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nion Textile Minister Kashiram Rana has recently woven together a new textile
policy that is expected to add fresh luster to the apparel sector. According to our
own minister, India’s textile segment, our loom of joy, will rake in $50 billion of exports
from the country in 2010.
By all accounts, India’s sarees (read that as garments) and software will rule
the roost!
The government’s belief is that the country’s power and handloom markets
—
the
lifeblood of its textile sector
—
will form the key fabric of India’s global ambitions.
Rana’s vision in fact envisages the power-loom and handloom industries, finding
their rightful place in the world textile spotlight. At the international level,
meanwhile, the garment quota system is expected to go away, leaving open yards of space
for competition.
As India wakes up to the new realities, Gujarat too must clothe itself in these 21st
century colours. In fact, before the international policies change and the garment
quota system goes away, Gujarat has to redefine itself.
Home to some of the most exquisite mill and handmade cloth, Gujarat has every
chance of making it big in the textile marts of the world, provided the state follows
a “stitch in time” approach.
After all, when it comes to exotic textiles, Gujarat still knows best. From Saurashtra
to Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, it’s a world of tie-and–dye and
bandhani
.
Surat is
home to sarees.
And when it comes to the intricately embroidered mirror-work, none can match
the famous Gujarati
abhalas
.
Mirror-work brings to mind Gujarat’s enterprising
Mancha ben, whose brilliantly crafted neckties caught the attention of none other
than software mogul Bill Gates. Mancha ben has managed to place remote Khim in
The Times of India, Ahmedabad November 6, 2000
“
Taking the e-Silk Route: Gujarat’s Designs
on the Global Textile Industry”
