Dr A. Sakthivel, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), represented the Indian apparel export industry at the Textile Summit 2026, organised by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, under the theme “Textiles for Global Markets”.
The summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, experts, state government representatives and stakeholders from across the textile value chain to deliberate on strategies for achieving the Government’s Vision 2030 for the textile sector, including the target of creating a USD 350 billion textile ecosystem with USD 100 billion in exports by 2030.
Dr Sakthivel addressed the session on “District & Cluster-Led Export Strategy”, which focused on transforming districts into export growth engines through stronger collaboration, execution and ecosystem development. The discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening district and cluster-based manufacturing ecosystems, improving infrastructure and logistics, enhancing access to finance and building future-ready skills to support India’s textile export ambitions.
Speaking in the presence of Hon’ble Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh and Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Smt Neelam Shami Rao, Dr Sakthivel underscored the critical role of apparel and textile clusters in driving employment, exports and regional economic development.
Highlighting the growing significance of Man-Made Fibre (MMF) products in global trade, Dr Sakthivel advocated the promotion of joint ventures and technology partnerships with Taiwan to accelerate the development of India’s MMF ecosystem. He noted that strategic international collaborations would help strengthen India’s manufacturing capabilities, facilitate technology transfer and improve global competitiveness.
To support the industry’s workforce requirements, he called for the creation of modern hostel facilities for workers in major textile and apparel clusters. Such infrastructure, he said, would improve worker welfare, facilitate labour mobility and help address manpower challenges faced by manufacturing hubs.
Emphasising the need for rapid technological advancement, Dr Sakthivel proposed the creation of a dedicated fund for technology upgradation to support investments in modern manufacturing systems, automation, digitalisation and emerging technologies, including AI-enabled solutions. He stressed that technology adoption would be essential for improving productivity, quality and sustainability across the textile value chain.
Dr Sakthivel also urged the Government to consider reducing the minimum investment threshold under relevant support schemes to ₹25 crore to enable greater participation by MSMEs, which form the backbone of India’s textile and apparel industry.
Drawing attention to the importance of cluster-led development, he sought special policy support for the Tiruppur knitwear cluster, including consideration of a dedicated PM MITRA Park for the region. He highlighted Tiruppur’s contribution to India’s apparel exports and its potential to play a pivotal role in achieving the country’s export growth targets.
The summit deliberations also focused on product and design enhancement, value addition, quality and sustainability standards, utilisation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), market diversification and strengthening India’s participation in global textile and apparel value chains.
According to presentations made during the summit, the textile sector contributes 2.3 per cent to India’s GDP, accounts for 10 per cent of manufacturing output and employs nearly 50 million people, making it the largest employer after agriculture. The sector exports to more than 190 countries and remains a strategic pillar of India’s export ecosystem.
Reaffirming AEPC’s commitment to the Government’s vision for the sector, Dr Sakthivel stated that focused investments in technology, workforce infrastructure, cluster development and export-oriented manufacturing would be critical to achieving the goal of USD 100 billion in textile and apparel exports by 2030.
The summit served as an important platform for collaboration between the Centre, States and industry stakeholders to strengthen India’s position as a leading global sourcing destination for textiles and apparel.
