Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates Bharat Tex 2024

EE News Desk Feb 27, 2024

Bharat Tex 2024 was inaugurated at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This event is orchestrated by a collaborative effort of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils, with backing from the Ministry of Textiles. Built on the twin pillars of trade and investment and with an overarching focus on sustainability, the four-day event promises to be a tapestry of tradition and technology, attracting, besides policymakers and global CEOs, more than 3,500 exhibitors, over 3,000 buyers from over 50 countries and more than 40,000 trade visitors from 100 countries. An exhibition spread across nearly two million square feet of area and encompassing the entire textile value chain will help showcase India’s capabilities and generate momentum throughout the entire Indian textile ecosystem.

Bharat Tex 2024 will feature exhibitions, knowledge sessions, thematic discussions, Government-to-Government (G2G) meetings, Business-to-Business (B2B) networks, the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), product launches, thematic and interactive pavilions and various other activities.

Inspired by the Five-f Vision of the Prime Minister, the event scheduled from 26-29 February has a unified farm-to-fashion focus, covering the entire value chain.

Key features of the event include an exhibition and trade fair area showcasing apparel, home furnishings, floor coverings, fibres, yarns, threads, fabrics, carpets, silk, textiles-based handicrafts, technical textiles and many more.

Retail high street focusing on India’s fashion retail market opportunities, dedicated pavilions on sustainability and recycling with focus on showcasing Tiruppur sustainable cluster and Panipat recycling cluster, fashion show showcasing Indian textiles heritage, unveiling of government initiatives such as Kasturi cotton, vision nxt and India size, Indi-haat showcasing India’s traditional sector of handicrafts and handlooms, Interactive fabric testing zones and product demonstrations, art jugalbandi focusing on sustainability and masterclasses by crafts persons with over three generations of tradition and history.

Additionally, Bharat Tex will feature knowledge sessions that would ideate on the future of the global textiles value chain.

Indian culture is woven with the textiles heritage of this country dating back several centuries. The country is renowned for its diverse range of textiles right from silk, muslin and white gold (cotton) during the medieval era to the intricate designs, dyeing techniques, embroideries and world-famous weaves showcasing the country's royal textiles traditions. Bharat Tex 2024 will highlight the richness of Indian textiles and strengthen its image as a custodian of tradition, innovation, and sustainability. It will also celebrate India's reliability as a competitive, sustainable textile manufacturing hub across the entire value chain, from raw materials to end products.

The theme pavilion at the event would be based on ‘Vastra Katha’ with sub-themes weaving India’s past heritage with India’s global position in textile industry and the future of global Textiles, spearheaded by India.

As the global textiles industry grapples with environmental challenges inherent in the linear model of ‘take-make-consume-dispose’, Bharat Tex is leading the way by taking proactive steps to promote eco-friendly practices and ethical standards.

The event has received confirmation of presence from leading global textile companies including Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Vero Moda, Coats, Toray, H&M, Gap, Target, Levis, Kohl’s, Nike, K-mart, Ikea, YKK, Fortum, Lenzing, Anko, CIEL Group, Busana Group, Hyosung Corporation, Brandix Apparels, Teijin, Coats Group, Poeticgem, Italiya Japan, Warp-n-weft Designs and Cotton Council International. In addition, Business Delegations from key textiles hubs including US, UK, Australia, Belgium, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Philippines, South Korea, Bangladesh, Russia, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Peru, Egypt and Thailand.

The event has garnered interest across various agencies including multilateral organisations, global textile think tanks and NGOs including UNEP, UNIDO, Laudes Foundation, GIZ, IDH, Cotton Connect, WGSN, Fashion for Good, Better Cotton Initiative, Responsible Sourcing Network, ITMF, International Apparel Federation, ITME, BGMEA, BKMEA, Cotton Egypt Association are partnering with Bharat Tex 2024 to facilitate discussions and deliberations on global trends in textiles and apparel including sustainability, circularity, traceability, industry 4.0, innovation, green financing among others.

In addition to the EPCs, various Indian and global industry bodies and associations have overwhelmingly supported the event. Some of the key bodies include CMAI, Citi, SIMA, SGCCI, TEA, GEMA, YESS, ITMF, ITME, ATMA and NIFT, among others.

The entire textiles industry covering all parts of the value chain has enthusiastically participated in the event. Prominent entities including the Aditya Birla Group, Reliance Group, Arvind Fashion, Welspun Living, Indorama Ventures, Trident Group, PDS and Shahi, have signed up as sponsors of the event. In addition, SMEs have shown large-scale participation across all the key clusters in the country.

Major textile states in the country including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are enthusiastically participating with dedicated pavilions and government representations.

With India’s global competitive edge in Textiles due to its recent FTAs, policy initiatives such as PLI and PM Mitra and state support packages, India’s textile sector is optimistically looking forward. Over 50 MoUs and announcements to be signed during the event will provide further impetus to investment and trade in the sector. Bharat Tex will not just showcase Indian capabilities in the sector, it will also help build brand India in textiles and be a significant step in achieving the 2023 vision of a 350 billion USD Indian textiles ecosystem.