Tirupur’s textile industry has called upon the Indian government to intervene and impose restrictions on the import of knitwear fabrics and garments from Bangladesh.
Under the current free trade agreement (FTA), these products are entering India duty-free. The rising influx of imports from Bangladesh has had a significant impact on local manufacturers in Tirupur. President of the Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA), KM Subramanian, emphasized the necessity for the government to implement measures to limit the import of these items from Bangladesh.
The import of knitted fabrics to India saw a 24.3% growth from Rs 212 crore in 2021-2022 to Rs 264 crore in 2022-23. Similarly, knitwear garment imports surged by 57.9% from Rs 1,576 crore to Rs 2,489 crore during the same period.
Meanwhile, the textile sector has expressed approval for the ongoing efforts to finalize the FTA with the United Kingdom by the end of this month. They have also urged for the speedy conclusion of FTAs with the European Union, New Zealand, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Additionally, TEA has called for the acceleration of the development of the Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) park, as numerous exporting units in Tirupur have displayed interest in establishing factories there.
Tirupur’s knitwear cluster, consisting of 90% MSMEs, directly employs around six lakh workers and indirectly provides jobs for an additional two lakh workers. In the previous fiscal year, the textile sector generated revenue of Rs 34,350 crore.
