CITI's 11th ATEXCON to focus on challenges in Indian textile industry

The theme of the 11^th ATEXCON is ‘2025 & Beyond Asia’s Global Hub for Textile Manufacturing & Consumers’. India’s minister of textiles, commerce and industry, and consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Piyush Goyal, will inaugurate and address the industry captains at the 11th ATEXCON as the chief guest.

Over 400 delegates from global textile and apparel value chain are expected to participate in the event. ATEXCON will bring together leading players in the Asian textile industry, global input suppliers, and service providers to deliberate on key business areas, including regional and global issues concerning this sector. The conference will also focus on emerging opportunities through cross-country cooperation, as per an official media release.

The event will provide a conducive forum for policymakers and the industry to collaborate and find the way forward to usher the Asian textile industry into a sustainable future through 2025 and beyond.

Southern India Mills Association (SIMA) is the host association of the 11th ATEXCON, and the government of Tamil Nadu has extended its support to the event as a partner state.

S Muthusamy, minister for housing and urban development and prohibition and excise, government of Tamil Nadu; R Gandhi, minister for handlooms and textiles; and R Sakkarapani, minister for food and civil supplies, government of Tamil Nadu, will be the guests of honour.

The Important Business Sessions of the 11^th ATEXCON are diverse and far-reaching. These include ‘Enabling Resilient Textile & Apparel Supply Chains’; ‘Regional Cooperation and Partnerships for Sustainable Development’; ‘Emerging Trends & Opportunities in the MMF Based Value Added Textiles Including Technical Textiles’; ‘Collaborating with India: Inviting State Partners with PM Mitra Mega Textile Parks’; and ‘Green Revolution: Scaling Sustainable Textile & Apparel Manufacturing’.

Additionally, it will delve into ‘Trends, Developments, and Innovations in Home Textiles’ and the complex subject of ‘Managing Financial Risks in Textiles & Apparel Business’.

The event is being supported by leading Textile Trade Associations’ like International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), Joint Apparel Association Forum, Sri Lanka, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC), The Clothing Manufactures Association of India (CMAI), Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC), Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA), etc.

The Sakthi Group of Companies, Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW), Birla Cellulose, Waaree and India ITME Society are some of the prominent sponsors of the 11th ATEXCON.

At a press conference held today in New Delhi, CITI recommended fast tracking of FTAs with strategic partners like the EU, UK, and Canada, advocating for a zero-for-zero deal in the textile industry with strong rules and regional VC to avoid circumvention of trade. To achieve a market size of $350 billion (including $100 billion in exports), India must at least double its manufacturing capacity for raw materials and address other related issues.

CITI also suggested new investment incentives to encourage scaling up, innovations, and sustainable technologies, including expediting an Alternate Scheme to Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) and early announcement of PLI 2.0 with lower thresholds. Quality Control Orders must be introduced more gradually to ensure no supply disruption and should not be applied on products with limited domestic availability. Lastly, CITI has called for the removal of the 11 per cent cotton duty that has eroded the competitiveness of Indian cotton and its entire value chain.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)