Workshop on ISDS to give new direction to Indian textiles industry

Union Minister of State for Textile, Santosh Gangwar addressing a national workshop on Integrated Skill Development Scheme in New Delhi on Thursday said the Indian textile industry needs a total of six crore skilled people by 2022.

Gangwar, underscoring the importance of skill development said that the new government under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought change in mind set. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is a step in this direction.

This area of work is not confined to cities, but extends to villages and remote corners of the country as well. They will have to go to the person in need; skilling programmes have to reach those in need of them.

The Minister spoke of the need for training programmes to be linked with microfinance, so that those wanting to start enterprises on their own upon completion of training, get some financial assistance.

Expressing happiness at the employment of large number of women in the textile and allied sectors, the Textiles Minister hoped that the Workshop would give a new direction to the Integrated Skill Development Scheme and take it forward with renewed vigour.

As regards the organized textile sector, Panda said that there is a need to scale up production and employment, ensuring zero defect (in products) and zero effect (on environment) as per the directions of the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

India’s demographic dividend can be the answer to increasing the national share in world’s textiles. The approach of the Government has been to help industry players and enable them to take this forward, by steps such as improving ease of doing business.

He said that standardization of syllabi as per industry requirements and building infrastructure for training have been measures in this direction. He appealed to the industry to take the programme to greater heights, ensuring a minimum placement of 70 percent.

Regarding unorganized sector, the Secretary said that skilling programmes should not end with training; efforts are being taken to organize the trainees into Self Help Groups on completion of training. Common Facility Centres are also being set up in order to provide the requisite infrastructure, training and design support.