PM Modi flags off India’s biggest global textile event with 5F mantra

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s largest global textile event Bharat Text 2024 on Monday with his 5F mantra and assured the textiles sector that the government would extend all help to give a big push to the industry.

Addressing the event, PM Modi emphasised his 5F vision of Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign to take the sector ahead as it has a crucial role to play in creating large scale employment and making India a fully developed country (Viksit Bharat) in the next 25 years.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the textiles sector assumes special importance as it is linked to the four priority areas of the government in providing jobs and opportunities for the poor, the farmers, youth and empowerment of women.

PM Modi also gave a clarion call for not only being “vocal for local but also taking local to global” in order to push exports and create more employment.

He urged the textiles industry to adopt environment-friendly technology and avoid the use of chemicals and promote the use of natural colours in the production of textiles as part of a new back to basics approach that had a great demand in the global market.

He also advised them to study foreign markets in order to promote exports as countries like Africa had a vast market but also had a particular fashion and preferred certain colours which should be kept in mind while planning for exports.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the fact that the government had succeeded in creating a new market for Khadi in India, and promoted the product which was earlier worn only by political leaders.

PM Modi highlighted the fact that the government had held several exhibitions abroad in order to promote India’s textile products and would continue to do so in the future to expand the country’s exports.

“I guarantee this for you, and my government always guarantees things that others don’t,” he remarked.

The PM pointed out that the government had enhanced the outlay of the textiles sector from Rs 7 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore. There has been a 25 per cent jump in textile production in the country and the inflow of FDI into the sector has doubled during the tenure of the present government, he added.

The four-day event (Feb 25-29) is a tapestry of tradition and technology, attracting, over 3,500 exhibitors, over 3,000 buyers from over 100 countries, PM Modi said.

It will help position India as a global powerhouse in textiles, showcasing its capabilities and generating momentum throughout the entire Indian textiles ecosystem, he added.

Prime Minister Modi also took a round to get a first-hand feel of the various textile products and cutting-edge technology being showcased at the event.

The event has received an overwhelming response with leading global textile companies including Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Vero Moda, Coats, Toray, H&M, Gap, Target, Levis, Kohl’s, having confirmed their presence.

In addition, Business Delegations from key textiles hubs including US, UK, Australia, Belgium, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and multilateral Organisations and Global textile associations are also participating.

The four-day event covers over 22 lakh sq ft exhibition area spread across two venues at Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi in the national capital.

Being organised by a consortium of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Bharat Tex is built on the twin pillars of trade and investment and with an overarching focus on sustainability and resilient supply chains.

Major Textiles States in the country including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Karnataka are participating with dedicated pavilions and government representations.

The Bharat Tex exhibition features Apparel, Home Furnishings, Floor Coverings, Fibres, Yarns, Threads, Fabrics, Carpets, Silk, Textiles based Handicrafts, Technical Textiles and many more. It will also have a retail High Street focusing on India’s fashion retail market opportunities.

Other attractions of the show include dedicated pavilions on sustainability and recycling showcasing actual work done by individual industry as well as clusters like Panipat, Tirupur and Surat, an Indi-Haat showcasing India’s traditional sector of Handicrafts and Handlooms, over 10 Fashion shows spread across 4 days on diverse themes ranging from Indian Textiles Heritage to sustainability and global designs.

Bharat Tex also features art demonstrations by master craftsmen, interactive fabric testing zones and product demonstrations and showcases global fashion trends.

A specially curated pavilion in Bharat Tex narrates the story of Indian textiles as an unbroken continuum – from the past to present to the future.