Ahmedabad, 6 July 2012

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today exhorted garment industry to evolve effective strategy to stay put in the fast changing fashion world. He asked them to be alive to the misleading anti-publicity by western world trying to malign Indian garment industry by creating such non-tariff barriers as child labour.

Mr. Modi was inaugurating the 20th National Garment Fair hosted by Gujarat Garment Manufacturers Association (GGMA) here. About 500 garment units are participating in the three-day fair. He also released a souvenir on the occasion.

Keeping in view the globalization of economy, he said that Gujarat Government would soon announce a new Integrated Textile Policy to withstand challenges through cluster approach to create job opportunities. The garment industry is the second largest employer after agriculture.

He called for developing textiles industry on the line of 5Fs, from farm-to-fibre-to-fabric-to-fashion-to-foreign. He exhorted garment manufacturers to promote ‘Made in India’ brand with ‘Zero Defect’ to establish the nation’s credibility.

Since cotton forms an important raw material of garment industry, he said, it is linked to cotton prices and has its direct bearing on cotton farmers. The garment has to be competitive in price as well as in fashion and sell fast, possible only if mass produced and constantly attuned to changing taste in design, especially for the new generation healthcare conscious.

Mr. Modi also criticized the Union Government’s regressive policies like exempting Customs duty on garments from Bangladesh, which is harmful for domestic industry.

Minister of State for Industries Saurabh Patel and GGMA President Vijay Purohit also spoke on the occasion.

Prominent among those present at the inaugural function included Minister of State for Law Pradeepsinh Jadeja, 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee Chairman and Ahmedabad Mayor Asit Vora.

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