India to import textiles from Africa and Uzbekistan
According to Indian minister of state for textiles Mr Elangovan, the Indian government is considering importing cotton from African nations and Uzbekistan to provide relief for its struggling textile sector.
"The government will soon take a decision on the possibility of importing cotton from African nations and Uzbekistan. The centre and the state governments concerned will also initiate discussions to check the rising prices of yarn," Mr Elangovan said.
He added that the government had already announced a relief package of Rs50 billion ($1.2 billion) to bolster the textile sector, which has been severely affected by rupee appreciation.
The minister said that the handloom sector was in dire need of "market orientation", and that the government had decided to amalgamate the altered marketing promotion programme and handloom export scheme of the tenth five-year-plan in the eleventh plan.
"The government's endeavour is to give new directions to the existing policies so as to provide the handloom sector critical developmental inputs like easy and adequate credits, production, marketing infrastructure and appropriate technology," he said.
