AEPC Chairman Dr. A. Sakthivel had the privilege of leading the interaction with Hon’ble Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh during his visit to Tiruppur, where industry leaders discussed the roadmap for accelerating India’s apparel exports.
The Minister began his visit with Nethaji Apparel Park, India’s first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model textile park, where he visited garment manufacturing units and interacted with industry representatives to understand Tiruppur’s world-class manufacturing capabilities and sustainable production practices. He later participated in the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat programme.
Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, visited Tiruppur today ( 28.06.2026 ) as part of his official tour. He was accompanied by Shri T.N. Venkatesh, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Handlooms and Textiles, and Dr. Beena, IAS, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Subsequently, the Minister attended an exporters’ interaction meeting organised by the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA) under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC).
Welcoming the Minister, Dr. A. Sakthivel highlighted the need to strengthen the PM MITRA Scheme by extending 50% capital subsidy for textile processing units, promote balanced growth of Man-Made Fibre (MMF) and cotton garments, simplify fabric imports under export schemes, establish a Centre of Excellence for Green Processing, and provide policy support to enable India’s apparel exports to reach USD 40 billion, including USD 20 billion from MMF garments.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Giriraj Singh lauded Tiruppur’s remarkable transformation from an unorganised cluster into a globally recognised and sustainable apparel manufacturing hub. He appreciated the tireless efforts of the entrepreneurs and congratulated Dr. A. Sakthivel for his visionary leadership in taking Tiruppur to global prominence. The Minister also commended the contributions of Dr. Beena, IAS, and Shri T.N. Venkatesh, IAS, towards the development of the textile sector.
The Minister emphasised that branding Tiruppur should be a national priority and described the textile sector as the largest employment generator after agriculture. Referring to the recent Textile Summit held in New Delhi, he said that Tamil Nadu has been assigned an apparel export target of USD 21 billion by 2030. He urged exporters to immediately diversify their product portfolio and gradually shift 40% of their production towards MMF garments to enhance global competitiveness.
He assured the industry that both the Central and State Governments would extend support for workers’ hostel facilities and positively consider the industry’s representations. He also highlighted the achievements of the Government over the past 12 years, including progress in GST collections, textile consumption, manufacturing growth and other key economic indicators.
The meeting witnessed the participation of presidents and representatives of various textile and trade associations, exporters and members of the business community. During the interactive session, participants presented their concerns and suggestions relating to textile and apparel exports. Responding to the representations, the Hon’ble Union Minister assured the industry that the Government would take prompt steps to address their issues and extend all possible support to accelerate the growth of India’s textile and apparel exports
