Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh has announced that the Rs. 10,000 crore PLI scheme will be expanded to the garment sector so as to boost domestic manufacturing and exports.

Speaking at the India International Garment Fair (IIGF), Singh said that the ministry is poised to revive the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) to create internationally standardised parks.

He emphasised that the government will focus on revamping textile parks and promoting green textiles.

Singh also said that there were plans to make small clusters for smaller players to boost exports of ready-made garments.

The PLI scheme has been a huge success in the electronics sector with the country’s production of electronic goods such as smartphones shooting up and even emerging as a major item in the export basket.

The minister urged industry to adopt the ‘hub and spoke’ model to enhance domestic manufacturing of textiles and underscored the importance of establishing Indian brands.

“Developing world class manufacturing facilities is a must for realising the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India’ with ‘Zero Effect; Zero Defect’ at each level of the value chain,” he added.

The minister said that the International Garment Fair offers a unique marketing platform for micro, small, and medium exporters, showcasing India’s latest trends and diverse offerings to the rest of the world.

“Today, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a GDP growth rate of 7.2 per cent and is expected to be the third largest economy by 2027-28,” he observed.

The convergence of a positive domestic outlook with a growth-oriented political establishment has provided a favourable ecosystem for business in India.

Several measures have been taken by the government of India to enhance the infrastructure sector and ease of doing business, he added.

Further, the Minister stated that, the Indian apparel and textiles market is of the size of $165 billion which has to touch $350 billion; a target, which has been fixed after consulting the industry.

“I request you to take it to 50 billion by 2030. The Prime Minister made a roadmap to promote technical fibre and Geo textiles, which is providing huge options for growth. I have said that my challenge is not Bangladesh. I would like you to take it ahead of China in time to come,” the minister remarked.

Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman of AEPC, said, “the global headwinds negatively affected Indian apparel exports. But despite these adverse scenarios, the Indian apparel export industry was able to hold its own and contain the damage to quite an extent.”