Speaking of the importance of branding in textile sector, Irani mentioned that India's positioning in international market depends upon branding of Indian textile products.  She recalled how branding of handloom products by involving top designers and retail giants in the country, has led to a paradigm shift in the handloom sector.

Stating that education of children is the primary concern of weavers and artisans, Smt. Irani spoke of the MoU between IGNOU and The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to provide free, anytime, any-where education to the children. The Minister sought support of state governments for the success of the programme, specifically in identifying artisans and weavers who need such support.

Textiles Secretary, Rashmi Verma highlighted the challenges faced by the textile sector, especially in the export market, due to uneven tariff and non-tariff barriers and   expressed the hope that GST will bring down input costs, give a boost to textile exports and bring in greater capital investment in the sector. 

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