Press Release
Shri Parsadi Lal Meena, Industries Minister of Rajasthan was the Chief Guest at the virtual inaugural session of 7th edition of the 5-day International Textile and Apparel Fair, ‘Vastra 2020’. This textile fair is being jointly organized by Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Ltd. (RIICO) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The mega-event will be online till 27th September and the portal will be “Live” till 7th October. The event is being organised with active support of the Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR).
Over 249 buyers from 62 countries from Africa, Europe, America and other regions have registered for the Virtual Expo. Also, over 276 Indian Buying Houses and Agents have registered. Over 80 exhibitors are participating from garments, home furnishings, home textiles and fabric sectors.
During the inaugural address, the Industries Minister said that Rajasthan is one of the few states in the country that regularly organizes trade fairs. In the present situation when travel and social interaction is limited, the virtual edition of ‘Vastra’ will provide an apt platform to the textile and apparel industry to connect with the buyers across the globe to grow their business progressively.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister & Chairman, RIICO, Shri Kuldeep Ranka said that in the textile sector, different cities of Rajasthan include Jaipur( Sitapura), Pali, Balotra Jodhpur, Bhiwadi, Kishangarh. There are several export units established in these areas which are exporting to countries like the USA, Europe, Middle East and many other countries. These units have been working in different RIICO areas for long and they have tried to create a good ecosystem for exports with RIICO. Today, when we are facing a global pandemic, the economy has been gravely impacted, particularly the exports. In tandem with efforts made by the Central and State Government for growth, RIICO has also announced relief packages for the entrepreneurs as well as many financial and non-financial incentives. Various training programs organised by the Government to fulfil the availability of skilled labour has also helped a number of people to get jobs. Women associated with the sector also have a major share in the skilled workforce and many women entrepreneurs are facing difficulties during this pandemic. Apart from this, the industry has also been impacted by the migration of labourers from one state to the other.
Earlier, delivering the opening address, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council, Shri Ashok Kajaria said that presently when business sentiments are down all across the globe and physical events have been put on hold, virtual expos have opened up new avenues for generating new business. ‘Vastra 2020: Virtual Edition’ will help in re-energizing and rebooting the textiles and apparel business all across the globe. The main aim of the mega-event is to bring back the synergies and synchronise all the stakeholders on one platform for business generation.
