huge. We are working on FTAs which will all give a boost to the textile sector."
Citing an example of the United Kingdom Goyal said that the UK has a 12 per cent import duty and a 9 per cent import duty on different items.
"If that goal tells you better but textile is a sector is are very important to become competitive. With Richard's agreement, we are insisting that we get duty-free access to Indian textiles both in UAE and Australia. The textile sector assures me that the possibilities of growth we are working on should all give a boost to the textile sector. The textile sector has a 9 to 12 per cent import duty on different items. If that goes away, suddenly we get a big boost for our textile industry," said Goyal.
He said that PM Mitra park is at an advanced stage of evaluating the 18 proposals received it will hopefully be able to finalise them in the near future.
"The MITRA park seeks to integrate the textile value chain from spinning, weaving, processing, dyeing, and printing to garment manufacturing," he said.
Chairman and Managing Director of Lakshmi Machine Works Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, said that both Tamil Nadu and Kashi had a very strong textile industry.
"India is going to be a very large player in the textile business. Today we are number three number and soon I'm sure we will become number two. Through FTAs I am sure that India will be able to export a lot of great fabric all over the world and I'm sure it's going to flourish in the future," added Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu.
"One thing which India lacked was FTAs.and I thank the government for having worked on many FTAs between India and other countries. This gives access to our goods into those countries and concessional duty compared to the other countries as well, this was sure to boost our exports to these companies", he said. (ANI)