The Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) based in Coimbatore has stressed on the importance of a comprehensive strategy in the textile and clothing sectors to seize global market opportunities. They aimed to address structural challenges and boost global competitiveness, aligning with the efforts of the Indian Government towards the textile and apparel sectors. SIMA urged Union Minister of Textiles Piyush Goyal to exempt viscose staple fiber (VSF) imports under the Advance Authorization scheme, further expressing optimism about doubling exports through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the EU and UK.

S K Sundararaman, SIMA Chairman, highlighted in a press release, the industry hurdles such as raw material challenges, and high production costs. He  emphasised SIMA’s role in intervening and assisting these structural challenges and expediting raw material strengthening and Government dues refund for sustainable growth.

The press statement shed light on the delayed disbursement of incentives by some states, causing financial strain on new investments, despite offering attractive benefits. Sundaram stressed the necessity for a comprehensive, long-term vision to not only seize China’s vacated textile trade space but also ensure consistent growth.

Additionally, SIMA officials in Coimbatore urged for exemptions on special and value-added fibre and filament imports that are not domestically manufactured.