Book English 2011.p65 - Ministry of Textiles

annual report 2010-11CHAPTER IHIGHLIGHTSThe Union Minister for Textiles, Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran at the 16th National Institute ofFashion Technology (NIFT) Convocation, in New Delhi on November 02, 2010The Indian Textiles Industry has anoverwhelming presence in theeconomic life of the country. Apartfrom providing one of the basic necessitiesof life, the textiles industry also plays apivotal role through its contribution toindustrial output, employment generation,and the export earnings of the country.Currently, it contributes about 14 percentto industrial production, 4 percent to theGDP, and 17 percent to the country'sexport earnings. It provides directemployment to over 35 million people,which includes a substantial number ofSC/ST, and women. The Textiles sectoris the second largest provider ofemployment after agriculture. Thus, thegrowth and all round development of thisindustry has a direct bearing on theimprovement of the economy of the nation.The Indian textiles industry is extremelyvaried, with the hand-spun and handwovensector at one end of the spectrum,and the capital intensive, sophisticatedmill sector at the other. The decentralizedpowerlooms / hosiery and knitting sectorfrom the largest section of the TextilesSector. The close linkage of the Industryto agriculture and the ancient culture, and3