Gadkari: Vidarbha cotton should build an international brand as OCGC turns 10
At OCGC's 10th anniversary event, Gadkari and Giriraj Singh called for global garment brands, and flagged Vidarbha's raw cotton exports as a missed opportunity.
The Orange City Garment Cluster (OCGC) marked its tenth anniversary with a major event attended by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari as chief guest. Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh was also present as a special guest. The event was organised by Orange City Garment Cluster Private Limited, which works on skill development, employment and advancing women.
In his speech, Gadkari said that given the experience and capability OCGC has built up over the last 10 years, it should now create its own international brand that can compete in markets worldwide. He said OCGC could build a new identity for itself globally by focusing on product quality, reliability, consistent performance, fresh ideas and value addition.
Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh told Indian companies on the occasion that they should build brands that gain global recognition and manufacture goods to international standards. He said that to strengthen India's share in the world's textile trade, the industry needs to focus on export quality, innovation, branding and holding its own in global competition. Vipul Panchmatia, Neeraj Sethi, Chandir Khemchandani and Subodh Jhunjhunwala welcomed the two Union ministers at the event.
Gadkari raised an important point about the Vidarbha region. He said cotton is grown on a large scale in Vidarbha and there is considerable scope for the textile and garment sector to grow there. However, he expressed concern that large quantities of raw cotton are sent out of Vidarbha, processed elsewhere, and then sold as finished goods in domestic and foreign markets. According to Gadkari, if cotton were processed locally and the garment industry promoted in the region itself, it would raise farmers' earnings and also generate large-scale employment for local youth.
Gadkari also praised OCGC's work on skill development and women's empowerment. He said the organisation has so far trained more than 6,800 women and helped them become self-reliant, including women from disadvantaged sections of society in particular.
