Dilip Guha ★ New Delhi : Bharat Tex 2025, a major global event, is being held from February 14th to 17th February at Bharat Mandapam New Delhi. The event brings together the entire textile value chain, from raw materials to finished products, including accessories, under one roof. Bharat Tex platform is the textile industry’s largest and most comprehensive event comprising a mega expo, spread across two venues, another one at the India Expo Centre and Mart Greater Noida, and showcasing the entire textile ecosystem.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India’s cultural diversity is reflected in the textiles originating from different parts of the country. Addressing the gathering at the Bharat Tex 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sunday, Mr Modi said the vision of Farm, Fibre, Fabric, Fashion, and Foreign has become a mission that is expanding areas of growth of India. He said India is the sixth largest textile and apparel exporter today. He said India’s exports in the textiles sector are currently three lakh crore rupees and the target is to reach nine lakh crore rupees by 2030.
“India saw a 7% increase in textile and apparel exports last year, and now ranks as the sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparel in the world”, he pointed out. He noted that India’s textile exports have reached ₹3 lakh crore, with a target to increase this to ₹9 lakh crore by 2030.
“The textile industry is one of the largest providers of employment opportunities in the country, contributing 11% to India’s manufacturing sector”, he added. He also pointed out the Mission Manufacturing announced in this budget. He remarked that the investments and growth in this sector are benefiting crores of textile workers.
Earlier The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion and interacted with the exhibitors. Union Minister for Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, and the Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Pabitra Margherita were present on the occasion among other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed everyone to Bharat Tex 2025 and remarked that today Bharat Mandapam was witnessing the 2nd edition of Bharat Tex. He added that the event gave a glimpse of our heritage as well as the prospects of Viksit Bharat, which was a matter of pride for India. “Bharat Tex is now becoming a mega global textile event”, remarked Shri Modi. He added that all the twelve communities related to the spectrum of the value chain were part of the event this time. He further noted that there were exhibitions of accessories, garments, types of machinery, chemicals, and dyes as well.
The Prime Minister highlighted that Bharat Tex was becoming a strong platform for engagement, collaboration, and partnership for policymakers, CEOs, and industry leaders from across the world. He lauded the efforts of all the stakeholders involved in the organization of the event.
The Prime Minister said there was a focus on sunrise sectors like technical textiles and promoting indigenous carbon fiber and its products. He remarked that India is progressing towards manufacturing high-grade carbon fiber. Furthermore, the Prime Minister mentioned that the necessary policy decisions for the textile sector are being taken. He highlighted the expansion of MSMEs’ classification criteria and increased credit availability in this year’s budget. He also stressed that the textile sector, with 80% contribution from MSMEs, will greatly benefit from these measures.
“Any sector excels when it has a skilled workforce and skill plays a crucial role in the textile industry”, exclaimed Shri Modi. Adding that efforts were being made to create a skilled talent pool, he highlighted the role of National Centres of Excellence for skilling and mentioned that the Samarth scheme is aiding in developing the necessary skills for the value chain. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of maintaining the authenticity of handloom craftsmanship in the age of technology. He highlighted the efforts to enhance the skills and opportunities for handloom artisans, ensuring their products reach global markets. “Over the past 10 years, more than 2400 large marketing events have been organized to promote handlooms”, he added. He also mentioned the creation of the India-hand-made e-commerce platform to boost online marketing of handloom products, which has seen thousands of handloom brands register. The Prime Minister pointed out the significant benefits of GI tagging for handloom products.
The Prime Minister emphasized optimizing resource use and reducing waste in the textile industry. He raised concerns about “fast fashion waste,” with millions of garments discarded monthly, posing environmental threats. By 2030, fashion waste could reach 148 million tons, with less than a quarter currently recycled. Modi highlighted India’s potential to turn this issue into an opportunity through traditional recycling and up-cycling skills. Examples include making mats, rugs, and quilts from old fabrics. Innovation in these arts can lead to global market opportunities. The Textile Ministry signed an MoU to promote up-cycling, and pilot projects for textile waste collection are underway in cities like Navi Mumbai and Bangalore. The Prime Minister encouraged startups to participate and projected India’s textile recycling market could reach $400 million, while the global market could hit $7.5 billion, aiming for a larger market share.
Shri Modi encouraged the youth to bring forward new techno-textile startups and work on new ideas. He suggested that the textile industry could collaborate with institutions like IITs to develop new tools. He observed that the new generation is increasingly appreciating traditional attire alongside modern fashion trends. Therefore, he emphasized the importance of fusing tradition with innovation and launching products inspired by traditional garments to attract the new generation globally. The Prime Minister also addressed the growing role of technology in discovering new trends and creating new styles, with AI playing a significant part. He mentioned that while traditional khadi is being promoted, fashion trends are also being analyzed using AI. He recounted the organization of a fashion show of Khadi Products in Porbandar, Gujarat when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Shri Modi urged the importance of promoting Khadi, remarking that it was ‘Khadi for the nation’ during our freedom struggle, but now it should be ‘Khadi for fashion’.
Referring to his recent visit to Paris, the Prime Minister remarked, “The world is adopting the vision of Fashion for Environment and Empowerment, and India can lead the way in this regard”. He pointed out that sustainability has always been an integral part of Indian textile tradition, citing examples like khadi, tribal textiles, and the use of natural dyes. He underlined that India’s traditional sustainable techniques are now being enhanced with cutting-edge technologies, benefiting artisans, weavers, and millions of women associated with the industry.
Shri Modi highlighted that centuries ago, India’s prosperity was significantly driven by the textile industry. As India aims to become Viksit Bharat, the textile sector is expected to play a major role once again. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of events like Bharat Tex in strengthening India’s position in this sector. He expressed confidence that such events will continue to achieve new records of success and reach greater heights each year.
The highlights of PM Shri Modi’s speech :
Bharat Tex showcases the cultural diversity of India through our traditional garments.
Bharat Tex is becoming a strong platform for engagement, collaboration, and partnership for policymakers, CEOs, and industry leaders from across the world
India saw a 7% increase in textile and apparel exports last year and is currently ranked the sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparel in the world.
The world is adopting the vision of Fashion for Environment and Empowerment, and India can lead the way in this regard.
India’s textile industry can turn ‘Fast Fashion Waste’ into an opportunity, leveraging the country’s diverse traditional skills in textile recycling and up-cycling.
Any sector excels when it has a skilled workforce and skill plays a crucial role in the textile industry.
It is important to maintain the authenticity of handloom craftsmanship in the age of technology.
Featured image courtesy : Prasar Bharati
