By B.Basu
Fig 1: Textile artists demonstrate double ikat
The Textile Industry Today
The Textile Industry is the most glorified and oldest in the world. After food, cloth is necessary to cover the body and protect it from nature’s cold, rain, dust, summer etc. It is the identification of one’s profession such as Police, school uniform, Defense, Medical profession and so many others. It protects humans from any bacteria, disease, pollution, and covers the wound. It is required to present oneself to be smarter, to increase one`s personality, and special clothes are required for any social occasion (like marriage). Today, the world of Textiles is spread with Technical Textiles, Medical textiles, Smart Textiles and so on. Even in the areas of housing, it is being introduced in different forms such as tents, canopies, rooftops, temporary shelters etc. It is largely used in industries as packing and protecting materials, conveyor belts, ropes, baggage etc. The growth of this industry is enormous.
This industry was started with the Indus Valley Civilization even 12000-10000 years before. It was found [1] that even during the Harappan Civilization there were spinning and weaving systems. The references to spinning and weaving were found in Vedic Literature (1500 BCE) also. The silk used to be older than cotton and the dresses were worn in Ramayan seize. Silk is still the second largest producer in India after China.
Today, India is the largest producer of Cotton and Jute [2]. At present, Textile Industry is the second largest employer after Agriculture which employs 35 million people directly and 60 million indirectly. There are about 3542 cotton spinning mills (48 million spindles) [3] and about 2500 composite mills in India in the year 2010[4].
As of April 2022, there are approximately 385,596 power looms in India which employ about 7 million people directly and similar numbers of indirect people [5]. 60% of clothes are being produced in this sector. It exports silk, cotton, jute, manmade fibres, readymade garments, dyed fabrics etc.
We have around 23.77 lakhs of Handloom known to be the largest Cottage Industry producing super speciality cloths in different states of India [6]. It employs about 3,522,512 handloom workers where 72.29% are female employees. It earns export revenue of about 13.6% from various products like carpets, rugs, mats, Silk Sarees etc. Fig 2 shows the sarees produced state-wise.
The textile industry is Fast-changing due to automation and other technologies and is expected to grow very high in the coming years, it is expected to double its contribution to the country’s GDP by the end of the decade[7]. Today, the domestic apparel & textile industry in India contributes approx. 2.3 % to the country’s GDP, 13% to industrial production and 12% to exports. (https://www.investindia.gov.in>sector>textiles-apparel).
In the past, the Mughal empire was the pioneer in cotton and silk manufacturing (16th to 18th Century), especially Muslins. Bengal had a 25% share in the global Textile business [8]. Fig 1 is showing ikot patola weaving. It is a very special type of fabric made from silk in handloom available in Patan, Gujarat area. The examples are so many.
Patola weaving at the 2002 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Fig 2: The sarees made at different states in Handloom Sectors.
How to Build a Future as a “Start-up”?
The following tips are offered to the “startup” students as experienced professionals:
- In professional life, think about the responsibilities and work assignments rather than that salary rise every now and then.
- Keep a positive attitude toward learning rather than think of yourself as “Mr. Know all”. Take advice from the floor-level people who have burnt their fingers in those subjects.
- Avoid thinking about others’ pay rise and jealous feelings which may damage your mental health and distance yourself from constructive thinking. Think about his/her way of achieving and try to follow it constructively.
- Work smarter than work hard. You must be a result-oriented person, it doesn’t matter if you need to work for long hours and even on weekly off days.
- Keep a record of each & every one of your work done before your boss asks you.
- Be always punctual in your duties and refrain from remaining absent very often.
- Maintain a relationship with all even if you may not like someone.
- Always remember “Management is always right” and its decision is final.
- Must have an analytical sense of everything. For any failure, think “Why? How?” Read books, notes, and journals to learn about the causes of failures and how to solve them.
- Before “start-up”, prepare well in college days by attending Plant training vigorously, visiting Industries, take lessons from the subject teachers and Industrial Experts. Complete the Project works in the final Semester sincerely and with deep thoughts. (no shortcut)
- Before entering the industries, learn communication, writing, good speaking power and learn manners and Politeness. Be truthful and faithful.
Conclusions:
- The Textile Industry is a vast ocean with tremendous potential Job opportunities.
- It is the Oldest Industry, opportunities are vivid i.e. Right from the Handloom to the latest technology with scopes in Production, Maintenance, R&D, QC, PPC, PC, Sales & Marketing, Development, Trades, Entrepreneurship, Teachings and Consultancy.
- The Garment Sectors have come up with huge potentialities in Job opportunities and business, Entrepreneurship and Retailing.
- Before “start-up” and after “Start”, the students must be highly sincere.
References:
- Wikipedia.
- Wikipedia
- The Yarn Bazar, Spinning Mills in India.
- Wikipedia.
- Indian Trade Journal. Ministry of Commerce & Industries.
- Handloom sectors in India.
- Textile Industries today, google
- Wikipedia, Textile Industry in India.
- Net search
- (sustainability in the Textile Colleges-Frustrations in the education sectors, by B.Basu IJIRA -April – June -23, Lincoin University, Malasia, May 23)
