Technological strides, archaic rules hit handloom exports

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Panipat, Aug 31 (UNI) Technology constraints, unfavourable labour laws, archaic regulatory regime and logistical disadvantages are hitting India's textiles exports, especially in the handloom sector, Mohit Jain, Chairman, Haryana Committee, PHDCCI said here today.

''Lack of state-of-the-art technology poses the most serious challenge to the country's attempt to increase its handloom exports.

The total number of shuttleless looms as a percentage to total looms in India in 2003 was 9.5 per cent against 94.8 per cent in the US,'' Mr Jain said while chairing a seminar on 'Export Promotion of Textiles: Focus Handloom' here.

In the absence of concrete labour policies, the industry which is second only to agriculture in providing livelihood to more than 120 lakh workforce, often gets paralysed due to labour strikes, he said adding, the sector is highly decentralised and handloom weavers can be found in over 400 clusters in the country with about 35 lakh looms spread all over India.

''There is an urgent need for following a protective-policy for the labour-centric handloom sector. Substantial efforts are also required in the areas of entrepreneurship, training and development of new fabric, designs, dyes and motifs,'' Mr Jain said.

However, Mr T K Rout from Textiles Committee informed that the Indian export of textiles and clothing is picking up in the post-quota period and has increased from 13.5 billion dollars in 2004 to 16 billion dollars in 2005.

''Indian textiles and clothing export has been experiencing the high tariff and non-tariff barriers in the US and the European Union,'' he added.

The seminar was jointly organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Textiles Committee, Union Textiles ministry.

UNI JN PKS RS1744

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