India is one of the leading textile producers and exporters of the world. The size of the domestic cloth production during 2007-08 is pegged at Rs.2384 billion1. The country has been a significant exporter of textiles and textile products since time immemorial. Though the export share is declining over the years, the aggregate export is increasing very rapidly. The year 2007-08 has seen an export earning of Rs.789 billion. Besides export earnings the textile industry in India has been in the forefront in the employment generation. The industry has several segments such as spinning, weaving and processing. The recent years have seen significant growth in hosiery and readymade garment production. These sectors are considered employment intensive ones. Unlike the countries like China and other advanced textile producing nations, the Indian textile sector is largely unorganised and dispersed. Since unorganised and one of the earliest to be established, the industry is suffering from technological obsolescence these sub-sectors of spinning, weaving, processing, knitting or readymade garment making require appropriate technologically viable machinery for production of yarn, fabric, or ready-made garments. The industry secures the machinery from the country and also source from abroad.
Realising the contribution of the sector to the national economy, exports and employment generation, government of India has taken several steps to boost the industrial growth. Some important steps like Technology Upgradation Funds Scheme (TUFS), Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP), excise and import duty liberalization of textiles and textile machinery are shots in the arm of the textile industry. These schemes have not only provided much required fillip for igniting growth but also have leveraged the growth of textile engineering industry which includes manufacture of complete machinery, accessories and parts. Though the machinery industry is growing in a reasonable speed, some of the sector specific machines still have not been able to match the quality and productivity standards of the world-class machines.
The main objective of the paper is to delineate the present status of the textile engineering industry in India and then to compare its position vis--vis the global exports of textile machinery. Two sections are exclusively devoted; the first on the textile engineering industry status and the second the position of the industry in global trade.
Source : fibre2fashion.com