Telangana state focusing more on the textile sector and encouraging apparel units to develop the state as a hub of textile industry for which they are looking at a new textile and Apparel policy (T-TAP) in January 2016 which will be operational for a period of five years from the date of its announcement.

The government plans to give major focus to the sector and proposed to initiate the measures being implemented by the neighbouring states, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. These states have already implemented textile policies, for the development and welfare of handloom weavers. All these measures are expected to be incorporated in the new policy thus benefiting the cotton farmers in the state.

According to the sources, the proposed policy envisages Warangal as a major textile hub besides textile parks proposed in each of the districts Karimnagar, Adilabad, Khammam and Medak where cotton is grown as a major commercial crop.

The policy will also aim at strengthen the procurement of raw cotton and extend the remunerative prices to the farmers besides creating marketing linkages for the products produced by the weavers and handloom societies.

The proposed policy will also bring a big relief to the debt ridden weavers in the state, an official at the state Handlooms department said.

The officials said that incentives will be provided to the investors who come forward to set up garment cotton based ancillary industries on par the sops offered for other industrial units under TS-iPass policy announced recently by the government.

As of now, although Telangana produces long staple cotton, there is no proper value addition and raw cotton is exported and the policy will try to address these things in detail. Besides, the government is planning to promote and bring back artisans, who have migrated to other states.

The policy will also focus on enhancing the garmenting capacity in the State, by providing skilled manpower, and provision of hard infrastructure thereby making units in the State competitive to produce with international standards. The policy will also be considered to promote technical textile such as camouflaged clothing, construction textiles, institutional manufacturing gears, etc.

State Industries and Handlooms minister J Krishna Rao had already held a meeting with the officials concerned and discussed the progress in preparation of the draft policy. A final meeting will be held by December end and forward the draft policy to the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for his final approval.