Tirupur: Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) chairman Dr A Sakthivel has urged the Centre to roll out a proposed special scheme aimed at enabling easier and more flexible import of fabrics for Indian garment exporters.Sakthivel was speaking at a review meeting of Export Promotion Councils chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday.Sakthivel and AEPC secretary general Mithileshwar Thakur attended the meeting. The meeting was also attended by commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal and senior officials from the department of commerce, directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT), department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) and other ministries and departments.Thakur made a presentation outlining AEPC’s KPI (key performance indicator) -driven framework and strategic roadmap to accelerate apparel exports, detailing short, medium and long-term measures to place shipments on a sustained growth path. The council flagged the need for a stable and predictable policy regime, continued support under the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme, enhanced interest equalisation support, capital subsidy for automation and Industry 4.0 adoption, and accelerated depreciation on capital investments.Addressing the meeting, Dr Sakthivel said early implementation of the special scheme would give exporters access to a wider range of quality fabrics and help them respond faster to global buyer requirements and fashion trends. He said the move would improve competitiveness, strengthen India’s position in global value chains and support export growth targets.He reiterated industry expectations for a supportive policy ecosystem that encourages investment, technology upgradation, productivity enhancement and value-added manufacturing, and said continued government support would help the sector contribute to export growth and employment generation.
