Textile Industry Leaders Push for Revived Schemes in Meeting with Union Ministers

On Monday, Vijay Mevawala, President of the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, presented key issues affecting the textile industry to Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh and Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil in New Delhi. Mevawala highlighted the challenges posed by the import of specific yarns such as Mechanical Stretch Yarn and High Denier Polyester Industrial Yarn from China, advocating for the removal of the Quality Control Order (QCO) on these products.

Mevawala emphasized the need to restart the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUF), which has been inactive since April 2022. He argued that to increase India's contribution to global textile exports from 2% to 10% by 2047, substantial investment in downstream, processing, and weaving industries is essential. Additionally, he proposed the revival of the Yarn Bank Scheme to mitigate the rising yarn prices and supply issues faced by small weavers due to the QCO.

Jitendra Vakharia, President of the South Gujarat Textile Processing Association, joined Mevawala in his presentation. The discussion also covered the importance of reinstating other dormant schemes like the Stand Up India Scheme, Power Tax Scheme, Group Workshed Scheme, SITP Scheme, IPDS Scheme, and Comprehensive Powerloom Development Scheme, which previously provided significant relief to the textile industry.

Mevawala further proposed the creation of a new central textile policy and the introduction of a second phase of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI-II) scheme with refined investment norms and the elimination of incremental turnover provisions. These measures, he suggested, are crucial for propelling India's textile sector to new global heights.