'India becoming global leader in textile manufacturing': Full transcript of Union minister Giriraj Singh's interview at Powering Bharat summit

Union textiles minister Giriraj Singh

Union textile minister Giriraj Singh and member of Parliament from Begusarai in Bihar on May 16  said India will soon become a global leader in textile manufacturing. He also spoke about the country's growth potential, its relationship with Pakistan and several other topics during a conversation with News18's Brajesh Kumar.

Here's the full transcript of the interview. Edited excerpts:

Brajesh Kumar: Giriraj Ji, a very welcome to Powering India.

Giriraj Singh: Thank you very much for inviting me here.

Kumar: And in my opinion, the message of this Powering India, which is a special initiative by Network 18, Powering India before Rising India, if you want to give power, then the ministry you lead has a very big role in this. Textiles, I think it will give the most employment after agriculture. India's GDP contribution is also more than 2.25% of this sector.

Secondly, if you look at the spread, especially according to the rural economy, it also has a very important role. But the dream that Modi Ji has seen, that if India has to become a developed country by 2047, an economy of 30 trillion dollars, then your sector's contribution will also play a very important role in it. Is your sector ready?

Singh: I thank you that for the first time I have got this opportunity. You always ask me political questions only. This time you have asked me so many questions that you have asked about the total department.

Kumar: But don't tell me the whole department, just a summary.

Singh: No, you have put three questions. That 30 trillion preparation—

Kumar: What will happen by 2047?

Singh: Yes, till 2047 what will happen in this. You took employment, you took the hub. So this is definitely important for India. Agriculture is also included in this. Farmers grow cotton more than 60 lakh. And now 4.5 crores, which you know, that labour is involved in this, employment is involved at every level. From bottom to top, from country to country. And according to Modi Ji's direction, India, a powerful India, a united India, a developed India, will have the contribution of textile in it. And it will not happen just by talking. We have taken the first step by 2030 in the next 10 years.

If you take it now, then India's textile is of 76 billion dollars. Of which almost 50 billion dollars have gone domestically in less than 10 years. And as far as export is concerned, we are around 40 in export. And I can tell you completely that we have taken the aim of going up to 100 billion dollars.

Kumar: Till when will you go?

Singh: Till 2030.

Kumar: In the next 5 years?

Singh: Yes. And that is why you will say that these figures, from 176 to 350 billion, and from 37-40 to 100 export, it is easy. We do not find any difficulty in Modi Ji's direction. And work is also being done.

Kumar: I have a question in my mind, Giriraj ji. You are saying that we will achieve this goal very easily. Bangladesh is next to us. It is our neighbouring country. Although the relations are not good these days. It does not even have cotton. It brings cotton from outside and then makes readymade garments. And the contribution of the global industry of readymade garments, or the export from there, is much more than India. Why have we not been able to leave Bangladesh till now? If we are doing so much.

Singh: I will put two things here. One is that in the whole world, whether it is Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, so called Turkey, all these textiles.

Kumar: Why are you saying so called? Turkey is a country. Have we started to say so called after the Operation Sindoor?

Singh: I consider it so called. So take Turkey, whatever you want. India has an end-to-end solution. We have everything from fibre to garments. And the discussion of Bangladesh is absolutely correct. Today, people from all over the world went there. Fibre used to go from here. Yarn used to go from here. We are the global leader in spinning in the world. I do not deny it. So ask that you are a global leader, but you are not beating Bangladesh.

Look, there is a challenge in front of us. All our people are sitting here. Now tell me, should I look at the house first or look outside? In India, we were going to Australia sometimes. So I said, I will go there. If you ask, I will say that every year we give birth to a new Australia. This is the truth. India's population is increasing. So we should give them clothes too. I was asked by the opposition.

Kumar: So you are happy that the Indian population is increasing so fast. Your sector is benefiting from it. The more the population increases, the consumption gets increased.

Singh: The opposition asked me, Giriraj Ji, what are you doing? I said, my aim is that people like you should never be without clothes. So I am giving clothes to the whole country. So I am giving clothes. And what is the second? The priority of the industry is that the container never returns to meet the domestic demand. And in today's time, Bangladesh and Vietnam are not a challenge for me.

Not in words, I will tell you. Because after 2014, woman has the biggest contribution in the textile sector in 10.5 crores. So, 10.5 crores women have been connected only through the NRLM self-help group.  And now the industry was in Tirupur. There are many clusters in India. The people of Tirupur are going to put this industry in Odisha. Because the daughters of the people there used to go. Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, Bengal, Assam. So we have no problem with the labour force. There is no other opportunity. So we have the opportunity. We have the raw material.

Kumar: So tell me one thing, if there is such an opportunity, you said that because we cater to the domestic market, that's why we couldn't pay attention to export. But obviously, if India wants to make its global standing, and PM Modi's goal is to make India a global manufacturing hub. Obviously, export will be your priority. The US is a very big market. And whole world is talking about Trump effect. Is there a big problem in your sector? Because your big export is related to the US market.

Singh: No, ask me the truth. Trump imposed tariffs. Whatever he did, he did it in front of everyone. Whatever he did, he did it for his country. I don't have anything to say about it. But their market of importing textiles is of $100 billion worth. We are still at $10 billion. But I have complete faith, you will see, that my product is mostly man-made fibre or home-made man. This is the third or fourth bed-seat or towel of every American. This is made in India. I’m saying this with full confidence.  India is the global leader today.

Kumar: You have already made it. But you have made a 10% contribution.

Singh: I am saying that in the coming days, we are also highlighting cotton. We are branding Kasturi cotton.

Kumar: Yes, you talked about Kasturi cotton. You talked about branding. Is your value addition, we always talk about the value chain, when you can get a good price for your product in the international market, will this Kasturi branding help you? And at what stage is this? Because I think most people don't even know about Kasturi branding in this hall.

Singh: If you ask here, everyone will say Gija cotton. Because they did branding. We are also branding Kasturi cotton. And now gradually, the demand for Kasturi is increasing globally. And we are also increasing the production of Kasturi. So not only that, we are also bringing in new age fibre. What the world wants. You may be surprised, or the people sitting here, what is called milkweed, in North India, it is called Akan, Ang, Madar, it has cotton. That cotton, is thinner than Pashmina. It is hotter than woollen. It is lighter than synthetic. It absorbs 1.5 times more water than cotton. But it hasn't worked yet. I have an organization called Nitra. We have just started it. And we tested it in an industry, it is Ganga Acrowools from Ludhiana. It is a good exporter. I gave that fibre. They gave it in Merino wool. The world is looking for change. They are looking for sustainable. The woollen we have till now, is animal based woollen. We have given this vegan wool. Today, people made coats out of it and went to Germany. I also wore it and went.

Kumar: You are doing a great branding. So many things you are telling, normally they don't come to mind. People hear such things less from you.

Singh: No, people hear less, because you ask less.

Kumar: Okay, let me ask you. Tell me, after the incident of Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor. It was a very successful operation. We not only destroyed terrorist camps, but also demolished Pakistan's major military infrastructure. I am not just talking about India and Pakistan. India made defense products, whether it is drone or anti-drone technology or missiles, they did a great performance. I am linking it to your sector. Not only the pilots who wear special suits in fighter aircraft, but also the people who wear technical textiles. You also launched a mission for that. That you can fulfil all the expert needs in textiles from the earth to the sky. Did the car move forward in that? Or is it still dependent on imports?

Singh: Look, you did a very good question. This is Modi's government. Modi has not left any such sector. Technical textiles, before 2014, did not work in our country. I do not blame anyone. Why did it not happen? I will not discuss it. But it did not happen. Technical textiles, from the airspace to the field, are 12 vertical. Now, we use technical textiles in drones, in planes, in aerospace. Now, it has carbon fibre. It is also being used. Now, firefighting. One of our, one of Mr. Modi's, that the boys who do new start-ups, we gave it to a start-up, they made it, DRDO tested it and told that now such and such clothes are coming. Now Medicare. In technical textiles, in the medical sector, in the agriculture sector, in the mobile sector, there are 12 sectors.

Now, very quickly, Mr. Modi gave us about 1500 crores till date, who says budget? He gave it for innovation. 10,000 crores for PLI. And, PLI, you will like to know, about 30,000 crores was invested in it. This diaper and sanitary napkin, we used to import it. But, in today's date, many countries around the world, big companies, from P&G, and many other companies, are making it in India. And, we are giving PLI on it. We started it last year.

Kumar: One more development that happened here, after all these revelations, the tension that was going on, during that time of Phalgam, India made a free trade agreement with the UK. What is the positive impact of that on your ministry or on your sector? Will our export to the UK increase?

Singh: You asked a good question. The Bangladesh and Vietnam that you mentioned, I wanted to say, they compete because of FTA. They compete with those countries because of FTA. Today, whether it is the UK FTA, or there are 13-14 other countries, small and big countries, with Japan, Korea also, whatever Modi Ji believed in the industry, that we got FTA from the UK, Modiji has given it now, we are exporting 1.5 billion there. Today, I am saying that in the coming days, we will go beyond 5 billion. And this 5 billion dollars, from 1.5 to 5 billion dollars, we will pick up one by one. Because, with FTA, 12% rate will drop. You spoke about technical textiles earlier. There was no name here. We have exported 24,000 crores. Earlier, we used to import. Now, it is being exported.

Kumar: Giriraj Ji, you are saying such big things.

Singh: No, I am not saying big things. I am authentic.

Kumar: I am appreciating. But, like you mentioned about PLIA scheme, PM Mitra Yojana, in which you are making big clusters But, you come from Bihar. The people there, especially the opposition, say that you did not do anything for Bihar. You abuse Mamata Banerjee day and night. But, you went to make a special institute for Handloom in Bengal. You did not do anything in Bihar. Now, you are going for Legislative Assembly election in Bihar. Will you be questioned?

Singh: Look, if the people of Bengal are listening, then in Nadia district, we have given an institute worth more than 100 crores. Do not accuse me. Narendra Modi does not discriminate against anyone. As far as Bihar is concerned, I am telling you, in the coming days, Bihar will become a textile hub. Two districts are already textile hubs. That is Pashchim Champaran. That is Muzaffarpur. In this way, new districts are also joining it. And, PM Mitra, we have taken along with that. We have supported the discussion of Bangladesh till date. This seven PM Mitra will be a game changer in the textile industry of India. Because, it is from 1000 acres to 2000 acres. And, it has an end-to-end solution. There is processing, there is manufacturing, there is fabric, there is yarn, there is garments. Everything is an ecosystem.

For the first time, we have not given only one state which is connected to BJP. We have also given Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, UP. And, in the coming days, I am saying that when the first phase will be completed, then we will give PM Mitra for Bihar as a textile hub.

Kumar: You are giving it to everyone. You are also giving it to Pakistan. It cannot be exported directly. But, people say that it can be exported through third countries. India has made a water strike. The Sindhu Water Agreement has been put in abeyance. Are you trying to stop this? Because the PM said when the Phalgam occurred, that even through third countries, we will not let our cheap goods reach Pakistan. Are you doing something? Or are you soft on Pakistan?

Singh: Look, there are some things that I cannot say here. But, in the countries where we do not want to go, wherever we go, we will stop them through technology. We will stop them that they will not be able to reach there.

Kumar: Your party is celebrating Operation Sindhur. It is a very successful operation. The world is taking notice of it. You are launching the Tiranga Yatra. It is a double bonus for you. You are mass mobilizing for the success of Operation Sindhur. The Tiranga Yatra is a product of your ministry. It is spreading all over.

Singh: It is a blessing that without clothes, without textiles, there will be no flag and no pants and shirt. None of these will be made. The Tiranga Yatra is the mother of India. In the whole world, the mother earth is called India. And this Tiranga flag is our pride. It symbolizes nationality. In every child, now, in the era of Modi ji, you must have seen for two days, in social media, for three days, many countries have cancelled their Yatra. No government has said anything. This is the Tiranga flag. This is India's nationality. Whoever plays games with our country will be our enemy. We have nothing to do with it.

Kumar: This is the last question and I think we promised you that we will not take you anywhere but focus on your ministry. You must be happy today.

Singh: Absolutely. You are still on the road but I don't know when you will be gone.

Kumar: Thank you Giriraj ji for being so open. India is going to become a global manufacturing hub especially in the field of textiles. Thank you very much again for participating in this event.

Singh: A lot of thanks.