“The AGMCs in other six States are expected to start manufacturing in a month. After starting production of all the eight AGMCs, there would be a landmark development in the textile sector in the northeastern region,” she added.

“The AGMCs aim to boost the scopes of employment and exports and curb migration of workers from this region to other parts of the country,” Verma said.

Three hundred Japanese computerised sewing machines will be installed in each of the eight AGMCs. Out these, 200 machines would be used for manufacturing and 100 for providing training.

Each AGMC will provide direct employment to 1,200 to 1,500 people, mostly women. Each unit is expected to meet the demand for uniforms and garments of the police, security and paramilitary forces as well as schoolchildren and civilians in the region.

Verma said a host of other schemes are planned in the northeastern states under the NERTPS, which covers projects across the textiles sector ranging from sericulture, handlooms, handicrafts, power looms to apparel and garmenting.

The Textile Ministry's top officer said that under the cluster development projects for handlooms, the rich handloom sector of the northeast would be developed and modernised to increase production, productivity, employability and value addition by upgrading technology.

“As bamboo is one of the rich resources of the region, handicrafts with a variety of designs and its diverse use in northeastern states have an immense global market. This sector must be developed. Sericulture is another viable sector which also has tremendous scope to -rovide more and more employment and to earn foreign exchange,” Verma said.

India's international border with China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal runs for over 5000 km in the Northeast. Some of the states have trade ties with a few of these countries, especially Bangladesh and Myanmar. Thus, the AGMCs can potentially exports readymade apparel to these adjoining and other countries. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India