Gujarat, through its focused policy on textile industry, will emerge as the country’s textile hub in the next five years offering business and employment opportunity, Saurabh Patel State Finance Minister said here on Tuesday.

Holding the Congress responsible for the plight of Gujarat’s textile industry, Patel said, “Textile industry had earned the city of Ahmedabad a name of ‘Manchester of the East’ in the pre-independence era. But because of the wrong policies of the Congress this industry has died down.”

Patel further maintained that the State Government has set a target to increase the share of manufacturing sector in the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) from 16 per cent at present to 32 per cent in next 5-7 years. “The textiles sector is a focus area for the State. From cotton to garment, the State Government will provide subsidies and incentives,” he said during the inaugural address at the Indian International Fabric Expo 2014 organised by the Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council.

He maintained that besides being the largest producer of cotton, Gujarat produces 31 per cent of the country’s total man-made fibre and 38 per cent of the yarn.

Investors

The State Government has set a target to set up 2.5 million spindles in the next seven years. Patel maintained that the State Government’s new textiles policy will encourage investors and create new employment opportunities.

The three-day exhibition has about 100 visitors from 20 countries including Vietnam, Cabodia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bangladesh, Poland, Canada, Malaysia, Ghana, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Australia.

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