India Strengthens Global Textile Partnerships at Singapore Meet

India ITME Society showcases trade, investment, and sourcing opportunities in textiles and machinery.

India ITME Society’s networking program in Singapore brought industry leaders together to explore collaboration, boost sourcing, and expand global partnerships across the textile and machinery sectors.

The theme “UK–India FTA, Singapore CECA – Opportunities for Collaborative Growth, Investment & Sourcing in Textiles and Textile Machinery Sector for India” set the tone for the India Networking Program titled “Fabricating the Future of Textile Industry – From Heritage to High-Tech,” hosted by the India ITME Society on 29th October 2025 in Singapore. The exclusive gathering brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, embassy representatives, entrepreneurs, technocrats, industry bodies, and media professionals to promote collaboration, exchange insights, and explore opportunities in India’s textile and textile engineering ecosystem.

Following the conclusion of Diwali celebrations and alongside CITME+ASIA Singapore, India ITME Society organised a special “India Business Evening” to highlight partnership opportunities, sourcing avenues, and trade prospects spanning textiles, textile technologies, and textile machinery. The interactive event attracted 183 delegates from the USA, UK, China, Sweden, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, Germany, and Singapore.

Held in parallel with CITME-ASIA, this business engagement formed a strategic initiative by India’s textile and textile engineering industries to expand trade relationships, enhance technology access, and encourage manufacturing joint ventures with global partners. The collective objective is to accelerate shared economic growth and foster mutually beneficial outcomes.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Rohit Kansal (IAS), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, emphasized that India is now among the world’s leading hubs for weaving and knitting machinery installations, reflecting strong growth across its fabric and apparel value chains. He highlighted India’s position as a prime global destination for textile machinery investment over the coming decade. With a rapidly expanding domestic market of over 1.4 billion consumers, India presents vast opportunities for investment and collaboration.

Under his leadership, the Indian textile and textile engineering delegation engaged with senior representatives from the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA), Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI), International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), Turkish Textile Machinery & Accessories Industrialists Association (TEMSAD), The Federation of Merchants' Associations Singapore, Textile Machinery Association of Sweden (TMAS), and China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA).

H.E. Dr. Shilpak Ambule (IFS), High Commissioner of India to Singapore, noted that Singapore is India’s 6th largest trading partner globally and its largest trade partner within ASEAN. He highlighted the strong alignment in textile trade, where India serves as a major garment supplier and Singapore acts as a distribution, design, and retail hub.

Representing the Indian textile industry, Mr. Hemant Sharma, President – Polyester, Reliance Industries Ltd., stated that the textile sector is central to India’s manufacturing expansion, driving employment, exports, and innovation. With supportive policies and a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, the industry is poised to reinforce India’s status as a responsible and dependable global sourcing hub, contributing significantly toward India’s goal of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047.

The recently signed UK–BTMA agreement gained considerable attention. In a landmark discussion involving textile and machinery sectors, Mr. Jason Kent, CEO, British Textile Machinery Association, emphasized: “The alignment of circumstances of the UK and India negotiating our Free Trade Agreement is a pivotal one, it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The UK–India FTA is about co-creating a new global textile order — one that is more balanced, more sustainable, and more forward-looking than what we inherited. The FTA creates a platform beyond collaboration — where India’s strength in manufacturing and digital talent meets the UK’s excellence in design, research, and sustainability.”

Mr. Ketan Sanghvi, Chairman, India ITME Society, highlighted that India’s consumer spending during Diwali 2025 recorded a 25% rise compared to the USD 47.22 billion spent in 2024, demonstrating strong economic momentum. He reiterated that the textile and textile engineering sectors have the capability to weave a future of prosperity, sustainability, and inclusivity. He reaffirmed India ITME Society’s commitment to advancing dialogue and facilitating business ahead of India ITME 2026, the region’s most significant textile engineering event, scheduled from 4–9 December 2026 at IEML, Greater Noida.