Tamil Nadu should tap the potential in technical textiles, especially cotton-based products, Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani said here on Sunday.
Inaugurating a textile exhibition and reverse buyer seller meet, organised by the Tamil Nadu government jointly with the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council and Powerloom Development Export Promotion Council and other export promotion councils and textile associations, she said the Union government has notified HSN codes for about 200 technical textile products. The potential is huge for cotton-based medical textile products. “We need to unleash the potential in this sector.”
The textile and clothing industry in Tamil Nadu has benefited substantially through all the schemes implemented by the Ministry.
Power Tex scheme
For instance, under the Power Tex scheme, 65 % of assistance provided to upgrade the looms has gone into weaving units in Tamil Nadu. Under the yarn bank scheme, 42 % of the allocation is used by the State’s units. The Ministry has also addressed the issues raised by the industry in the State.
The Cotton Corporation of India has been directed to ensure that MSMEs get priority over traders to procure cotton from it.
The cabotage fee has been waived for shipping cotton from one Indian port to another, she said. Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development S.P. Velumani said the textile sector played a key role in the State’s economy.
The State had implemented several schemes for the sector. The three-day programme is a platform to market Tamil Nadu’s textile products. It will bring new domestic and international buyers to the manufacturers.