Mr. & Mrs. Wong from Hong Kong manufacture Linen, a premium fabric and supply to many of the world’s top brands. Shirts & T’s made from their linen sell anywhere upwards of 200$-250$ internationally! And they are contemplating setting up shop here in our very own Ahmedabad. Mr. Kikani of Coimbatore, the country’s youngest and one of the most dynamic youth leaders from the textile sector often awarded at various national forums for exemplary achievements in Yarn exports has already started setting up his spinning mill in the vicinity of Ahmedabad. So is the case of RBA Textiles of Mumbai – a company with an existing spinning mill in Andhra Pradesh & Garmenting unit in Karnataka is all set to setup shop in our very own Ahmedabad!

Indeed a moment of immense pride  for all of us – what with one of the  top manufacturers of linen in the world setting up a state of the art linen manufacturing unit to cater exclusively to Gujarat and western India market;  the country’s top youth leader in the cotton yarn spinning sector already in Gujarat; RBA – an Indian bred textile conglomerate well on its way into Gujarat, local textile majors such as Arvind &Sintex expanding their capacities  exponentially  besides many others who are flocking into Aapnu Gujarat to contribute in resurrecting the state into again becoming  “Manchester of the East” the way it used to be in the good old bygone era.

Well, as a keen observer this is my interpretation:

  • The growing linen consumption of Gujarat and western India indicate that the spending power of our teeming millions is getting better by the day.
  • Textile magnates are more confident  about Gujarat and its offerings.
  • Local industrialists are reassured of their textile  investments here and hence don’t feel the need to lookout for greener pastures.
  • Political climate is conducive and facilitative.
  • The Government of Gujarat  has done a good job of building confidence levels of the investors nationally and internationally.
  • Brand Gujarat has been positioned well.

Besides all of this what else has happened that has made Gujarat a favourable destination for investments in the textile space for people such as Mr.Wong, Mr.Kikani, Mr.Lalbhai and many others?

Is it the textile policy of the Government of  Gujarat released ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat  Global Investment Summit,2013 that has lured the textile doyen’s of the world? Or is it the availability of ample raw material, good infrastructure, great connectivity, 24 x 7 power supply, port connectivity, peaceful and skilled labour… What is it that is working? What is it about Gujarat that is making itself stand apart?

Well, talk about Gujarat, talk about its vibrancy…

Talk about Gujarat, talk about its spirit of entrepreneurship…

Talk about Gujarat, talk about its leadership…

Talk about Gujarat, talk about Modi…

For over a decade Modi spearheaded the state towards development and growth; formulated many policies that would have far reaching impact and rolled out many visionary initiatives as a roadmap for Gujarat’s growth.

And the textile policy introduced during his tenure is well on its way to becoming one of his most important contributions to the state. At a macro level many of us know that this policy is the first of its kind but do we really know its nuances?

While the central government offers 2% subsidy for investments in cotton yarn spinning projects and an additional 2% subsidy for investments in weaving projects  Gujarat compliments this by offering an additional 7% subsidy on all textile projects that use cotton as its raw material. This not only boosts the industry and investments, it quadruples employment opportunities and safeguards & promotes the interest of the cotton farming community of Gujarat that contributes over 40% of the country’s cotton.

This policy is but a sample of days to come in Gujarat:

Holistic growth – safeguarding the farmer’s interests while boosting industrial production; facilitating employment opportunities while promoting non-polluting industries, empowering thru nurturance.

Obviously this can’t be just the magic of one man but the result of the collective efforts of leaders, bureaucrats, industrialists, entrepreneurs and the general populace that has made the state a favourable destination. And now you know why Gujarat is the right choice for entrepreneurs and industrialists the world over.