Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary Ministry of Textiles and Chairperson, Textiles Committee, began her comprehensive two-day visit to Mumbai from today, to review the ongoing programmes, institutional performance, and policy implementation progress of various bodies functioning under the Ministry of Textiles. On the first day of her visit, she reviewed activities related to handlooms and allied sectors, accompanied by Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handlooms).
During the visit, Secretary Interacted with Ms Anshu Sinha, IAS, Principal Secretary (Textiles) Government of Maharashtra and other senior officers from Government of Maharashtra and deliberated on bringing in synergy with both state and central implementation of central schemes in the state of Maharashtra and discussed the issues affecting the growth of the sector in the state.
The visit commenced with a detailed review meeting at the Textiles Committee, where the Secretary examined the activities of the organisation vis-à-vis the functions envisaged in the Textiles Committee Act, 1963 by the founding fathers of the Textiles Committee and advised to restructure and reorient its activities so as to meet the objectives of the Act and support the industry to meet the visions of the Ministry of Textiles. She emphasized the growing needs of the industry in scientific, technical & economic research and attributed the functions of the Textiles Committee to these and advised to realign the priorities to meet the aspirations of both the industry and government. The TC should act like a link between the industry and government by providing inputs on the ground realities of the sector so as to help the industry to mitigate these with the help of policy interventions from the Ministry of Textiles.
Following this, Smt. Rao visited the Synthetic & Art Silk Mills’ Research Association (SASMIRA). The review centered on SASMIRA’s ongoing R&D in technical textiles, man-made fibers, and green textile innovations. The Secretary appreciated SASMIRA’s contributions to training & education, promoting technical textile applications, industrial testing facilities, and capacity-building programs aimed at strengthening the synthetic sector’s competitiveness. She emphasized the need to align SASMIRA’s research activities with global sustainability and recycling objectives.
At the Weavers Service Centre (WSC), Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Smt. Rao and Dr. Beena reviewed the implementation of major schemes including the National Handloom Development Programme, Cluster Development Programme, and marketing interventions such as exhibitions, design innovation, and digital platforms for weavers. The Secretary highlighted the importance of technology integration, e-commerce enablement, and handloom mark promotion to expand the domestic and export reach of India’s handloom products.
Subsequently, the delegation visited the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), where interactions were held with representatives from the cotton textile export sector. The discussions focused on export competitiveness, diversification of markets, Kasturi Cotton Bharat and the promotion of value-added cotton textile products. Smt. Rao appreciated TEXPROCIL’s proactive role in supporting exporters through trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and international branding initiatives.
A similar review meeting was held at the Man-made Textiles Export Promotion Council (MATEXIL). The Secretary reviewed export performance trends, challenges faced by synthetic and blended textile exporters, and strategies to enhance global visibility for Indian man-made fibers. She encouraged the Council to adopt sustainability-driven export models and to leverage FTAs and trade pacts for greater market access.
In the evening, the Secretary held a comprehensive review meeting at the Office of the Textile Commissioner, focusing on key flagship schemes of the Ministry such as the PM MITRA Parks Scheme, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles, and SAMARTH – Skill Development Scheme. After in the evening, Smt. Rao will chair a meeting with major industry associations, engaging leading representatives from across the textile value chain to discuss policy feedback, sustainability initiatives, and investment promotion.
