Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani wanted the mantra ‘yesterday’s labour in Tirupur is today’s owner’ should be popularised across the country, to attract many people from various places to come, work and set up their own units.

Appreciating the DNA of growth of Tirupur, the knitwear hub with nearly Rs. 25,000 crore of exports, the Minister who visited Netaji Apparel Park today, expressed the hope that other clusters such as Kanpur should also evolve like this and advised to send a delegation from Tirupur to Kanpur to help them to follow similar practices prevailing in Tirupur.

Lauding the efforts made on the Zero Liquid Discharge and the investment made by Tirupur entrepreneurs in production of power through wind mill and solar, Smriti said she would ask the Environment Ministry to set up an award and provide to the sustainable clusters which are keen in the protection of environment and production of green energy.

Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) President Raja M. Shanmugam said that the Minister has promised to take efforts for inking trade agreements with EU, Britain, Australia and Canada.

The TEA chief said the Minister immediately accepted the request for organising a scientific conclave annually in Tirupur by inviting all Textile Research Associations in India such as SITRA, NITRA, BTRA, ATIRA and SASMIRA by which the findings and development of new products can be introduced to the knitwear garment sector.

After observing the activities in one of the exporting units in the Park, she interacted with select exporters and TEA office bearers.

TEA has requested the Minister to fix GST rate at the lowest of five per cent, as the textile industry is the biggest job creator.

It was also requested for continuance of existing Duty Drawback and ROSL (Rebate Of State Levies) Schemes even after implementation of GST from July 1 onwards for another two years, Raja Shanmugham said.