In his welcome address, GCCI president Pathik Patwari mentioned that this Textile Leadership Conclave is built upon the success of the first conclave held on 2022 and aims at providing a platform for in depth discussion and deliberation upon needs and issues of the textile industry. He welcomed CM of Gujarat and other esteemed speakers present at the conclave, and shared details regarding the current scenario and contribution of Gujarat’s textile industry.

Giving the theme address, Saurin Parikh, chairman, Textile Taskforce gave a brief overview of the concept behind this second edition of the Conclave. Talking about the digital directory, he mentioned that a directory of associations is also being planned. He appreciated the industry friendly policies of the government, due to which the textile industry has flourished in Gujarat.

Chief guest of the event CM Patel unveiled the Textile Digital Directory. The directory is a comprehensive platform that provides access to information about the industry, including over 6,000 company profiles, 9 product categories and many more interesting features. The digital directory is a one-stop-shop for all information related to the textile industry, making it easier for industry stakeholders to connect, collaborate and grow their business. The directory's user-friendly interface and comprehensive database make it a valuable resource for the textile industry in India. Addressing the gathering, he encouraged the textile leaders to work together for making India a global textile hub and becoming Aatmnirbhar in all segments of the textile industry.

Anil Jain, secretary, GCCI shared the key highlights of the Textile Interactive Meet organised in the morning session in the presence of Darshana Jardosh, Union minister of state for textiles and railways. He remarked that leading textile associations from across the country participated in the session. He mentioned that some of the key topics discussed during the interactive session were enhancing productivity, promotion of khadi and Brand Kasturi, and ways to improve workforce training by imparting necessary skills and knowledge of textile industry.

In her address, earlier in the day, Darshana Jardosh congratulated GCCI for organising the Textile Leadership Conclave-2023 and mentioned that this is a good initiative by GCCI of bringing 78 associations from various parts of the country. She added that government has been always supportive and will continue to do so in the future.

Additionally, key issues were raised for the government's consideration at the conclave, including the introduction of a new Technology Upgradation Fund scheme (TUF)/ Textiles Technology Development Scheme (TTDS) with retrospective effect from April 1, 2022, due to ongoing discussions for over a year. The government was requested to intervene and clear pending TUF cases, particularly for SIDBI Bank customers who have completed JIT visits but have not received TUF. Additionally, the conclave called for a clear timeline and infrastructure details for the launch of the Mega Textile Park at Navsari under the PM Mitra Park mission, enabling stakeholders to plan their investments. Finally, the textile industry requested a separate Solar and Wind renewable power policy, in line with the Prime Minister's commitment at COP 26, which would help the industry prepare for global competition.

Several textile leaders also shared their valuable insights at the event. Dr. Sharad Sharaf, chairman of Technocraft Group, shared his wisdom on the concept of karma and how it impacts our life journey and emphasised on the importance of understanding one's purpose in life and how our actions and choices shape our destiny. This analogy helped the industry leaders to take the right actions.

Kulin Lalbhai from Arvind Ltd highlighted how Arvind has evolved over the years. He spoke about how his company has been able to bring several well-known brands into the Indian market and how it has adapted to the growing trend of e-commerce. He also expressed his belief that this is the time for India, and that we are currently in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ or golden age for the textile industry.

Sanjay Jain, TT Group, Santosh Banthia, Citizen Umbrella Group, Kushal Shah, Louis Dreyfus Company, were some of the distinguished guests who also spoke during the event. Many industries from ginning, spinning, weaving, processing, garmenting, technical textile and machinery manufacturers across India participated in the conclave.

Prashant Agarwal, the joint managing director at Wazir Advisors, shared insights on how India compares to the rest of the world in the textile industry by highlighting on the strengths of the Indian textile industry, including its rich heritage, skilled workforce, and favourable government policies.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)