Apparel August 2019 Apparel August 2019 issue | Page 52

69TH NGF SPECIAL
THE APPAREL INDUSTRY IS ONE OF
THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTORS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS ACROSS
THE GLOBE. HOW DO YOU THINK CAN
THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM BE MADE
MORE SUSTAINABLE?
You are right in the sense that we are the bigger
culprits when it comes to the degradation of the
environment. But I think, across the world today,
a lot of sensitisation in this regard is happening.
Efforts and awareness have started to surface.
Many people are moving away from fast fashion
and choosing eco-friendly products. Brands and
consumers are reducing their use of chemicals
and turning to natural fibres and fabrics. People
are also encouraging the use of more sustainable
sourcing of raw materials and processes of
production. In fact, the whole Garment Industry of
India is likely to be introduced to a major initiative
for moving towards a more sustainable future.
WILL THE RECENT UNION BUDGET,
ANNOUNCED BY HON’BLE FINANCE
MINISTER NIRMALA SITHARAMAN,
IMPACT THE INDUSTRY SEVERELY?
This year’s Budget hardly has any measures that
can be termed as positive or negative. Having
said that, there is one factor, which can impact
the Industry negatively—the resolve to reduce
and relax local sourcing norms for international
single-brand retail. A plus point, on the other
hand, is that the Government is pushing and
encouraging the agricultural and MSME sectors
indirectly, hence moving its attention towards
Tier II and Tier III cities. So any fiscal incentives,
additional income or wealth created in these
areas can definitely support these towns and
cities, and their consumption patterns.
46
I APPAREL I
August 2019
REPORTS SAY THAT THE OVERALL
BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO THE
TEXTILES SECTOR THIS TIME HAS
GONE DOWN BY 30 PER CENT. WHAT
IS YOUR TAKE ON IT?
I think that was a wrong understanding of the
Budget announcement. The Remission of State
Levies (RoSL), which was earlier under textile
allocation, has now been moved to finance after
the return of the State and Central taxes. There
has been no reduction; it has just moved to the
Finance Ministry.
ACCORDING TO NITIN GADKARI,
UNION MINISTER OF MSMES, ABOUT
5.7 LAKH JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED
IN THE MSME SECTOR. IF THIS IS THE
CASE, THE COMING YEARS SHOW
GREAT PROMISE FOR SMALL- AND
MEDIUM-SCALE ENTREPRENEURS.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS?
It is difficult to talk about the exact sectors
where the job-creation has happened. I am
sure that it has happened, if the Government
has declared it. But in our own Industry,
I am not very sure whether there has been
any considerable job-creation in the last
12–18 months.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE
COMING NGF?
It all depends on how the economy shapes
up. At present, the market remains sluggish.
Hopefully, these sentiments will improve. If that
happens, the NGFs will continue to do well.
HOW DO YOU ENVISAGE THE APPAREL
INDUSTRY IN THE COMING YEARS?
In the long run, there is no reason why the
Apparel Industry in India will not thrive. The
population is continuing to grow, there is higher
consumption because youngsters tend to spend
more on clothing than the elderly, and with most
of our population comprising those below 35
years of age, our consumption, too, will go up.
There has also been a shift from traditional
clothing to ready-to-wear Apparel in Tier II and
Tier III towns.
Indians are increasingly being exposed to
Western trends and dressing styles. So all in
all, the situation is quite encouraging for the
Industry. The only caveat here is the increasing
relaxation of Import norms, especially from
countries of the South Asian Free Trade Area
(SAFTA), such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. I
am only hoping that the increasing requirements
of consumption are not met more by Imports
than domestic production.