The textile industry is expected to register exports of $38 billion in 2012-13 as against $34 billion in 2011-12.
Kiran Dhingra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Textiles, told The Hindu here on Saturday that the export target for textiles for 2011-12 was $33 billion and the year ended with exports of nearly $34 billion. The growth came partially from entry into new markets such as Latin America, Africa and the Asian countries. The fall in rupee value had also helped exporters. The target for 2012-13 was $38 billion. On the debt restructuring package, Ms. Dhingra said the draft report of a study by BOB Capital Markets would be discussed at the inter-ministerial steering committee meeting on May 18. The suggestions of the industry would also be considered before the Ministry finalised its views on the issue, she added.
The restructured Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS), introduced last year, would continue in the current year (2012-13). In 2011-12, the sector hardly saw any investment. The Union Ministry of Textiles had already recommended that the scheme should be extended to the XII Plan period with an allocation of Rs.15,886 crore.
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The processing units in Tamil Nadu were spending more to meet the zero-liquid discharge norms. It was essential to be prepared as “We can anticipate the environmental norms to get tighter in other parts of the country too.” Based on the inputs received from stakeholders here on the different possibilities to achieve zero liquid discharge, assistance could be given through a new scheme for the processing units in the XII Plan for the add-on technology to meet the norms, she said.