New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said the time had come to execute district and state textile plans with a proactive approach, stressing the need for value addition, sustainability, niche products and effective utilisation of free trade agreements to achieve India’s textile export ambitions.

Addressing the concluding session of the two-day Textiles Summit 2026, Singh said the sector must focus on the right product-market mix while ensuring compliance with sustainability and environmental standards.

He also stressed the importance of leveraging free trade agreements and promoting specialised products to enhance India’s competitiveness in global markets.

The summit, organised by the Ministry of Textiles on June 23 and 24, brought together representatives from state governments, industry bodies and academia to deliberate on the future growth roadmap for the textile sector and strategies to achieve the target of $100 billion in textile exports by 2030.

Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao said the discussions held during the summit marked a transition from dialogue to action. She said the recommendations received from states, districts, industry stakeholders and Export Promotion Councils would be incorporated into a comprehensive National Textile Export Roadmap.

According to Rao, the sector would prioritise high-value segments, innovation, quality and sustainability while strengthening institutional coordination to boost exports and enhance India’s presence in global textile trade.

In a special session, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal urged the textile industry to quickly utilise the benefits arising from recently concluded free trade agreements to maximise export gains. He highlighted the need to address information gaps at the district level to help exporters effectively benefit from FTAs.

Agrawal also referred to the government’s export promotion initiatives and encouraged states and Union Territories to actively participate in the revived Districts as Export Hubs programme. He noted that the Department of Commerce had conducted around 500 workshops to promote awareness regarding trade agreements and export opportunities.

The second day of the summit began with presentations by states and Union Territories, which shared the outcomes of the breakout sessions held on the opening day. The presentations outlined strategic recommendations and actionable measures aimed at strengthening textile exports.

–IANS

pk