“The textile industry occupies an important position in the industrial landscape of Karnataka by way of its contribution to industrial production, employment generation and export earnings,” Ratna Prabha, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries.
“It is next only to the agriculture sector in terms of employment generation. Even though the textile sector contributes only 0.50 per cent to the GDP of the State, it is one of the sectors which have employed more than five lakh persons in the State,” she added.
“The textiles sector occupies second position in the State in terms of value of exports, next only to electronics and computer software,” Ratna Prabha said. The State exports readymade garments to countries such as the US, the UK, Italy, Germany, Western Europe, Hong Kong, Turkey, Canada and Australia.
Karnataka is keen to emerge as a leader in the Technical Textile Industry (builtech, clothtech, hometech, meditech) concentrated primarily in Bengaluru. It is now spreading to tier II cities such as Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya, Kolar etc and Bengaluru is becoming the hubs of this sub-sector.
“Having attracted investments worth 1,480 crore already, the hunger for more is still visible,” she added.
The main competitive advantage for Karnataka is the presence of a large pool of labour and the key raw material of cotton.
“Cotton is cultivated in about 5.5 lakh hectares and the State produces about 6 per cent of the total produced in the country. In sericulture, the State leads as the producer of 65 per cent of India’s raw silk. We are also the largest wool producing states, contributing 12 per cent,” Ratna Prabha said.
The government has already provided infrastructure support by way of Apparel Parks across the State. KIADB has special industrial areas for apparels.
“As for as the skilled human resources the state has a large pool, backed by third largest strength of engineering graduates,” she added.
Source: Business Line