Maharashtra CM draws the cart to accelerate textile sector

In the wake of the Make in Maharashtra slogan – a toddler initiative adapted from Make in India, the Government of Maharashtra plans to accelerate the textile sector of the state which is the largest employer and covers the largest area of around 41.92 per cent under cultivation for cotton.

The Maharashtra government, which has already announced 14 textile parks in the state, has invited businessmen to invest in the sector through its initiative. The state also plans to set up 10 new mega textile hubs and new garment park at Solapur and Nagpur.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on the sidelines of Make in India (MII) Week that the Government seeks investment in textile parks in a big way. They have already announced 14 textile parks and one mega textile cluster in major cotton growing region in the state. Fadnavis assured the industry with more policy support and ease of doing business.

He added that global economic slowdown has given the nation’s textile sector an opportunity to increase their market share in the world market at 5 percent as compared to over 30 percent of China. He said that everything is needed to be done in coming years and opined Maharashtra continued to remain an industrial powerhouse.

Out of 18,709 industrial projects approved from August 1991 to October 2014, 10.6 per cent belongs to textile sector, only next to chemical and fertilizer sector.

The CM added that the state has contributed 15 per cent to the national GDP, has the highest exports, and highest FDI inflows. With Make in India, (the) Make in Maharashtra initiative has also started.The state has 78 lakh bales cotton production capacity and 25 lakh bales are processed to manufacture yarn.

Meanwhile, on ease of doing business, Fadnavis said Maharashtra has brought down the number of permissions required for setting up an industry drastically.