Asia's textile leaders convene at 11th ATEXCON event

ATEXCON is the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry’s (CITI) flagship event having participation from major associations and senior officials from the ministry of textile, organising committee, speakers, moderators, co-partners from the ITMF, CMAI, NITRA, BTRA, SITRA, ATIRA, UIBC, Sri Lanka Apparel, PDEXCIL, TEXPROCIL, FIEO and IICCI, Knowledge Partner Gherzi, Host Association SIMA, and MEDIA participation, CITI said in a press release.

Darshana Vikram Jardosh, minister of state for textiles, Government of India, was felicitated as a guest of honour at ATEXCON. During the inauguration of ATEXCON, she opined that the Indian textile industry is primarily concentrating on the supply chain, which is made up of the 5Fs—farm to fibre, fibre to factory, factory to fashion, and fashion to foreign. The textile industry has improved as a result of investments made in a number of departments, particularly the research and development division, which has enhanced the general performance of the fabrics used in the textile sector. The top three apparel exporters in 2023 are from Asia, demonstrating the region’s significant contribution to the global textile market. The development of indigenous manufacturers has been greatly aided by the ‘Make in India’ push. To support the welfare of domestic manufacturers, the Indian government has implemented the PLI and PM MITRA schemes. She said that everyone has to come together to make an effective textile ecosystem and bring glory to the country.

“India plays a role in the Asian textile industry as well as the global textile industry as India is one of the few countries in the world which have the presence of the entire textile value chain i.e., from the production of raw materials to the delivery of finished products, with substantial value-addition at each stage of processing, unlike its peer competitors which are dependent on other countries for their raw material supply,” said T Rajkumar, chairman of CITI.

Prajakta Verma, joint secretary, ministry of textile, said: “Convergence and cooperation enable significant progress. Convergence aids in correcting errors and responding to criticism. To address the issues and challenges, the textile sector needs both internal and external collaboration. The overall emissions produced by the aviation and maritime sectors are virtually comparable to those of the textile sector alone. The textile sector needs workers with green skills in order to adopt sustainability and circularity, minimise emissions, and solve this issue. Our greatest strength and the source of 90 per cent of our production are the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“Sixty per cent of the world’s cotton and 80 per cent of man-made fibres are produced in the Asia-specific region. Viscose is one of the fastest-growing fibres,” opined Navdeep Sodhi, partner, Gherzi Textil Corporation, Switzerland.

Looking towards 2025 and beyond, climate change has become the pivot of policymaking, with sustainability and traceability emerging as the core values demanded by buyers and importers. In terms of policy imperatives, technology upgradation is leading the charge to boost productivity and efficiency. Cluster development plays a significant role in India, serving as the backbone of the industry. Public investments are now being redirected towards the anonymous companies that make up 90 per cent of India’s total industries, with the remaining 10 per cent comprising registered and listed companies. Scale is another key area of focus, aimed at enhancing production capacity. Lastly, addressing policy distortion is crucial. Policies should aim to unlock the potential of Indian manufacturers and ensure unhindered access to raw materials.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)