Indian Textile Industry-Facts, Figures and Government Schemes

Indian Textile Industry is one of the oldest and single largest Industrial Sectors. Textile Industry provides employment opportunities to more than 35 million people in the country.Indian Textile industry contributes to 7 per cent of industrial output in terms of value, 2 per cent of India's GDP and to 15 per cent of country's export earnings.

India's overall textile exports during FY 2017-18 stood at US$ 39.2 billion.The size of India's textile and apparel market recorded USD 108.5 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 226 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 8.7 per cent between 2009 and 2023.

India is the second largest producer and exporter of cotton in the world at $6.3 billion, marginally close to China.India has emerged as the largest producer of cotton in the world with the production of 345 lakh bales in 2016-17 and second largest exporter after China.Currently, the cotton industry is sustaining livelihoods of 5.8 million farmers and 40-50 million people engaged in other activities like processing and trading.

India is the largest producer of jute in the world.The Sericulture and Silk Sector: India is the second largest producer of silk in the world, producing around 18 per cent of the world's total silk.Mulberry, Eri, Tasar, and Muga are the main types of silk produced in the country. It is a labor-intensive sector.

Government Initiatives
The government has been implementing various policy initiatives and programmes for development of textiles and handicrafts, particularly for technology, infrastructure creation, skill development, including:

• Amended Technology Upgradation Funds Scheme (ATUFS)
• PowerTex India Scheme
• Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks
• SAMARTH- scheme for capacity building in Textile Sector
• Silk Samagra- integrated silk development scheme
• North Eastern Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS)
• National Handicraft Development Programme (NHDP)
• Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS).
• The Textile Ministry of India announced Rs 690 crore (US$ 106.58 million) for setting up 21 ready-made garment manufacturing units in seven states for development and modernisation of Indian Textile Sector.

About Make in India

Prime minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Make in India' campaign, to boost domestic manufacturing units. The aim of this campaign was to increase the contribution of manufacturing in GDP from 15 per cent to 25 per cent. PM mentioned this phrase in his Independence day speech 2014 emphasising on his concern that most entrepreneurs are moving out of the country. In the process, the government expects to generate jobs, attract much foreign direct investment, and transform India into a manufacturing hub preferred around the globe.

One of the main industries that benefited from the Industrial Revolution is the textile industry.