Speaking at an event during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani on Sunday, January 20 reportedly said that the textile sector in Gujarat saw investments of Rs 30,000 crore since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. However, a report released by her at the same event showed that several segments of the textile sector in Gujarat registered a negative growth between 2012 and 2017.
The ASSOCHAM report titled “Gujarat: The growing engine for textile and apparel manufacturing” and accessed by the Indian Express stated that the production of raw cotton in Gujarat fell at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -0.5 per cent. The report, released by Irani at the event, also stated that in the last five years, Gujarat’s fabric production had registered a “de-growth” at CAGR of -2 per cent, reported IE.
“In the last five years, production of blended fabrics have registered a positive growth of 1 per cent, while 100 per cent non-cotton category have registered a de-growth of -9 percent,” the report added.
“Hundred per cent non-cotton yarn is the only category which is growing at a CAGR of 3 per cent, while cotton and blended yarn have registered a de-growth of -0.4 percent and -1.8 percent, respectively, during the same period,” the report stated.
Irani claimed at the textiles conclave, “Close to Rs 30,000 crore of investments have flowed to Gujarat, post the subsidies given by the Government of India. Gujarat politically has seen those days when there was a struggle between the Centre and the state so that the aspirations of Gujaratis are not disrespected. When I was given the charge of the ministry, I did look at the numbers of pre and post 2014. I am happy to say, before 2014, though Gujarat was given only 9 textile parks sanctioned by the then government, we have sanctioned 17 textile parks worth Rs 5,614 crore of which six are already completed,” reported IE.
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