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The directorate of handlooms and textiles was recently inaugurated at Lamphel, Imphal by the state commerce and industries minister Govindas Konthoujam. The newly launched directorate will promote the sales of handloom and handicraft products produced in Manipur. It will also help to enhance the quality of handicraft and handloom items.
The handloom and handicraft sector is one of the main economic contributors in Manipur. Under the Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY), handicraft cluster projects were also launched by Konthoujam along with a handicraft museum at the inaugural programme. AHVY aims to promote the handicraft sector by creating artisans who have capability to manage things professionally.
As per the Manipur Handlooms and Handicrafts policy 2016 that was released at the inaugural programme, 50 per cent of the state’s handloom and handicraft products will be sold to the state government while a mere 20 per cent will be given to private buyers, said the minister.
He also urged the weavers and artisans of Manipur to increase the quality of the handicraft and handloom products that will increase the scope of getting better price internationally. The state government will provide the required assistance to increase the production quality, according to a leading daily.
The programme also witnessed distribution of awards for distinguished contribution in handicraft and handloom sector. State handicraft and handloom awards were bagged by six persons for their outstanding contribution in the field. Incentives were also distributed to one state level handicraft cluster project and nine district level cluster projects. Konthoujam also handed over 10 merit awards to persons from handloom and handicraft sector.
Buyer delegations from across the world will attend the third edition of the Morocco International Home Textile Fair scheduled to take place in Casablanca, North Africa from February 24 to 27. At this event, National and international companies will promote their skills to form new partnerships with various international brands that will attend the fair.
Pyramids Group Fair and Expotim are organising the Morocco Hometex. Items like bed linen, curtains, bath textiles, upholstered furniture, kitchen textiles and more will be exhibited at the event. Thousands of professional buyers will come together at the Fair along with the country’s Buyer Delegation Programme from its target countries such as Italy, Spain, Quatar, Gambia, Ghana, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Kuwait, Guinea, Jordan, Algeria, France and Tunisia, the organizers informed.
The second edition of the fair saw delegations from countries like Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, USA, Portugal, Greece, Italy, China, Pakistan and India in attendance. Over 12,308 local and international visitors from West Africa, North Africa, Middle East and Gulf Countries, European countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Greece, Netherlands, England and America had attended the Morocco Style Fair that was also held simultaneously in Casablaca.
On a recent visit to Brandix India Apparel City near Visakhapatnam, textile commissioner Dr Kavita Gupta heaped plaudits and called it a great success story and an example that other Textile Parks in India should follow. In particular, she appreciated the world class infrastructure that Brandix has set up. This would help boost Indian textile and apparel exports, she said.
A news website quoted the textile commissioner complementing Brandix for its water treatment and effluent plants that helped units inside the park, meet global standards. She advised the management of the Apparel City to develop an integrated value chain across all segments like spinning, weaving, garments and also technical textiles. While being the largest textile park in the country, the Brandix India Apparel City is also the biggest employer of women workforce at a single location, which totals to over 15,000.
As a means to apply for FDI and benefit from lower duties, Japanese sportswear brand Asics is in plans for local sourcing in India. Considering that its competitors like Nike and Puma have already got FDI clearance to start their own stores, Asics has to wait till it completes the 30 per cent local sourcing norm before it can get away from the franchise model.
Unlike its peers that are looking at manufacturing ‘Make in India’ products, Asics is still an imported footwear brand although it has started some amount of local production for apparel recently. Currently, Asics imports its footwear primarily from China and Indonesia much like other international brands including Clarks and Skechers, despite having Indian partners for their ventures.
While both Clarks and Sketchers have forged JVs with Future Group, Asics had decided to have a distribution pact with Reliance Retail which ended in 2015. The UK-based footwear major Pavers England was the first footwear company to get 100 per cent FDI and was the initial player to utilise the single brand FDI opportunity.
In India, Asics is now positioning itself from a sportswear to a lifestyle brand. Currently, Asics has 14 mono brand stores and expects to add another 12 such stores this year. It has also been spending on events like the Mumbai Marathon by becoming the official sponsors for three years to build its brand in the country. Asics, which has its headquarters in Kobe in Japan, has its biggest markets in the US and Europe and considers Japan as its second largest market.
In order to simplify the business process, the Bangladesh government has launched a digital service for the textile sector. With this in place, textile companies can carry out 18 different services under the new digital platform introduced under the ‘Online One Click Registration and Other Service Delivery by Directorate of Textile by Developing an E-Centre Network Using ICT’ project.
The e-service aims to help entrepreneurs carry out their businesses without wasting their time or money, informed textile and jute minister of Bangladesh, Imaj Uddin Pramanik while introducing the new service. Entrepreneurs in the textile sector can forward their applications through the service as well as make payments over the internet. The Access to Information project of the Prime Minister’s Office financed this programme, according to media reports.
The textile sector of Bangladesh is one of the highest foreign income generating industry of the country and holds 83 per cent share in total export earnings with $28 billion. The country seeks to achieve the target of $50 billion in textiles export by 2021.
In the seven months following the ban on liquor in the state, the sale of readymade clothes in Bihar increased by close to 44 per cent, said chief minister Nitish Kumar. He made the announcement of the surge in the sales of clothing items during the sixth leg of ‘Nischay yatra’, according to media reports. This yatra aims to take feedback regarding the impact of liquor prohibition on common people.
The sale of apparel as well as hosiery went up as people have begun utilising their money for buying useful items. The chief minister also said that the sales of sewing machines also witnessed a 19 per cent surge. While addressing a Chetna Sabha in Lakhisarai, Kumar said that people of Bihar are using their earnings to buy good clothes for themselves and their children post liquor ban.
At a meeting with a high-level delegation of Serbian senior trade and economic representatives, Director-General of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khalid bin Butti Al Hajri said that the Emirate of Sharjah has deep economic ties with Serbia and seeks to strengthen investment and trade ties with the country.
The delegation that comprised of representatives of garment, leather and food industries met the investors and businessmen from the UAE to discuss ways of supporting the unique economic ties between Sharjah and Serbia by way of developing trade relations and opening new investment avenues for UAE investors in Serbia.
The delegation made a presentation about their national products as well as incentives and facilities offered by the government of their country to the UAE business community. The two sides also discussed the services and facilities offered by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the body's willingness to support Serbian companies and organisations planning.
Pakistan’s minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Bosan has said that the decision regarding the announcement of textile package for the industry would be taken at the highest level after having thorough consultations with ministries of Textile, Finance and Commerce. He added that his ministry would also give its input accordingly.
He was talking to media after a meeting with All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Punjab president Aamir Fayyaz and other office-bearers. Responding to APTMA concerns, the minister assured of taking them up at the federal level. He also urged the Association to join hands with the government on the front of cotton research to meet the demands of the industry in future.
He underscored that the industry, the farming sector and the government would have to work as a team to achieve this task. He also assured the APTMA office-bearers of his full support in resolving their problems pertaining to his ministry. Bosan however ruled out any issue of food security citing that Pakistan has surplus stocks of wheat, rice, corn, sugar and other commodities.
He said that the country had a bumper crop of maze with regard to per acre yield and as whole production in the region. He went on to add that corn yield was also very high this season. Though several crops including gram, were affected due to less rains and other environmental factors in the country, crops production would improve as rains were expected next month, he maintained.
After repeated cases of baby-lifting from government hospitals, the Tamil Nadu health department has decided to use technology to safeguard newborns from kidnappers. From tomorrow, access to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital will be controlled by a biometric security system. This would be a pilot project and would be extended to other hospitals in the State, it is understood.
The new move is in line with the previous initiative of using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to ensure that children are not kidnapped from the labour ward. The tags functioned much like those used in big textile establishments to prevent shoplifting.
While the RFID system offers three-layers of security for the baby, mother and patient attenders at labour wards using tags, readers and monitoring, besides an alert system, the biometric system is simpler. It primarily restricts access to the Neonatal Intensive Critical Care Unit (NICCU) where sick newborns are admitted.
Informed Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education (additional incharge), from Wednesday, entry into the NICCU will be only through the biometric system. Mothers of the sick children admitted in the NICCU will be given ID cards.
This measure would ensure the safety of the children admitted in the NICCU, because they are alone most of the time with their mothers coming in only to feed them. So there is a risk of baby-lifting, the doctor noted.
The staff members attached to the ward have been given ID cards while the process of entering the details of mothers whose children are admitted in the ward has begun. Dr K L Malarvizhi, nodal officer for RFID tag system, said the biometric and RFID systems have different uses and objectives. The first is for the labour ward where there are a large number of attenders milling around. In such a scenario, a tag that sends a warning if the baby is moved five metres away from the mother is used.
For a change, the foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh has hit a record $32.09 billion at the end of December, up $720 million from the previous month. The reserves were sufficient enough to cover about nine months' worth of imports and are $4.6 billion higher than that of last year.
Steady garment exports and remittances from Bangladeshis working overseas have helped build reserves in recent years. Both garment exports and remittances are said to be the key drivers of the country's more than $200 billion economy.
