Empowering Artisans: Union Minister Piyush Goyal Urges Vocal for Local in Textile Sector

New Delhi: Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Textiles, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution, and Commerce & Industry, encouraged beneficiaries of the textile sector to embrace the “Vocal for Local” mantra during an interactive session today.

Addressing the gathering, Goyal highlighted that boosting textile production in the country will not only increase income but also create employment opportunities, contributing significantly to making India ‘Atmanirbhar’ or self-reliant. He urged artisans to register their businesses on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) without any registration fee, enhancing their visibility and promoting their businesses.

Goyal expressed his commitment to facilitating the onboarding of GeM-registered businesses onto major e-commerce websites in the country and encouraging their registration on foreign platforms. This move aims to provide more exposure and opportunities for artisans and weavers, especially those engaged in handicraft and handloom.

Emphasizing the importance of the ‘Made in India’ initiative, the Minister called for ways to enable handicraft beneficiaries to benefit from the ‘Handmade in India’ label, ensuring better incomes for their products. He stressed the need for penalizing businesses selling machine-made products under the ‘Handmade in India’ label, ensuring the protection of the handicraft and handloom sectors.

Goyal assured the government’s readiness to procure the harvest of jute and cotton farmers if market prices fall below the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). He highlighted the government’s efforts to increase jute and cotton production, offering quality seeds and fertilizer to support quality produce for both domestic and foreign markets.

Encouraging technological innovation in the textile sector, Shri Goyal urged collective efforts to enhance the lives of artisans and weavers, contributing to increased income. He expressed gratitude to beneficiaries for preserving the nation’s cultural heritage and acknowledged women’s significant contribution to the textile sector.

Underlining the need to showcase handicraft and handloom products globally, the Minister called for improvements in product quality and packaging to enhance brand value and artisans’ income. The convergence of schemes like PM-Suryoday Yojana, Samarth schemes, and other textile schemes was emphasized to benefit businesses and transform artisans’ income.

The interactive session witnessed the participation of nearly 10,000 beneficiaries from different sectors, including Handloom, Handicraft, Jute, Silk, and Samarth, from across the country. Shri Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Textiles and Railways Smt. Darshana Vikram Jardosh engaged with 24 beneficiaries from 12 different locations, gaining insights into their experiences and the benefits received through various Ministry of Textiles schemes. This event marked a significant initiative for the empowerment of artisans on a large scale.