TEXTILE AND CLOTHING
--Economic Importance in Gujarat
Introduction
With the opening of the economy and on-going liberalisation process, there has been a profound impact on the existence and growth of industrial activities, flooding with MNCs and its subsidiaries in the country. New opportunities have directed towards technology, resource base and knowledge based sectors, suitable to our specific need and strength. There is a dramatic increase in competition for Indian firms both from imports and new Indian operations of international firms. Therefore, there is a need to become creating new market and new product with innovative ideas and technologies. This is also true in overall industries in Gujarat and, in specific, for the Textile & Clothing Sector. Gujarat has been involved in the textile trade for centuries. The entire State is specialized in some form of exotic textile weaving or the other. The State is having strong fabric base. Each Textile Centre of the State has its own specialization – Ahmedabad is known for Cotton and Blended fabric with a strong base for manufacturing Denim, Made-ups and Ladies Dress. Surat primarily a Synthetic (Filament) fabric manufacturing base with wide marketing network, mainly catering the need of domestic market for Saree and Ladies dress materials. Umbergaon (Surat), a modern Powerloom Cluster, mainly produces Synthetic Suiting and Shirting fabric and has earned a specialization in the field.
The Economic Importance of Textile & Clothing in the state may be understood as under :
- Over 25% of fixed investment, production value and employment of the SSI sector are from textiles alone.
- Over 23% of GSDP comes out of textiles alone.
- 16% of the cultivated land area of the state is for cotton. (Gujarat is the largest cotton producing State in the country).
- Over 18% of the direct labour force of the State is employed in Textiles, besides other ancillary industries like Dyes, Chemicals, Engineering, Cultivation, Trade and Business.
- Gujarat contributes 33% of woven fabric of organized sector and 25% of decentralized powerloom sector of the country .
- Largest number of medium and large fabric process houses concentrates in the State, mainly in Ahmedabad (250 Nos.) and Surat (350 Nos.), besides 1500 hand printing units at Jetpur alone.
- Surat is the largest Art Silk Fabric producing centre with over 40% of the Art Silk fabric produced in the country. There are around 4000 Multi-head Embroidery machines imported in this canter in the recent past.
- Gujarat share over 21% of the total textile exports of the country.
Problem and prospect
Gujarat is the largest cotton producing state (30% share) in the country. But, over 80% cotton produced, goes to other parts of the country for further value addition. Higher power cost is one of the hindrances for the growth of Cotton Spinning in the state. However, with the available of Natural Gas one can go for own power plant for captive consumption in a more economic way.
Over 40% of fabric produced in Surat goes as dress material (for garmenting) to other parts. Similarly, over 70% of cotton base fabric produced at Ahmedabad organized Sector goes for garmenting elsewhere and there is a substantial gap for development of garment sector in the State. However, activities in different form in Apparel sector shows in the State such as :
- Over 6000 women are engaged in doing job work for garment at their residence in and around Ahmedabad alone.
- Over 2000 Garment Units are developed mostly in Small Sector in Ahmedabad, Vapi, Vadodara and Surat.
- Over 4000 Multi head embroidery machines have been imported at Surat Textile Industry for last 4 years, under TUF Scheme.
- Over 300 Garment Processors are developed in and around Ahmedabad and Vadodara in the recent past.
Realizing the need, State Government has taken active step in developing Apparel Park, one at Surat and the other at Ahmedabad . Besides, Jetpur, a Centre of Saree Printing, has been already earmarked for setting up a Textile Park in near future. Another Weaving Park, with private participation, is being developed at Sachin (Surat). At least 8 new Textile parks are on the way under Textile Infrastructure Development Scheme of Govt. of India (Ministry of Textile). One at Surat has already been approved.
Some of the common problems faced by this industry in the state are:
High Power Costs, Stringent Labour Laws, Cheap fabric imports from China, Korea & Indonesia, Technology Obsolescence and Second-hand Textile machinery imports with old technology.
Initiative by the State for the growth under Cluster Development Approach
Possibly Gujarat is the only State to adapt Cluster Development Programme in its policy itself.
Considering various needs, the State Government has identified various industrial clusters with special focus on Technology Upgradation. Cluster Development Programme has been taken up for Powerloom Industry through ATIRA, Garment Sector through NIFT, Dyes and Dye Intermediate through National Productivity Council and so on.
One of the major outcomes of Cluster Development through ATIRA was to develop Low Cost Modern Loom (Rs. 2.5 lakhs) for the benefit of existing Powerloom Industry in Gujarat. Looms, as developed under active support of State Govt., is already commercialised and accepted in Power loom centres of Ahmedabad, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Karur and Bangalore. Another part under Cluster Development Programme is the creation of Pilot Plant to provide training for Garments at NIFT, Gandhinagar under support by the State Government. In another project, State Government, through NIFT is providing training to the Trainers, targeting huge manpower requirement for Surat Apparel Park.
New opportunities, emerging in the field are Weaving, Processing, Made-ups and Garments in and around of Ahmedabad, Vapi and Surat, Technical Textile in Surat, Integrated Textile Weaving and Processing at Jetpur and traditional dress and dress materials at Kutch and Saurashtra.
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