Neelam Shami Rao: “We must develop products better suited to the European market”
With the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), India has gained a significant tariff advantage to strengthen its presence in the European textile market. How does the country plan to transform its industry and offering to capitalise on this? FashionUnited spoke exclusively with Neelam Shami Rao, secretary of the Indian Ministry of Textiles, during her visit to the Texworld trade fair.
India's industrial strategy behind the Free Trade Agreement
Neelam Shami Rao: “The entire Indian textile industry is enthusiastic about this free trade agreement. We are eagerly awaiting its ratification and implementation. This is also the feedback we are getting from sourcing professionals.
In India, we are preparing to supply more clothing, fabrics and value-added products to Europe. We have strong assets in natural fibres, but we are also diversifying into man-made fibres. By combining these two strengths, we should be able to meet the demand of the European market.
Europe represents a very important market for us, which we consider a single market. Our goal is to strengthen this cooperation by combining European design and fashion sensibilities with the expertise of Indian artisans and the production capabilities of Indian factories. This will allow us to meet the expectations of European consumers.”
How the Indian textile industry plans to adapt its offering to the European market
“We need to act on several fronts.
Firstly, we must invest in product lines that we have not developed so far, or that we have not sufficiently promoted in European markets.
Secondly, we need to better consider the European market's design expectations and develop more products specifically for it. This involves moving beyond the traditional image associated with Indian products. India has many assets that are still little known in Europe, and we must build on them.”
How the Indian government is supporting the textile industry's growth
“The Indian textile industry is a labour-intensive industry. It generates many jobs and employs a large number of women.
Today, we want to increase our production capacity. The Indian government already supports the manufacturing industry through numerous programmes in infrastructure and logistics. These are implemented at both the central government and state levels.
We are also developing education and training programmes, particularly through the National Institute of Fashion Technology and many other design schools. Nearly 4,000 young fashion designers graduate from these institutions every year.”
Market segments India aims to develop in Europe
“Until now, Indian products have been mainly associated with cotton. We know, however, that the European market uses more man-made fibres. India is already the world's second-largest producer of these. We therefore want to further develop this offering and translate it into products and designs adapted to the European market.
Furthermore, India has long been seen as a country specialising in summer products. We now want to offer a range that covers all seasons, particularly with products dedicated to autumn and layering. We see significant potential here.”
A focus on embroidery
“Yes, particularly embroidery and other artisanal skills, which we want to rely on more.
We would also like to better promote high-end materials, such as pashmina wool, as well as certain very fine and rare materials that are difficult to find elsewhere. We believe they have strong potential in the European market.”