Hyderabad: After having excelled in the fields of IT and pharma, Telangana is now weaving dreams of making it big in the textiles sector. While the youngest state is a late entrant and will have to compete with other established states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to attract investments, its focus on creating an end-to-end value chain for the industry is expected to boost its prospects, said experts.
To begin with, the state is setting up the country’s largest textiles park — Kakatiya Mega Textile Park (KMTP) — spread over 1,200 acres, that will offer a complete manufacturing ecosystem for the textiles and apparel industry within its premises.
Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, IT & industries, Telangana, said KMTP will be a game-changer because no other textile hub in the country sports an end-to-end manufacturing ecosystem. “The land acquisition is over and now we are in the process of developing infrastructure,” said Ranjan. “We have already allotted 350 acres of land to two companies — Youngone Corporation and Ganesha Ecosphere.”
Korea’s Youngone Corporation, which is into sports and outdoor wear, will be setting up eight manufacturing units on a land parcel of 300 acres in the park at an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore. This Korean giant, that has units in Bangladesh and Vietnam, is likely to commission its first unit in KMTP this year.
Ganesha Ecosphere, which is into recycled polyester staple fibre, has already begun construction activity and is expected to commence operations this year.
KMTP is also setting up plug-and-play infrastructure for local weavers and textile manufacturers and will be setting up a common effluent treatment plant.
Ranjan said that in 2021, training centers will be set up in Warangal and its catchment villages so that the local population can be trained, and once the units are ready, they will have access to a trained workforce.
The state government is also keen on promoting technical textiles and will be setting up the country’s first technical textile testing lab with the help of the Centre at KMTP this year. “Currently, the manufacturers have to send their products abroad for testing,” Ranjan said, adding that around Rs 150 crore is expected to be invested by the Indian government in setting up the lab.
