Southern India Mills' Association (SIMA) has appealed to the Centre to take immediate steps to create a level-playing field for the sector. The industry is looking to the government for duty relief. In the absence of a level playing field due to higher duty rates of Indian textile products in various international markets, higher costs of raw materials, funding and high transaction etc, the industry is not in a position to achieve its potential growth rate.

Therefore, it wants raw materials of both cotton and synthetic fibers available at prices comparable to international prices; free trade agreements expedited with all major textile importing countries particularly China and EU; and tariff rates slightly lower than or at par with other competing nations’.

The Association has pitched for an early rollout of GST and prefers textile products to be brought under the lowest rate of GST as the textile industry is a low profit margin industry. Measures like these are expected to enable the industry to achieve a growth rate of 25 to 35 per cent in the short run and 20 per cent in the long run.

Spinning mills in the south want the 14 per cent import duty on cotton to be withdrawn. They are mulling suspending production for a day to draw the attention of the government to the industry's plight and impress the need for right policy initiatives.