The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Bharat Tex 2024, one of the largest-ever global textile events to be organized in the country at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed everyone to Bharat Tex 2024 and said that today’s occasion is special because the event is taking place in two of the largest exhibition centers in India namely Bharat Mandapam and Yasho Bhoomi. He acknowledged the association of more than 3000 exhibitors and traders from about 100 countries, and around 40,000 visitors as he underlined that Bharat Tex provides a platform to all of them.

The Prime Minister said that today’s event encompasses many dimensions as ‘the thread of Bharat Tex connects the glorious history of Indian tradition with today’s talent; technology with traditions and is a thread to bring together style/sustainability/ scale/skill. He also saw the event as a great example of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, encompassing myriad textile traditions from all over India. He also praised the exhibition at the venue for displaying the depth, longevity and capability of India’s textile tradition. 

Noting the presence of various stakeholders in the textile value chain, the Prime Minister highlighted their intellect towards understanding India’s textile sector as well as being aware of the challenges and aspirations. He also noted the presence of weavers and their generational experience from the ground level who are critical to the value chain. Directing the address towards them, the Prime Minister emphasized the resolve of Viksit Bharat and its four main pillars and highlighted that India’s textile sector is connected to each one namely the poor, youth, farmers and women. Therefore, the Prime Minister said, the significance of an event like Bharat Tex 2024 only grows.

The Prime Minister elaborated on the ambit in which the government is working to expand the role of the textiles sector in the journey of Viksit Bharat. “We are focussing on tradition, technology, talent and training”, he said. He pointed out that the emphasis is on updating traditional designs to the demands of the contemporary world. He reiterated the concept of Five Fs - Farm to Fiber, Fiber to Factory, Factory to Fashion, Fashion to Foreign which is binding all elements of the value chain to a single whole. In order to help the MSME sector, the Prime Minister mentioned the change in the definition of MSME to ensure continued benefits even after growth in size. He also talked about direct sales, exhibitions and online portals that have reduced the distance between the artisans and the market. 

The Prime Minister threw light on the government’s expansive plans to create seven PM MITRA Parks in various states and underlined the emphasis on the creation of opportunities for the entire textile sector. “Government strives to establish the entire value chain ecosystem in a single place where modern infrastructure with plug and play facilities are made available”, the Prime Minister remarked. He said that it will not only improve scale and operation but also bring down logistics costs.

Referring to the employment potential and participation of the rural population and women in textiles sectors, the Prime Minister said that 7 out of 10 apparel makers are women and in handloom, the number is even higher. He emphasized that the steps taken in the last 10 years have made Khadi a strong medium of development and jobs. Similarly, welfare schemes and infrastructure push of the last decade have also benefited the textile sector, he said.

Talking about India’s growing profile as a cotton, jute and silk producer, PM Modi said that the government is supporting cotton farmers and is buying cotton from them. He said Kasturi Cotton, launched by the government, will be a big step in creating India’s brand value globally, he said. The Prime Minister mentioned measures for the Jute and silk sector also. He also talked of new sectors like technical textiles and informed about the National Technical Textiles Mission and scope for the startups in the area.

The Prime Minister highlighted the need for technology and mechanization on one hand and uniqueness and authenticity on the other and said that India has a place where both these demands can co-exist. Noting the products manufactured by India’s artisans always have a unique feature to it, the Prime Minister said that demand for such talent increases with demand for unique fashion. Therefore, the Prime Minister said, the government is focussing on skill as well as scale with the number of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) institutes in the country increasing to 19. He said that local weavers and artisans are also being connected to NIFTs with the organization of special training programs about new technology. The Prime Minister also mentioned the Samarth Scheme where more than 2.5 lakh people have received capacity building and skill development training so far. He informed that the majority of women have participated in this scheme where around 1.75 lakh people have already found placement in the industry.

The Prime Minister also dwelled on the dimension of Vocal for Local. He said, “Today a people’s movement is going on in the country for 'Vocal for Local and Local to Global’. He said that the government is creating systems like exhibitions and malls for small artisans.

Commenting on the impact of positive, stable and far-sighted government policies, PM Modi said that the valuation of the Indian textiles market has crossed 12 lakh crore rupees from less than 7 lakh crore in 2014. There is a 25 percent increase in yarn, fabric and apparel production. 380 new BIS standards are ensuring quality control in the sector. This has led to doubling of FDI in the sector in the last 10 years, he informed.

Highlighting the high expectations from India’s textile sector, Prime Minister Modi recalled the efforts of the industry during the Covid Pandemic for the manufacture of PPE Kits and Face Masks. He underlined that the government along with the textile sector streamlined the supply chain and provided a sufficient number of PPE Kits and face masks to the entire world. Looking back at these achievements, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in India becoming a global export hub in the near future. “The Government will stand by you for your every need”, the Prime Minister assured the stakeholders. He also recommended enhancing collaboration among various stakeholders within the textile sector so that a comprehensive resolution can be achieved to further the development of the industry. Observing the proclivity of citizens around the world to ‘Going back to basics’ in every aspect of life including food, healthcare and holistic lifestyle, the Prime Minister said that such is the case in textiles as well and drew attention to the demand for chemical-free coloured threads for garment production. The Prime Minister urged the textile industry to break away from the mentality of only catering to the Indian market and look towards exports. He gave the example of the specific needs of the African market or the needs of the Gypsy communities which present immense possibilities. He asked for the inclusion of chemical segments in the value chain and the need to find natural chemical providers.

He also talked about his effort to break Khadi out of its traditional image and turn it into a fashion statement infusing confidence among the youth. He also asked for more research in modern areas of textiles and to regain the reputation of speciality textiles. Giving the example of India’s diamond industry which now manufactures all equipment related to the industry indigenously, the Prime Minister urged the textile sector to carry out research in the domain of textile equipment manufacturing and also incentivize those with new ideas and results. He also asked the stakeholders to explore new areas like textiles used in the medical field. He asked them to lead and not follow the global fashion trend.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister underlined that the Government is readily available to function as a catalyst and work towards fulfilling the dreams of the people, as he urged the industries to come forward with a new vision that caters to the world’s needs and diversifies their markets.

Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Textiles, Smt. Darshana Jardosh was present on the occasion among others.

Background

Bharat Tex 2024 is being organized from 26-29 February 2024. Drawing inspiration from the 5F Vision of the Prime Minister, the event has a unified farm to foreign via fibre, fabric and fashion focus, covering the entire textiles value chain. It will showcase India’s prowess in the textile sector and reaffirm India’s position as a global textile powerhouse.

Organized by a consortium of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by the government, Bharat Tex 2024 is built on the twin pillars of trade and investment, with an overarching focus on sustainability. The four-day event features over 65 knowledge sessions with more than 100 global panelists discussing various issues faced by the sector. It also has dedicated pavilions on sustainability and circularity, an ‘Indi Haat’, fashion presentations on diverse themes such as Indian Textiles Heritage, sustainability, and global designs, as well as interactive fabric testing zones and product demonstrations.

Over 3,500 exhibitors, over 3,000 buyers from over 100 countries, and more than 40,000 business visitors, besides textiles students, weavers, artisans and textile workers are expected to take part in Bharat Tex 2024 along with policymakers and global CEOs. With more than 50 announcements and MoUs expected to be signed during the event, it is envisaged to provide further impetus to investment and trade in the textile sector and help push up exports. It is another key step in furthering the Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

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