Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday, 11 June 2026 addressed a press conference in New Delhi to present a comprehensive account of the Ministry of Textiles' achievements, transformative initiatives, and policy milestones over the past 12 years under the Narendra Modi government.

Context

Speaking at the press briefing, Giriraj Singh shared that the session covered the Ministry's work on employment generation, adoption of modern technologies, and the empowerment of weavers and artisans. In his post on X, he stated: 'माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी के नेतृत्व में वस्त्र क्षेत्र ने अभूतपूर्व प्रगति की है' ('Under the leadership of honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the textile sector has made unprecedented progress'). The minister underlined that these efforts have given the sector a 'new identity and new momentum.'

The press conference served as a formal stocktaking exercise, with the minister framing the 12-year record as evidence of the government's commitment to public welfare, self-reliance, and nation-building.

Policy Backdrop

The government's textile policy since 2014 has rested on three interlocking pillars: technology modernisation, scale integration, and export competitiveness. The Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS), launched in 2015, provided capital subsidies to textile units investing in modern machinery, directly addressing the sector's long-standing productivity gap.

In 2021, the government notified the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for man-made fibre apparel and fabrics, targeting fresh investment and a step-up in exports. The same year's Union Budget announced the PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM-MITRA) parks — purpose-built infrastructure clusters designed to consolidate the entire textile value chain under one roof. These schemes collectively form the policy lineage that the minister's press conference sought to highlight.

Both the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, launched in 2020, and the long-term Viksit Bharat 2047 vision document identify textiles as a priority labour-intensive sector, linking domestic value-chain strengthening to broader manufacturing self-reliance goals.

Stakeholders and Impact

The textile sector is among India's largest employers, with weavers, handloom artisans, garment workers, and export-oriented MSMEs forming the primary beneficiary base of the schemes reviewed at the press conference. Empowerment of this constituency has been a recurring theme in the ministry's public communications, with the minister specifically naming 'bunakaron evam karigaron ka sashaktikaran' ('empowerment of weavers and artisans') as a core objective.

Textile exporters and small manufacturers stand to benefit from the PLI disbursements and PM-MITRA infrastructure as the government pushes to raise India's share in global apparel and fabric trade. The minister's emphasis on 'modern technologies' signals continued policy attention to upgrading production capacity beyond traditional handloom clusters.

What's Next

Parliamentary scrutiny of the 2026-27 textiles budget allocation is expected to be the next major checkpoint, with industry bodies watching closely for fresh guidelines on PM-MITRA park execution timelines and the release of pending PLI disbursements. The minister's framing of the press conference around a 12-year arc — coinciding with the Modi government's tenure — also signals that the ruling party intends to make the textile sector's transformation a centrepiece of its governance narrative ahead of future electoral cycles. The government has reiterated that it will 'continue to work with the resolve of public welfare, self-reliance, and nation-building.'