Pabitra Margherita, MoS, External Affairs and Textiles
An Industry That Weaves Livelihood, Culture, and Commerce
As the National Textiles Ministers’ Conference is set to take place from 8-9 January in Guwahati, Assam, it is important to reflect on the sector that lies at the heart of the nation’s cultural, economic, and social fabric. The conference is envisioned as a national platform to bring together the centre and the states to collectively shape the textile sector’s future, a sector that sustains millions of livelihoods and carries Bharat’s identity and heritage to the global stage.
The textiles sector is the second largest employer after agriculture, employing over 45 million people directly and supporting an additional 60 million people indirectly. It contributes 2.3% to our GDP and 13% to industrial production. It is not just an industry, but a living system binding together livelihood, culture, and commerce in one national fabric. From farms and fields nurturing diverse fibres to modern factories and global markets, Bharat’s textile sector is a complete, end-to-end ecosystem that sustains livelihoods, preserves heritage, and drives economic growth across regions. This holistic character aligns closely with the 5F vision articulated by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, linking Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign markets.
Regional diversity and the need for Coordinated Action
What truly distinguishes our textile sector is not only its scale, but its extraordinary spread across regions, fibres, and traditions. Almost every state carries a unique textile identity shaped by local resources, culture, skills, and history. From Assam’s luminous Muga silk to the elegance of Banarasi brocades, from Gujarat’s Patola to Arunachal Pradesh’s Apatani textiles, from West Bengal’s Baluchari silk sarees to Punjab’s Phulkari, from Kashmir’s Pashmina to Tamil Nadu’s Kanjeevarams, and from jute and wool to man-made fibre ecosystems, it forms a tapestry unmatched anywhere in the world.
This diversity is a national asset but at the same time highlights a fundamental reality. Progress in such a diverse sector cannot be driven through uniform solutions alone. Policies must recognise regional strengths, production systems, and skill set, making coordination and collaboration between the centre and the states essential for sustained growth. It is precisely this need for alignment that gives the National Textiles Ministers’ Conference its relevance and urgency.
Vision 2030 and the Leadership Guiding it
Bharat’s textile journey today is guided by a clear and time-bound national vision. By 2030, the country aims to double the size of the textile industry from USD 176 to USD 350 billion, while significantly expanding employment and strengthening domestic value chains. Through focused interventions like the PM-MITRA Parks, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and the SAMARTH scheme we are marching strongly towards this ambition, aligned with the broader goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
Under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guided efforts of Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, the Ministry of Textiles has pursued a comprehensive and reform-oriented approach to strengthen the sector across the value chain. The emphasis has been on scale, competitiveness, sustainability, and skill development, ensuring that growth is both globally competitive and socially inclusive.
A Landmark National Platform for Cooperative and Competitive Federalism
It is against this comprehensive policy and sectoral backdrop that the National Textiles Ministers’ Conference assumes special significance. It seeks to strengthen Bharat’s position as a leading global hub for textile manufacturing, innovation, and exports by integrating modern technology and environmentally responsible practices. As PM Modi believes, “If centre and states work together like Team India, no goal is impossible”. Building on this belief, the deliberations in the conference are designed to take a holistic view of the sector rather than focusing on isolated interventions and recognising that long-term success depends on alignment across the value chain and coordinated efforts from the states.
Over the two days, discussions will span the full breadth of issues that shape the textile ecosystem by providing a platform to the states to express and share their valuable feedback and suggestions. These include strengthening infrastructure and investment frameworks, upgrading technology and processing capabilities, expanding exports and branding Bharat’s textiles globally, ensuring availability of raw materials and fibres, promoting technical textiles and new-age fibres, and preserving the rich heritage of handlooms and handicrafts while integrating them with modern value chains. Together, these deliberations will underline the seriousness with which the conference addresses both scale and detail across the sector and promote a healthy partnership between the centre and the states.
A Defining Moment for Bharat’s Textile Journey
The National Textiles Ministers’ Conference is therefore more than a formal gathering. It is a landmark initiative that brings together political leadership, policy direction, and sectoral priorities to a single platform. By enabling meaningful dialogue across the value chain and across States, it sets the stage for a unified national roadmap for textiles.
As Bharat advances towards its textile goals of 2030 and towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the outcomes of this conference will play a crucial role in shaping policy coordination, strengthening implementation, and reinforcing Bharat’s position as a global textile leader. With shared commitment and collaborative spirit, the conference will mark a defining moment in weaving the future of Bharat’s textile sector.
The author is Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs & Textiles.
As the National Textiles Ministers’ Conference is set to take place from 8-9 January in Guwahati, Assam, it is important to reflect on the sector that lies at the heart of the nation’s cultural, economic, and social fabric. The conference is envisioned as a national platform to bring together the centre and the states to collectively shape the textile sector’s future, a sector that sustains millions of livelihoods and carries Bharat’s identity and heritage to the global stage.
The textiles sector is the second largest employer after agriculture, employing over 45 million people directly and supporting an additional 60 million people indirectly. It contributes 2.3% to our GDP and 13% to industrial production. It is not just an industry, but a living system binding together livelihood, culture, and commerce in one national fabric. From farms and fields nurturing diverse fibres to modern factories and global markets, Bharat’s textile sector is a complete, end-to-end ecosystem that sustains livelihoods, preserves heritage, and drives economic growth across regions. This holistic character aligns closely with the 5F vision articulated by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, linking Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign markets.
Regional diversity and the need for Coordinated Action
What truly distinguishes our textile sector is not only its scale, but its extraordinary spread across regions, fibres, and traditions. Almost every state carries a unique textile identity shaped by local resources, culture, skills, and history. From Assam’s luminous Muga silk to the elegance of Banarasi brocades, from Gujarat’s Patola to Arunachal Pradesh’s Apatani textiles, from West Bengal’s Baluchari silk sarees to Punjab’s Phulkari, from Kashmir’s Pashmina to Tamil Nadu’s Kanjeevarams, and from jute and wool to man-made fibre ecosystems, it forms a tapestry unmatched anywhere in the world.
This diversity is a national asset but at the same time highlights a fundamental reality. Progress in such a diverse sector cannot be driven through uniform solutions alone. Policies must recognise regional strengths, production systems, and skill set, making coordination and collaboration between the centre and the states essential for sustained growth. It is precisely this need for alignment that gives the National Textiles Ministers’ Conference its relevance and urgency.
Vision 2030 and the Leadership Guiding it
Bharat’s textile journey today is guided by a clear and time-bound national vision. By 2030, the country aims to double the size of the textile industry from USD 176 to USD 350 billion, while significantly expanding employment and strengthening domestic value chains. Through focused interventions like the PM-MITRA Parks, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and the SAMARTH scheme we are marching strongly towards this ambition, aligned with the broader goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
Under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guided efforts of Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, the Ministry of Textiles has pursued a comprehensive and reform-oriented approach to strengthen the sector across the value chain. The emphasis has been on scale, competitiveness, sustainability, and skill development, ensuring that growth is both globally competitive and socially inclusive.
A Landmark National Platform for Cooperative and Competitive Federalism
It is against this comprehensive policy and sectoral backdrop that the National Textiles Ministers’ Conference assumes special significance. It seeks to strengthen Bharat’s position as a leading global hub for textile manufacturing, innovation, and exports by integrating modern technology and environmentally responsible practices. As PM Modi believes, “If centre and states work together like Team India, no goal is impossible”. Building on this belief, the deliberations in the conference are designed to take a holistic view of the sector rather than focusing on isolated interventions and recognising that long-term success depends on alignment across the value chain and coordinated efforts from the states.
Over the two days, discussions will span the full breadth of issues that shape the textile ecosystem by providing a platform to the states to express and share their valuable feedback and suggestions. These include strengthening infrastructure and investment frameworks, upgrading technology and processing capabilities, expanding exports and branding Bharat’s textiles globally, ensuring availability of raw materials and fibres, promoting technical textiles and new-age fibres, and preserving the rich heritage of handlooms and handicrafts while integrating them with modern value chains. Together, these deliberations will underline the seriousness with which the conference addresses both scale and detail across the sector and promote a healthy partnership between the centre and the states.
A Defining Moment for Bharat’s Textile Journey
The National Textiles Ministers’ Conference is therefore more than a formal gathering. It is a landmark initiative that brings together political leadership, policy direction, and sectoral priorities to a single platform. By enabling meaningful dialogue across the value chain and across States, it sets the stage for a unified national roadmap for textiles.
As Bharat advances towards its textile goals of 2030 and towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the outcomes of this conference will play a crucial role in shaping policy coordination, strengthening implementation, and reinforcing Bharat’s position as a global textile leader. With shared commitment and collaborative spirit, the conference will mark a defining moment in weaving the future of Bharat’s textile sector.
The author is Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs & Textiles.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
