Open Indian textile market for global competitors: Elangovan

Chennai, May 10 (UNI) Union Minister of state for Textile E V K S Elangovan today said Indian textile market will be opened up for the global competitors.

While addressing a gathering, in the buyer-seller meet of Indian handlooms here, he said as the domestic market appeared to be more and more limited the policy should focus on avenues abroad.

''The thrust of product line of handlooms should be the export market,'' he said, and added ''this calls for product diversification into non-commercial and value-added segments, design development, dissemination of market intelligence and quality upgradation of handloom products.'' On the problems faced by the handloom industry due to rupee appreciation, the Minister said ''frequent power failures also make the handloom industry weaker.'' ''All steps should be taken to ensure proper forward and backward linkages for the handloom sector, so that it does not suffer either from availability of raw materials, production technology, innovative and marketable designs or marketing of finished goods,'' he added.

Mr Elangovan also pointed out that handloom sector was in dire need of market orientation and business outlook. To develop and promote domestic and export markets and to link the two in a holistic and integrated manner, it has decided to amalgamate the marketing promotion programmes and handloom export scheme of the tenth plan with some modifications.

''Under the component handloom export promotion, it is envisaged to assist handloom cooperative societies and corporation in developing explorable products and assist handloom agencies in international marketing of their products,'' he added.

UNI SNR PDT DS1435