textile industry - Introduction The Textile industry in...

Introduction
The Textile industry in India traditionally, after agriculture, is the only industry that has generated
huge employment for both skilled and unskilled labor in textiles. The textile industry continues to
be the second largest employment generating sector in India. It offers direct employment to over 35
million in the country. The share of textiles in total exports was 11.04% during April–July 2010, as
per the Ministry of Textiles. During 2009-2010, Indian textiles industry was pegged at US$55
billion, 64% of which services domestic demand. In 2010, there were 2,500 textile weaving
factories and 4,135 textile finishing factories in all of India. India’s textiles sector is one of the
mainstays of the national economy. It is also one of the largest contributing sectors of India’s
exports contributing 11 per cent to the country’s total exports basket. The textiles industry is labour
intensive and is one of the largest employers. The industry realised export earnings worth US$
41.57 billion in 2013-14. The textile industry has two broad segments, namely handloom,
handicrafts, sericulture, power looms in the unorganised sector and spinning, apparel, garmenting,
made ups in the organised sector.
The Indian textiles industry is extremely varied, with a hand-spun and hand-woven sector at one
end of the spectrum, and the capital intensive sophisticated mill sector at the other. The
decentralised power looms/ hosiery and knitting sector form the largest and knitting sector form the
largest section of the Textiles Sector. The close linkage of the Industry to agriculture and the ancient
culture, the traditions of the country make the Indian textiles sector unique in comparison to the
textiles industry of other countries. This also provides the industry with the capacity to produce a
variety of products suitable to the different market segments, both within and outside the country.
India is the one of the world's largest producers of textiles and garments. Abundant availability of
raw materials such as cotton, wool, silk and jute as well as skilled workforce have made the country
a sourcing hub. It is the world's second largest producer of textiles and garments. The Indian textiles
industry accounts for about 24 per cent of the world's spindle capacity and eight per cent of global
rotor capacity. The potential size of the Indian textiles and apparel industry is expected to reach
US$ 223 billion by 2021, according to a report by Technopak Advisors. The textiles industry has
made a major contribution to the national economy in terms of direct and indirect employment
generation and net foreign exchange earnings. The sector contributes about 14 per cent to industrial
production, four per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP), and 27 per cent to the country's
foreign exchange inflows. It provides direct employment to over 45 million people. The textiles
sector is the second largest provider of employment after agriculture. Thus, the growth and all
round development of this industry has a direct bearing on the improvement of India's economy.