The Business Factors News Desk
Surat, April 30, 2025: The Ministry of Heavy Industries has shocked Surat, India’s biggest hub for manmade fabric (MMF) by conspicuously excluding Surat from a high-level meeting organised on April 29, 2025) in New Delhi. The meeting was convened to streamline the implementation of the newly proposed Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024.
“Every year, the textile industry of Surat witnesses new machinery installations of Rs8,000cr ($934.65m) out of the total Rs20,000cr ($2.33bn) worth of new textile machinery installed nationwide,” a leading textile businessman tells this report. “But still, none of the leading textile bodies of Surat were invited for the meet.” Not invited to this key meeting were representatives from the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), the oldest chamber of Gujarat, nor the Federation of Indian Art Silk Weaving Industry (FIASWI), nor the Federation of Gujarat Weavers Welfare Association (FOGWA).
“Surat is home to the manmade textile industry and has the lion’s share,” our industry source tells us. “Presence of Surat in such critical meetings is mandatory.”
Sources confirmed that the meeting saw participation from national-level associations such as FICCI, CII, BIS, TMMA, and several sector-specific machinery bodies. The gathering aimed to form a Technical Committee to oversee the rollout and enforcement of the OTR 2024, which will directly impact machinery and equipment safety standards across sectors, including textiles.
A report in The Blunt Times said former SGCCI president and present head of the Pandesara Weaving Society, Ashish Gujarat,i voiced strong disapproval: “It is outrageous that Surat — the largest consumer of textile machinery in the country — was left out of such a significant policy discussion. This is a blatant oversight and an insult to the entire Surat textile ecosystem.”
Gujarati added that earlier government assurances indicated that end-user input would be a cornerstone of all technical and safety regulation processes. However, the exclusion of Surat from the discussion contradicts that commitment and risks formulating policies detached from ground realities.
What are the fallouts of the absence of Surat from the important meeting? Well, textile stakeholders in Surat now fear that the absence of local representation may result in impractical or commercially harmful regulatory frameworks.” The SGCCI and other associations are reportedly preparing to formally protest this omission with the central government,” The Blunt Times report said.
Industry veterans say this isn’t the first time Surat has had to play catch-up with Delhi after being left out of policy dialogues, despite its critical role in India’s textile value chain. “We contribute massively to the national textile economy, yet we have to knock on doors post-facto to make our voices heard. This cycle must stop,” said a senior member of FOGWA.
While the Technical Committee begins its work on finalising the implementation framework for the OTR 2024 Order, Surat’s absence has triggered a fresh debate on the Centre’s consultative processes. “The textile powerhouse is demanding an urgent seat at the table — not just to protect its interests, but to ensure that national policies reflect the realities of India’s most active and advanced textile cluster” FOGWA president Ashok Jirawala said.
Source: The Blunt Times
