After assuming charge as Chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Dr. A. Sakthivel called on the Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal ji, in New Delhi. During the meeting, Dr. Sakthivel congratulated the Hon’ble Minister for the proactive and successful conclusion of several Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and for the continued efforts to advance ongoing negotiations with the European Union and other key trading partners.
Dr. Sakthivel also requested the Hon’ble Minister to expedite trade discussions with the United States, highlighting the need for timely relief for Indian apparel exporters facing challenges arising from current tariff-related issues. He emphasised that early progress on trade talks with the US would significantly support the apparel exporting community during a period of global uncertainty.
As part of his engagements, the AEPC Chairman held a series of high-level interactions with senior officials of the Government of India. These included meetings with Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, IAS, Secretary (Textiles); Shri Rohit Kansal, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; Shri Lov Agarwal, IAS, Additional Secretary and Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT); and Smt. Renu Lata, IAS, Economic Advisor, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
During these discussions, Dr. Sakthivel presented a comprehensive overview of the key priorities and concerns of the Indian apparel industry. The deliberations covered issues related to US tariffs, customs procedures, support for market diversification, and the need to fast-track FTAs with the US, EU and other countries. The discussions also focused on policy support measures, ease of doing business, product diversification with emphasis on man-made fibre (MMF) garments, skilling initiatives, infrastructure strengthening, and the development of PM MITRA Parks.
Strategic measures aimed at enhancing sustainability, improving global competitiveness, and expanding apparel exports into new markets were also deliberated upon. Dr. Sakthivel apprised the Hon’ble Minister and senior officials of the challenges exporters are facing in the current global trade environment and sought continued government support to enable the sector to achieve higher export growth, employment generation, and value addition.
The Apparel Export Promotion Council expressed its deep appreciation to the Hon’ble Commerce & Industry Minister and senior government officials for their continued guidance and support to the apparel export sector. AEPC remains confident that, under such leadership and with proactive policy backing, India’s apparel industry will continue to strengthen its position in the global market.
