Government targets four lakh jobs from new textile parks

Union minister of commerce, industry and textiles Anand Sharma today urged the textiles industry to evolve ways to improve its global competitiveness.

Speaking at the parliamentary consultative committee on textiles, in New Delhi Sharma said ''besides nurturing what we have, it is essential to remain globally competitive. Increasing employability and staying competitive are key objective for us.''

The parliamentary consultative committee discussed integrated skill development scheme (ISDS) and scheme for integrated textiles parks (SITP).

Sharma told the members that the Indian textiles industry has an overwhelming presence in the economic life of the country as the sector contributes 14 per cent of industrial production, 4 per cent of GDP and 10.63 per cent of the country's export earnings, and provides direct employment to over 35 million people.

The textiles sector is the second largest provider of employment after agriculture, he said.

The minister said the original allocation Rs14,000 crore for textiles under the 11th  five-year plan was enhanced by Rs5,000 crore to Rs19,000 crore. The government, he said, has formulated the national fibre policy to provide a holistic boost to the development of the sector.