Textile Sector to Create 6 Cr Jobs by 2030: Giriraj Singh

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) The government has prepared a road map for creating 4.5-6 crore jobs in the textile sector by 2030, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said on Friday, asserting that efforts are being made to take the sector's market size to USD 350 billion from around USD 165 billion at present.

Addressing a press conference on the 100-day programme of Ministry of Textiles, Singh said: "The 100-day road map we have prepared includes (attracting) investment to the tune of lakhs of crores (in the textile sector) going forward. We have prepared a road map for creation of 4.5 crore to 6 crore jobs by 2030."

He shared that the seven PM-MITRA integrated mega textile parks approved earlier will have investment to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore when fully functional, thereby creating 21 lakh jobs.

Taking a dig at previous Congress-led governments, he said, they would not do anything in the first three months whereas the Modi government has started with a 100-day road map.

"Earlier, when a new government was formed, for three months, they would speak in irreverant terms. Which, they (in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi) are currently doing abroad. On the other hand, the Modi government has drawn a road map for development in the first three months," Singh said.

He said that there are plans to take the size of India's textile sector to USD 350 billion.

"To reach a size of USD 350 billion in the coming days, we need man-made fabric, whether it be synthetic, viscose or natural fibre, we are preparing for everything," said the minister, adding that over 350 brands globally procure clothes from India and one should look not just the export figures but domestic numbers also.

Notably, India's textiles exports declined for the second year in a row in 2023-24.

The government has set an ambitious target to achieve USD 100 billion export for textile products by 2030.

Exports of textiles and apparel from India during FY24 fell 3.24 per cent at USD 34.4 billion, as compared to USD 35.5 billion a year ago.

Singh stated that efforts are underway to promote Make in India for the textiles sector, adding that neither Bangladesh nor Vietnam poses a challenge to the domestic industry.

"We are promoting Make in India for the country's textiles sector(to meet the demand of growing population). It is a different matter that our population increases by more than the size of Australia's population every year. In the last ten years, more than 21 crore people were born (in India)," he said.

"I would like to state clearly that neither Bangladesh nor Vietnam was ever a challenge for me.... there is this havoc being created about Bangladesh (posing a challenge to India's textile industry," the minister added.

Singh, who represents the Begusarai electoral constituency in Bihar, said a scheme has been approved for the revival of Bhagalpur's silk industry.